We’ve got a Bible quiz for you. Are the following events from the Old or New Testament?

1. The exodus from Egypt

2. The crossing of the Jordan

3. The healing of a man born blind

4. The miraculous escape from prison

5. The healing of Naaman’s leprosy

6. The killing of Remus by Romulus

Hopefully, you aced the test—and noticed that the last option isn’t from the Bible at all! So why did we list it? Well, a recent Lifeway Research report investigated churchgoers’ confidence in their ability to quote, summarize, or accurately recall various “Bible stories”—and the results were dismal.

60% Of Churchgoers Thought What?!

At first, things don’t look too bad—for most of the popular biblical accounts (we prefer the term account over the more childish, fairytale-sounding Bible story), around 25% of respondents thought they could provide a quick overview. Others believed they could quote them or at least accurately summarize them. But the study also had a control—and that’s where it gets worrisome.

That control was the story of Romulus and Remus. Note we said story this time, not account. That’s because this is an ancient Roman myth that explains how the great city of Rome and Roman civilization were founded—by twin brothers fathered by the god Mars and cared for briefly by a wolf and a woodpecker. One brother later kills the other, among other atrocities. It’s certainly not real history and is nowhere found or mentioned in the Bible. So what did survey respondents say when they were asked about the story of Romulus and Remus?

Only 39% recognized that this story is not part of the Bible. Only 4 in 10 churchgoers! What about the others?

The next largest group (33%) said it was in the Bible but that they “couldn’t tell any of it.” An astonishing 16% said they could “give a quick overview.” Six percent said they could recall most of it. One percent even said they could recite it from memory!

Shockingly, 6 in 10 churchgoers were unable to recognize that a Roman myth isn’t in the Bible. And, sadly, that calls into question the honesty of their answers regarding actual biblical accounts!

We Must Fight Biblical Illiteracy
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Biblical illiteracy is at astonishingly high levels in the church. So many Christians don’t know their Bibles because they aren’t reading them or receiving biblical teaching from all of God’s Word in their churches. They know a few fuzzy basics—and that’s about it. This is dangerous because it’s God’s Word that changes hearts and minds, is powerful, and is our weapon in the spiritual battle we’re in. Without God’s Word, Christians are weaponless and largely defenseless, unable to effectively live for Christ.

And we have no excuse. We have more access to God’s Word in print, audio, digital, and even video formats than ever before. We have more access to good Bible teaching, study aids, and resources. Yet Christians are apathetic, leaving their Bibles dusty and their children to glean a worldview from the culture with a moral lesson thrown in during Sunday school each week. It’s a far cry from the commands throughout Scripture that God’s Word be constantly on our lips and in our hearts and minds.

We’ve been passionate about biblical literacy for many years here at Answers in Genesis. That’s why we wrote our chronological Answers Bible Curriculum for Churches—which spends much time in the Old Testament, teaching about Jesus from beginning to end. After all, the Bible is all about Jesus! The Old Testament is the foundation for the gospel, so it’s vital Christians know both their Old and New Testaments. Understanding the Bible chronologically is vital for seeing the scope of history and the “scarlet thread” of Jesus and the gospel running through it all. We strongly encourage churches to teach God’s Word chronologically, not topically or just morally, to children.

Yes, we’re passionate about biblical literacy because God’s Word matters. We urge you to stop and consider your own level of biblical literacy and that of the children you serve—do both you and they really know God’s Word? And if not, what are you going to do about it?

Quiz Answers:

1. The exodus from Egypt (Old Testament)

2. The crossing of the Jordan (Old Testament)

3. The healing of a man born blind (New Testament)

4. The miraculous escape from prison (New Testament)

5. The healing of Naaman’s leprosy (Old Testament)

6. The killing of Remus by Romulus (neither; not in the Bible!)

Editor’s note: Based on Ken Ham, “Old or New Testament? 11% of Protestants Don’t Know,” Ken Ham Blog, August 26, 2024.

Avery Foley is a writer and speaker for Answers in Genesis, the Creation Museum, and the Ark Encounter. She and her husband are homeschool parents to five young children and the producers of Building Blocks, a chronological walk through the Bible for kids on Answers.tv.

Ken Ham is the Founder and CEO of Answers in Genesis, the ministry behind the Creation Museum, the Ark Encounter, Answers Bible Curriculum for churches, and the best-selling Answers VBS.