By Michael Brooks
Brooks is a pastor of the Siluria Baptist Church and adjunct instructor at Jefferson State Community College.

The church has not been left direction-less. We have a divine handbook for our mission. Our boys and girls in VBS acknowledge this with the familiar chorus: “Holy Bible, book divine, precious treasure, thou art mine.”

The Bible has been called the world’s best-selling book, but also the world’s least-read book. A Gallup poll concluded that Americans revere the Bible, but by and large don’t read it. Fewer than half can name the four gospels — the primary stories about the life of Jesus. And though we’d had some controversy about the posting of the Ten Commandments in public, 60 percent of Americans can’t name half of the Ten Commandments. A Barna poll found that 12 percent believe Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. A poll of graduating high school seniors found that 50 percent believe Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife. Another poll found a large number believe Jesus’ most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, was actually preached by Billy Graham!

Our general unfamiliarly with the Bible is one reason my denomination believes strongly in the Sunday School. Small groups of men and women, young people and children learning and discussing the scripture every week is valuable. We learn the truth and learn how to apply the truth to our everyday lives.

The apostle Paul insisted we should “rightly divide the word of truth.” He meant that we should interpret it rightly. When we misinterpret the Bible we miss out on the will of God for our lives.

For example, some interpreters have used the Bible to justify racial prejudice.

They insist some races don’t measure up.

I first heard this in high school when a friend told me the Bible pronounced a curse on a certain race of people. Of course some groups were cursed in the Old Testament and punished by the Lord. But Peter learned in the New Testament that God is “no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that fears him is accepted” (Acts 10: 34-35).

Some interpreters have used the Bible to justify personal greed. They insist “God wants me wealthy.” This mindset was highlighted in the 70s when a TV preacher said, “If you pray for an RV, be sure to tell God what color you want!”

Of course nothing is wrong with wanting an RV, but the Bible also says we must honor God with our spending and take care of the poor.

We’re grateful for faithful Sunday School teachers and Christian ministers who strive every week to teach the truth of God’s word.

The end result is that we must be obedient to the truth we learn and seek to fill our lives with God’s mercy.