Do Churchgoers Truly Know the Old Testament? Shocking Stats Reveal the Truth

The Bible’s interwoven narrative is essential to understanding God’s redemptive plan for humanity, but not everyone who goes to church has proper awareness, particularly when it comes to Old Testament stories.

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According to newly released data from LifeWay Research, more than one-in-10 (11%) of Protestant churchgoers accidentally offer a New Testament story when asked to share their favorite Old Testament narrative, showcasing a notable level of confusion among some believers.

In addition to that statistic, 7% offer no story and 3% simply don’t know.

This accounts for a relatively sizable percentage of people who are in churches yet remain unfamiliar with how the Bible is divided, presented, and intertwined.

“While churchgoers may open a Bible at church, at least 1-in-5 may not be familiar with how it’s organized and what distinguishes the New Testament from the Old Testament,” Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said in a statement.

He continued, “Some of these attendees may have spent less time in the Bible while others may not know the Bible for themselves, because someone else has always been their GPS for navigating it.”

Confidence in accurately retelling Bible stories is generally highest among those with evangelical beliefs and those who attend church services on a more frequent basis.

The three most popular Old Testament stories among churchgoers were Moses and the Exodus (13%), Noah (11%), and Genesis (10%).

In the end, McConnell said the research shows the need for churches to routinely continue teaching the Bible. One fact underscoring this reality was seen when researchers asked respondents, “How much of the story of Romulus and Remus found in the Bible could you tell from memory?”

Just 39% said they didn’t believe it was a Bible story, which is correct; Romulus and Remus — twin brothers whose story is part of the legend surrounding the founding of Rome — are not mentioned in Scripture.

“Most churchgoers remember and can tell more than just the highlights of major Old Testament events, but the majority also admit they need a refresher on some of the details,” McConnell said.

The data is based on a survey of 1,008 American Protestant churchgoers conducted Sept. 19-29, 2023.