Most “Bible-Believing Christians” Haven’t Even Read It! This was something I discovered at a large regional Church meeting many years ago. The meeting was packed with leaders and activists from many different Churches. The man at the front asked people to raise their hand if they had ever read the Bible right through. Very few hands went up. I wasn’t only shocked, but also felt betrayed: the people I had lazily been relying on to tell me what the Bible said didn’t have their hands up. For me that was a benefit as I instantly realised that I was being fed second-hand, third-hand, or umpteenth-hand Bible. I immediately set about reading it right through. I was so amazed by what I read that I then did it again. And again. And again . . . .
The sad truth is that most people who describe themselves as “Bible-Believing” are actually Pastor-Believing, Vicar-Believing, Priest-Believing, Bishop-Believing, Tele-evangelist-Believing or whatever. It is an abdication of personal responsibility, and a major act of putting trust in men, which just happens to be something the Bible warns us not to do. It suits the desires of Church leaders, maintaining their exalted position where they often act like Priests or Apostles. Indeed, in some Churches, the leaders are even given the official title of Priest or Apostle.
For hundreds of years it was forbidden for the Bible to be translated into vernacular languages. Eventually the struggle for vernacular Bibles was won, at the cost of many lives. There was little point in any of that if people still just rely on their Church to tell them the Truth.