Knowing God’s Word is fundamental to understanding our faith. When we help others understand Scripture, we build a solid church foundation that positively impacts society.
But how active is the next generation in passing down these truths? To find out, Teleios Research surveyed 230 adolescents and millennials to uncover their perceptions and habits regarding teaching the Bible. Full results can be seen here - Young evangelicals and teaching the Bible.
Who Participated?
The majority of the 230 respondents fit the following demographics:
· Age: 86% were under 35 years old.
· Gender: 63% identified as female.
· Location: 68% resided in the United States.
· Affiliation: 73% identified as evangelical.
The Reality of Bible Teaching Habits
When asked directly about their habits, 27% of participants indicated they teach directly from the Bible at a pre-arranged time at least once a week. However, a striking 40% responded that they never instruct others in Scripture.
Interestingly, there is a notable perception gap. Only 11% of respondents initially stated they teach once a week or more when asked in a broader context. This leaves a 16% discrepancy—suggesting that some Christians may overestimate how frequently they actually teach the Bible when asked directly. When factoring in preferred methods, it is estimated that only about 4% of young evangelicals are directly teaching the Bible to others. More research is needed on this topic!
For those who do teach regularly, the verse-by-verse method was the top choice (32%). The favorite settings for instruction were:
· Small groups (in-person): 27%.
· One-on-one (in-person): 19%
For the respondents who do not teach weekly, fear and a perceived lack of knowledge were the primary hurdles:
· Do not feel they know enough about the Scripture – 42%
· Do not know how to teach (but want to learn) – 37%
· Fear of making a mistake – 34%
Many young adults view informal actions as valid ways to share Scripture, such as:
· living a godly lifestyle (71%)
· writing encouraging notes (62%)
· or verbally strengthening others with verses (62%).
However, 70% of respondents agreed that formal, verse-by-verse teaching holds more value than these informal methods.
In general, respondents had good well-being (average 4.5/6.0, with 6.0 being the best). However, those who regularly trained others in the Bible (4.8/6.0) reported better well-being than those who taught infrequently (4.1/6.0) or did not (4.4/6.0) teach the Bible (P= 0.003).
The survey suggests that young evangelicals generally recognize the importance of verse-by-verse teaching to others and want to learn how to instruct others. Those who teach experience better well-being than those who do not.
Nonetheless, young evangelicals are often reticent to teach fearing they are not capable or are not able to answer questions. Further, some may overestimate how frequently they teach the Bible.
So, what is the importance of teaching?
1. Problem – Unfortunately, teaching others or sharing the gospel appears to rank right below ‘going to the dentist’ among desired activities. Teleios’ research has shown that people generally fear sharing the gospel, specifically report being afraid of social rejection, offending the other person, not knowing what to say, or how to answer others’ questions.
2. What teaching is not – Teleios examined people’s habits in mentioning the gospel (a part of our outreach). In a well-taught Evangelical Church, attendees indicated they conveyed the gospel to others most commonly by:
· Sharing their lives – 78%
· Praying for others – 71%
· Encouraging others – 70%
· Loving others – 68%
· Explicitly mentioning how to accept Jesus Christ as Savior – 30%
Although sharing our lives is important, it does not replace actually telling someone the gospel or directly teaching the Bible. People cannot guess what we are thinking! Scripture recognizes that we do not have visual support for our faith until Christ comes again (Hebrews 2:8,) so others need to hear what to believe, and someone must explicitly tell them (Romans 10:14-17).
Why should we reach out to others regarding our faith?
There are at least several reasons:
1. It is a command – We are told to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2,15,24-26; 1 Timothy 4:6,16; Hebrews 5:12), which involves instructing others in the Word of God. However, teaching also may include admonishing others to correct action or thinking (Colossians 3:17; Ephesians 5:19).
2. Better well-being – Teleios has found that people who teach and share the Gospel enjoy better well-being than those who do not. What initially seems fearful is actually enriching after a person has shared the Gospel or taught God’s Word.
3. Good judgment – The ability to teach appears to indicate maturity, which is associated with accurate and efficient judgment and avoiding nasty pitfalls in life (Hebrews 5:14).
4. Maturity – Being able to teach is associated with maturity, especially the attributes of an elder/leader (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Hebrews 5:12).
5. Uplifting the church – The benefit of teaching others scripture or the gospel is not just for the individual but to the church itself. Teaching the Bible and the gospel is the primary way that we can grow the church and influence our culture generally (Colossians 1:5-10). Without Christians passing down the precious words of our Father to the next generation, the church certainly can suffer from a lack of support as opposed to influencing and benefiting our society.
So, let’s get to work! The truth we possess in the Bible is good for our family, friends, and acquaintances as well as for our society!
Thank you for joining me today. I look forward to seeing you next time.
William C. Stewart, MD
Email - info@teleiosresearch.com
Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/
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Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.
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