A new study released by LifeWay Research reveals that Protestant churchgoers may know less about the Old Testament than they realize. The study surveyed 1,008 churchgoers last September on their knowledge of the Old Testament, revealing some startling gaps about what they exactly know about the first half of the Bible. A respondent was considered a churchgoer if they attend services at least once a month. Respondents were asked which Old Testament story was their favorite, with the stories of Moses, Noah, and the Book of Genesis coming in the top three spots. However, 11 percent of respondents responded with a New Testament story. Furthermore, when asked “How much of the story of Romulus and Remus found in the Bible could you tell from memory?” 58 percent of respondents answered in ways that showed they believed the story was actually in the Bible. Only 39 percent of respondents recognized the story as not being from the Bible. The tale of Romulus and Remus is an old Roman myth telling the story of two brothers, Romulus and Remus, and their founding of the city of Rome.

Of actual stories from the Old Testament, churchgoers were most confident in their knowledge of the story of Noah and the Ark. Eighty-two percent of respondents stated they could tell the story from memory, with 39 percent believing they could tell it all accurately. Forty-three percent stated they could tell it but possibly with some missing or incorrect details. Only 1percent said they could not tell any of it. Churchgoers showed the least amount of confidence in recalling the stories of Daniel in the Lion’s Den and Jonah and the big fish, with about 63percent stating they could retell each of those stories in some capacity.

Overall, churchgoers with evangelical beliefs and those who attended church more regularly were more likely to express more confidence in being able to retell Old Testament stories. Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, stated that the study highlighted the importance of churchgoers studying the Bible for themselves. “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.” He added that knowing the Bible was essential for sorting through other voices that vie for a believer’s attention. “While recognizing the names of every person mentioned in the Bible may have little value, the Christian faith does place great value on recognizing biblical teaching from other voices because Jesus said He is the only way,” he said. “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.”