A FAMINE OF THE WORD: WHEN BIBLICAL ILLITERACY OVERTAKES THE CHURCH

By Akin Ojumu

Beloved, there is a great famine in the land.

It is impossible to survey the profound biblical illiteracy now widespread among professing Christians without being reminded of the prophecy of Amos.

Amos 8:11-12

““Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD God, “when I will send a famine on the land – not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the Words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the Word of the LORD, but they shall not find it.””

A severe famine of the Word of the LORD has indeed overtaken much of the visible Church. Tragically, many of those suffering from this biblical kwashiorkor do not even realize it. A spiritually marasmic Church is totally oblivious of its severe spiritual protein deficiency syndrome. On the contrary, they fervently believe they are full and well-fed with the Bread of life.

Biblically malnourished churchgoers run from pillar to post in search of a “powerful man of God” who will feed them with a special word for the season. Day after day, they bring their fortunes and lay them at the feet of impostors masquerading as ministers of the Gospel.

Yet what these spiritual protein deficient souls are being fed is not the nourishing truth of Scripture, but spiritual poison dispensed by religious hucksters who are leading them along the broad road that ends in destruction.

Because they do not know the Bible, they are easily impressed by eloquent preachers who claim to possess esoteric revelations. Lacking discernment, they give undue reverence to gifted orators who pour forth mystical pronouncements about supposedly deep spiritual matters.

What these biblically malnourished people fail to understand is that ostentatious verbosity is often the stock-in-trade of false teachers. Such men deceive the simple-minded with high-sounding language that masquerades as scholarship or profound spiritual insight. Their boastful claims of receiving direct revelation from God serve as thought-stopping devices designed to silence questions, discourage scrutiny, and pull the wool over the eyes of their gullible followers.

Regardless of a preacher’s oratorical flair or theatrical delivery, no religious gathering can rightly be called a church in the biblical sense if the true Gospel is absent.

Fabulous stories, astonishing accounts of supernatural encounters, enormous congregations, imposing auditoriums, sophisticated branding, and aggressive marketing cannot transform a religious organization into a house of worship belonging to the God of the universe.

A true church is distinguished by the faithful proclamation of the Gospel and the sound teaching of God’s Word. God’s true Church has always been a place where people hunger for the truth revealed in the Bible. 

Likewise, one of the distinguishing marks of a true Christian is a love for Scripture – not merely for its promises, but also for its commands, warnings, corrections, and rebukes. 

Contrary to what many modern preachers would have their followers believe, the knowledge of God is not an esoteric secret reserved for an elite group who have attained a higher spiritual status through prolonged prayer and fasting.

Scripture is God’s gracious gift to His Church. In it, He has revealed Himself and made known everything necessary for faith and godly living.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

God’s Word is the spiritual nourishment of every believer. It contains everything we need to grow in grace, mature in the faith, and live lives consecrated to God.

The Apostle Peter writes:

1 Peter 2:2

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.”

Because Scripture is indispensable to our spiritual well-being, every believer must learn to study it carefully, interpret it correctly, and apply it faithfully. To receive its intended benefits, we must handle it accurately.

It is impossible to overstate how vital God’s Word is to the believer. To neglect Scripture is to actively starve your own soul.

A Christian can easily maintain a frantic pace of religious activity—attending every service, singing loudly, praying fervently, and volunteering enthusiastically—and still remain profoundly spiritually malnourished. Religious busyness is not a substitute for spiritual health.

Faith thrives only in the fertile soil of God’s Word. When it lacks deep roots in sound doctrine, it inevitably withers under the scorching heat of trials, temptation, and false teaching. Much of the spiritual dryness and lethargy plaguing believers today can be traced directly back to this: souls that have simply not been watered at the fountain of divine truth.

Scripture repeatedly testifies to its own life-giving, transformative power.

Psalm 19:7

“The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the Testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”

Psalm 119:9

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word.”

Psalm 119:130

“The unfolding of your Words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”

John 6:63

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The Words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

John 8:31–32

“If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”

Romans 10:17

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.”

2 Timothy 3:16–17

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

1 Peter 2:2

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.”

These passages consistently affirm that Scripture is the lifeblood of the believer. It revives, imparts wisdom, builds faith, exposes error, corrects wrongdoing, and equips us for true spiritual maturity.

Given the absolute centrality of Scripture, you would expect the Church to be led exclusively by individuals who are deeply competent in handling the Word of God.

Tragically, that is often not the case.

Many pulpits today are occupied by individuals who possess immense charisma, administrative talent, and celebrity influence, but virtually no theological depth. They are gifted communicators, yet total novices in the Scriptures.

The heartbreaking social phenomenon of “babies having babies” has found its spiritual counterpart in the modern Church. Spiritual infants are standing in pulpits, attempting to nurse spiritual newborns.

Men who have never been properly grounded in the faith have positioned themselves as its chief teachers. Because they cannot correctly interpret Scripture, they end up shaping the beliefs of millions who do not know their Bibles well enough to recognize they are being misled.

This is a critical danger zone for any congregation. When the blind lead the blind, both inevitably fall into the ditch. When leaders who mishandle the text are treated as unquestionable representatives of God, entire churches are left defenseless against deception.

And this is precisely why personal, careful, and prayerful Bible study is a non-negotiable duty for every single believer.

The Bible is the ultimate authority – period. No matter a preacher’s fame, wealth, charisma, or church size, they answer to Scripture; Scripture never answers to them. 

A pastor’s job is to submit to the Word, not to twist, manipulate, or redefine it to suit an agenda. The role of the minister of the Gospel is to faithfully proclaim biblical truth, never to alter, distort, or reengineer it to promote a preconceived idea.

2 John 1:10-11

“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”

Never place yourself under the spiritual authority of anyone who twists, manipulates, or distorts the Word of God. Whoever seeks to quench his spiritual thirst from the poisoned cistern of a false teacher endangers his own soul.