Whose word should people hear?
One of the best protections of people against lies and deception is to enable them to read what God has said for themselves.
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“Literacy is not only about teaching people to read and write. It’s about enabling people to read God’s letter so they fall in love with our amazing Creator. It’s about giving them access to God’s Word so it becomes their guide for determining what is truth.“ – Alessandro & Chantal Parrillo
All of us view the world through a grid of assumptions about reality that are based on our knowledge, observations and experience.
To the extent that those assumptions are in conflict with God’s written word, they are false.
False beliefs lead to actions that are harmful to ourselves and others.
The solution is to compare our beliefs with God’s word and change our beliefs to match.
To do that on a daily basis, people need to be able to read God’s word for themselves.
Our tendency is to propagate our own ideas about God.
Our greatest need is to know God’s ideas about God, ourselves, and the world around us.
The message that brings life is God’s message.
People around the world need to know what God thinks, says, and does.
To be able to teach the “all things” that Christ commanded (Matt. 28:20), they need to be able to read what He has said for themselves, and show other people what He has said. Literacy is about equipping people to do that.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing each other in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with grace in your hearts to God."
"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:"
Vision for Thriving
The written word of God in the hands of the people is necessary for a thriving, maturing, reproducing Christ-centered church.
Otherwise, whose words would they hear and teach?
One of my greatest concerns, if not my greatest concern, is the subtly dangerous attempt we have to manufacture a heart for missions while missing a heart for Christ.”* – David Platt
A heart for Christ comes through getting to know Him by reading what He has revealed of Himself in His written word about His identity, character, purpose, and plan.
The Necessity of Literacy
Literacy was God’s idea.
God wrote things down so that there would be continuity throughout the ages. God himself wrote the Ten Commandments in stone. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
God told Moses to write down the book of the law. (Exodus 24:4 & 34:27)(Numbers 33:2)
God required that both the kings, priests and the people be literate.
He told the Israelites to teach His written word to their children and write His word on their house posts and gates. (Deuteronomy 6:7-9 & 11:19-20)
God required the kings of Israel to hand write their own copy of the Pentateuch (the first five books) and read it daily. (Deuteronomy 17:18-19)
God required the priests to be able to write to function in their role. (Numbers 5:23, Deuteronomy 31:9-11)
