Carole Schryber Seeks to Reverse Biblical Illiteracy with New Devotional

By Timothy Yap Jan 09, 2018 05:35 PM EST

A LifeWay research study found only 45 percent of those who attend church read the Bible more than once a week. Over 40 percent of the people attending read their Bible occasionally, maybe once or twice per month. According to Barna Research, fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels, and 60 percent of Americans can't name five of the Ten Commandments. Speaker and attorney, Carole Schryber, says these statistics are exactly why she believes her new book, "HIStory in 30 Days: Genesis to Revelation," can be a catalyst for Christians and non-Christians alike to rediscover the Bible.

"Many Christians lack confidence to share their faith because they cannot explain the narrative of the Bible," says Schryber. "Our churches need to teach individuals how to study the Bible, and especially how to discover context as they are reading passages in Scripture. Many people do not understand that Jesus is in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. He doesn't just show up at the moment of HIs birth. The Bible tells one story from beginning to end, and each book carries the plot, or God's plan, forward. 'HIStory in 30 Days' mentions every book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation so that the reader sees where each book fits chronologically into God's Story."

Schryber readily admits she was one of those people who professed Christianity, but never read the Bible until she was 33 years old. Her discovery of the Bible led her to give up her successful law practice in New York, devoting herself to studying the scriptures in depth. Fifteen years ago, she was asked to be the Director of Community Bible Study in McLean, Virginia, one of the largest bible studies in the U.S. She then began to speak at other churches and gatherings, and it was actually a speaking engagement that led to the creation of the book.

"I was asked to give a summary of the Bible in 60 minutes for a women's conference," says Schryber. "Afterwards, I realized that many individuals-unbelievers as well as believers- benefited from hearing how each book of the Bible fits into the overall redemption plan of God. That inspired me to write a devotional that would not only relay the Story, but include daily reflections and prayer which would demonstrate that every part of the Bible has application for our lives today."

Schryber believes the secularization of American society is the direct result of biblical illiteracy, and that Christians need to get serious about the book that is foundational to their faith.

"In 1 Samuel 8, the people declared that they wanted a human king to judge them and fight their battles. They preferred a human to judge them over God, as King. This is still the case. Under the world's standards of morality, we can justify any kind of behavior. God's standards, however, are unchanging, and yet true, sure, and holy. When I wrote this book, I hoped that if people could understand that ALL of Scripture tells one story, and that the Bible's unity attests to its authority as the Word of God, it would inspire them to go to the Bible to find God's righteous standards. If the Bible is Truth, then shouldn't we know what it says and look to it as the Word of the only King that matters?"

About Carole Schryber:

Carole Schryber was an attorney in New York who gave up the practice of law to devote herself to studying and teaching Scripture. She has used her research and analytical skills from the study of law for inductive Bible study. For the past fifteen years she has been a Christian teacher, speaker and writer. Her talk, Genesis to Revelation in 60 Minutes, was the impetus for the book "HIStory in 30 Days: Genesis to Revelation." She regularly speaks and teaches at her home church, McLean Bible in the Washington D.C. area, in addition to other churches. She has been the Associate Teaching Director of Community Bible Study in McLean, Virginia, which serves more than 400 women weekly. She is a wife and mother of three grown children. Her weekly blog can be found on her website,.