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A biblical marriage can’t be built without God’s Word.
We can learn communication tools, conflict-resolution techniques, attachment styles, and all kinds of helpful relationship skills. But if we call ourselves Christian couples while rarely opening Scripture, what are we actually using as the foundation for our marriages?
In this episode of Expedition Marriage, we’re talking about the growing problem of biblical illiteracy—and why it matters so much for Christian marriage.
The statistics are sobering. Many people who identify as Christians struggle to recognize basic biblical truth, distinguish Scripture from cultural ideas, or understand foundational Christian beliefs.
And that doesn’t just affect what we believe.
It affects how we live and how we love our spouse.
Building a biblical marriage requires more than knowing a few Bible verses about marriage. We need to know God’s Word well enough to understand it in context, recognize when Scripture is being misused, and allow biblical truth to actually transform how we live.
Because Scripture can also be weaponized inside a marriage.
Verses about submission can be used to control a spouse. Verses about forgiveness can be used to pressure a betrayed spouse to “get over it.” Promises can be pulled out of context. A Bible verse can even become ammunition in an argument when God’s intention was for His Word to transform us.
That’s why 2 Timothy 2:15 calls believers to correctly handle the Word of truth.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
- Why biblical literacy matters for a biblical marriage
- The difference between biblical information and biblical transformation
- Why Christian couples need to study Scripture for themselves
- How Bible verses get taken out of context
- What happens when Scripture becomes ammunition in marriage
- How submission passages can be misused
- Why forgiveness should never be weaponized against a hurting spouse
- Why cultural soundbites and social media aren’t substitutes for God’s Word
- How to evaluate what your pastor, counselor, podcast, or social media feed is teaching
- Why couples should read the Bible together
- How to begin studying Scripture when you feel intimidated
- What it means to build your marriage on a firm biblical foundation
You don’t need a seminary degree to understand the Bible.
You don’t have to know Greek.
And you don’t need the perfect Bible study plan before you begin.
Start by opening God’s Word together.
Read it. Wrestle with it. Ask questions. Pray for understanding. Let it correct you. And most importantly, put what you learn into practice.
Because the goal of biblical literacy isn’t simply information.
It’s transformation.
Jesus described the person who hears His words and puts them into practice as someone who dug deep and built a house on rock. When the flood came, that house stood because it was well built.
The storms will come to every marriage.
The question is:
What are you building yours on?
If you want a strong biblical marriage, don’t build it primarily on Instagram, podcasts, popular marriage advice, or even counseling.
Build your marriage on God’s Word.
Research and Stats Discussed:
- Bible reading among U.S. adults hit a 15-year low in 2024. Only 30% of adults were reading Scripture weekly. Among self-identified Christians that number was just a little better.
- 60% of Americans cannot name five of the Ten Commandments.
- 82% of Americans believe the phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is in the Bible. Born-again Christians did better — by one percent.
- Only 12% of U.S. adults can name all four Gospels.
- 71% of Christian teens cannot distinguish biblical truth from cultural lies.
- The 2025 Ligonier State of Theology survey — among self-identified evangelicals — found that 47% agreed that God accepts the worship of all religions. 28% said Jesus was a great teacher but not God.
- Couples who regularly read the Bible, attend church consistently, and live as devoted followers of Christ are 35% less likely to divorce than the general population.
- Nominal Christians — those who claim the faith but don’t engage the Word — are 20% more likely to divorce than the general population.
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