Ep. 199: Biblical Marriage: The Invisible Threat

What are you actually building your marriage on?

Marriage advice? Therapy? Instagram reels? A favorite podcast? What feels right?

Those things may offer helpful tools, but as Christian couples, none of them were ever meant to replace God's Word.

In this episode of Expedition Marriage, we're talking about biblical illiteracy and the impact it's having on Christian marriages.

And we're not just talking about reading more Bible verses.

We're talking about knowing Scripture well enough to recognize truth, understand context, identify when the Bible is being misused, and—most importantly—allow God's Word to transform how we live and love our spouse.

We're getting into:

• The biblical illiteracy problem among Christians
• Why information without transformation isn't enough
• Scripture being taken out of context
• Weaponizing verses about submission and forgiveness
• Why you shouldn't simply believe everything a pastor, counselor, podcaster, or Instagram account tells you
• "Life coach Jesus" and our desire to only hear what makes us feel good
• Why couples need to study Scripture for themselves
• How to start reading the Bible together when you don't know where to begin

You don't need a seminary degree.

You don't need to understand Greek.

You don't even need an elaborate Bible study plan.

You just need to start.

Because storms eventually come to every marriage.

The question isn't whether they'll come.

It's whether your marriage has been built on something strong enough to stand when they do.

00:00 Myths and Illiteracy

00:59 Marriage Without Purpose

02:53 Bible Reading Decline

04:21 No Shame Just Conviction

05:50 Basic Bible Knowledge Gaps

08:47 Teens and Cultural Lies

10:44 Bad Theology in the Pew

12:06 Bible Habits and Divorce

13:38 Handling Scripture Rightly

18:01 Cherry Picking and Deconstruction

22:49 Scripture Over Leaders

23:25 Damage From Misuse

24:09 Study Beyond Sundays

25:35 Famine Of The Word

26:32 Weaponized Marriage Verses

27:28 Forgiveness Misapplied

30:32 Pop Psychology Vs Truth

33:50 Tickling Ears Warning

36:46 Lamp For Daily Steps

39:48 How To Start Reading

41:43 Church And Resources

45:33 Rock Foundation Wrap-Up

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 divorcethan the general population.