Do We Have To Read To Be Saved?

Q

One of my sons almost died when he was 5 due to extremely high fever which lasted 3 days. It affected his learning ability. He can learn but at an extremely slow pace. He says that what he has learned of the bible is from the preachers and me. He loves the Lord and is extremely faithful to Him. Recently someone he met told him that he had to read the bible himself or the word wasn’t his nor his salvation. Also that he should speak Hebrew. What kind of church has those beliefs and do you believe that is so? He is in his 50s and has led a Christian life for many years.

A

I can’t imagine any legitimate church group having an official position like this. In Romans 10:17 Paul said,

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

He didn’t say anything about the need to read it for ourselves. In fact, for most of history most people couldn’t read, and even today there are probably millions of people in the world who can’t read for one reason or another and yet have been saved. And of the millions of other believers who can read, only an extremely small percentage can speak Hebrew. This is more likely the twisted idea of some thoughtless individual.