Something troubling is happening inside the church, and the numbers are difficult to ignore.
More than half of young Protestant churchgoers now believe changing culture can make some biblical truths obsolete.
According to The Christian Post, a recent Lifeway Research survey found that 54% of Protestant churchgoers ages 18 to 29 agreed with the statement that “as culture changes, some biblical truths become obsolete.”
These aren’t simply young adults who have walked away from Christianity. The survey included Protestants who attend church at least once a month.
That raises a much more uncomfortable question: Is the church discipling the next generation, or is the culture doing it instead?
Lifeway surveyed 1,200 U.S. Protestant churchgoers in September 2025 and compared the findings with a similar 2019 survey. Across all age groups, 28% agreed that some biblical truths become obsolete as culture changes, an increase from 24% in 2019.
But the generational divide is striking.
While 54% of churchgoers ages 18 to 29 agreed, that number dropped to 40% among those ages 30 to 49, 19% among those ages 50 to 64, and just 13% among those ages 65 and older.
The issue goes beyond whether Scripture can become outdated.
The Christian Post reports that 56% of young adult churchgoers said some biblical truths do not fit their own beliefs, while 87% said the truth of God’s Word “can mean different things to different people.”
Overall, 34% of churchgoers said they accept some biblical truths while rejecting others.
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That is where the alarm bells should start ringing.
Christianity was never intended to be a faith in which believers reshape Scripture until it agrees with them. Scripture is supposed to reshape us.
Lifeway Research Executive Director Scott McConnell pointed directly to the problem of applying the standards of ordinary books to the Bible. While other books become dated and require revisions, McConnell emphasized that the Source behind Scripture does not change, pointing to James 1:17 and its description of God as the One who “does not change like shifting shadows.”
Yet there is another fascinating layer to these findings.
While 56% of Protestant churchgoers admitted they struggle to make sense of the Bible when reading it alone, 91% said they can usually understand how a biblical passage applies to their lives.
That disconnect matters.
If Scripture becomes primarily about what it means “to me,” instead of first asking what God has actually said, biblical truth can quickly become filtered through personal feelings, cultural expectations and popular opinion.
And the cultural pressure is only intensifying.
People may be opening their Bibles, but the deeper question is whether they are willing to let the Bible have the final word.
Romans 12:2 warns believers not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds.
Culture will change. Social values will change. Popular opinion will change.
The Word of God does not.
If Christians begin allowing culture to determine which portions of Scripture remain acceptable, the question facing the church is no longer simply how well believers know their Bibles.
It is who—or what—they have decided has the authority to define truth.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
