Have you ever wondered if the Bible could be wrong in its historical depictions of past events? Have you ever heard it suggested that some accounts, which are clearly presented in the Bible as historical facts, may actually be something closer to legend? If these thoughts have ever crossed your mind, you’ve found yourself up against the doctrine of biblical inerrancy.
What is inerrancy?
Inerrancy is simply the assertion that the Bible is without error.
Inerrancy is a foundational doctrine of the historic Christian faith. The very earliest church fathers (including but not limited to the Apostles themselves) stated in no uncertain terms their confidence in the inerrancy of scripture. A few samples:
Observe that nothing of an unjust or counterfeit [false] character is written in them (Clement of Rome, A.D. 30-100)
But when you hear the utterances of the prophets spoken as it were personally, you must not suppose that they are spoken by the inspired men themselves but by the divine Word who moves them (First Apology, p. 36). (Justin Martyr, A.D. 100-165)
The Scriptures are indeed perfect, since they were spoken by the Word of God [Christ] and His Spirit (Against Heresies 2.28.2). (Irenaeus, second century A.D.)
Visit the Defending Inerrancy link in the comments for many, many more cited examples of the earliest church fathers expressing their belief in the doctrine of inerrancy.
Then there is, of course, the letter from Paul to Timothy:
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
And Hebrews:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Why does this matter?
It really all comes back to the very first temptation in the Garden:
“Did God really say?”
In order for unbiblical worldviews such as Progressive Christianity and the New Age to take root, they must first undermine the authority of scripture, which clearly denounces them in no uncertain terms.
But what if the Bible was just written by fallible human beings and can therefore sometimes be wrong? (This is a common case brought against the writings of Paul.)
What if its representations of God, especially in the Old Testament, were not entirely accurate, but rather the “best guesses” of a more primitive culture, based on their limited understanding and not ACTUALLY representing the true God?
Once you’ve brought into question the inerrancy of scripture, you are welcome to bring in replacements for the parts you don’t like. Who can stop you? By what standard could anyone say that you’re wrong? All truth becomes subjective.
As you sit in church, read blog articles, and converse with friends, keep your ears open for hints that they may be giving up on this essential doctrine. If they do, you can be sure that the sacking of other essential doctrines is not far behind.
See the comments for more resources on inerrancy.
RESOURCES:
The Rationality of Belief in Inerrancy (J.P. Moreland)
Why is Inerrancy Important? (Defending Inerrancy)
Did Early Christians Believe the Bible Was Inerrant and Authoritative? (Alisa Childers)
If the Gospels are Inerrant, Why Do They Contain Discrepancies? VIDEO (Stand to Reason)
Snay's Kitchen 