Inerrancy – It’s Not That Complicated

The first thing to realize is that we know God because God reveals himself to us. Revelation is “God’s disclosure of His nature and His will to mankind.” There are two kinds of revelation, general and special. General revelation is general information about God – he exists, he is powerful that is generally available to all human beings. In Scripture we learn that all Creation reveals God (Psalm 19) and that all human beings know God (Rom 1).

Special Revelation is specific revelation, through specific means, Jesus Christ (John 1:14) or spoken words (2 Samuel 23:2), that is available to specific people, Israel, the church.

The Bible, Christians believe, is special revelation, inspired by God, devoid of error and authoritative on all that it speaks about. Despite all the recent debate about the matter (just Google inerrancy debate) it remains a simple, straightforward set of beliefs.

First off, the Bible is Inspired. Inspiration is “the work of the Holy Spirit in the writing process in order to produce writings that are both the words of God and of the human writers.” The Holy Spirit uses human authors, their style, vocabulary and personality, to ensure that their words are accurate and are what God wants to say. And all the Bible is inspired, every word and all the word.

• 2 Tim 3:16: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
• 2 Peter 1:20-21: So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
• Exodus 32:16: The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets.
• Isaiah 1:1-2: The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. “Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the Lord speaks,”

Second, the Bible is Inerrant. Inerrancy means that the Bible, in the original autographs (the original writings as God gave them) is entirely true and never false in all it says in all fields – physical, social etc. This might not mean precise in all it affirms, but that does not negate its truth. As John Frame says, “When we say that the Bible is inerrant, we mean that the Bible makes good on its claims.” It also doesn’t matter that we don’t have the original autographs since the assertion that they are inerrant is not based on having in our possession the original autographs.

For what reason do we believe it? Because the Bible is inspired, scripture is God’s word. And God knows everything (He is omniscient, Ps 147:4 “He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.”). God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18 “it is impossible for God to lie”). Therefore, scripture is the ultimate standard for truth (John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth”).

Third, the Bible is Imperial. The Bible is the supreme authority on all matters relating to God and creation. The authority of scripture is based in the person of God (as is every other doctrine). God is the supreme being, upon whom all things that are not God are dependent. He controls all things, knows all things, sustains all things and is always right. God inspired scripture to the extent that all scripture is devoid of error. Therefore, the Bible is imperial, to be treated as the supreme authority.

• 2 Tim 3:16: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
• 1 John 5:9-12: If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.