What we believe about the Word of God will inevitably affect what we believe about everything else and will shape how we live. Inerrancy—the belief that the Bible is entirely true in all its parts—is significant for this very reason. We cannot say we have a truthful, trustworthy God if we believe His inspired Word is anything but true and trustworthy.
As previously discussed, a belief in the inerrancy of Scripture has three-fold support. First, we believe the Bible is inerrant because, for the majority of church history, Christians have assumed that God’s Word is true. The natural conclusion of the people of faith has been that the Bible, since it comes from God, is every bit as perfect as He is. Only recently (since the Enlightenment) has the doctrine been questioned by those who profess to know God.
Second, we believe the Bible is inerrant because that’s how the Bible presents itself. The biblical authors repeatedly talk about its purity in absolute terms, expecting no falsehood, corruption, or error. Affirming the inerrancy of the Bible by quoting the Bible may seem circular to some. But, if it really is the highest authority, and if it does speak the truth about everything it touches, then we have no better place to go. We cannot appeal to a higher authority than the Bible itself. In fact, to say we believe the Bible is inerrant, then appeal to some other source of truth, is self-defeating. The only consistent thing to do, if we believe that Scripture is inerrant, is to believe what it says about itself.
Third, we believe the Bible is inerrant because God doesn’t make mistakes—they are against His very character. As we’ve seen several times now, God and His Word must not be divided. It is illogical to ascribe something to God yet deny that the same thing is true of His Word. The Bible comes from Him. If God has all authority, His Word has all authority. If God is true, His Word is true. Since God is free from impurity, the Bible is too. It is inerrant, just as He is.
All this said, when we read Scripture we often encounter things that seem to be imperfect, inconsistent, or errant. How do we deal with these things? Do these mean that our theologically constructed terms and definitions misrepresent the facts about the Bible? Some say yes; we say no. We don’t believe that the Bible’s inerrancy is compromised by these apparent problems.
But fundamentally, what we believe about inerrancy is shaped more by our belief in God Himself than any other thing. Our faith in God must supersede our faith in the wisdom of men. This doesn’t mean we are deliberately ignorant, burying our heads in the sand like timid ostriches. This doesn’t mean we run away from discussions about the Bible. But it does mean we believe the Bible will be proven true in the end, regardless of the current evidence. When faced with an apparent error, we don’t let extra-biblical evidence explain away what the Bible itself clearly teaches. We believe the Word—we believe God—over and above what the “best and brightest” scholars tell us. Not faith against reason, but faith over reason. Our faith is grounded, not in science or modern theology, but in the Word of God.
Understanding Inerrancy
Those who reject the inerrancy of Scripture have come up with quite the list of errors found within its pages, but most of those are connected to a misunderstanding of what inerrancy means. Inerrancy deals with the assertions of Scripture, not with absolute textual perfection. Consider the following clarifications:
- Grammatical errors are not errant statements. The Old Testament isn’t always consistent in its spellings of the names of cities and kings; that doesn’t make those passages untrue. Inerrancy applies to the assertions of Scripture, not necessarily to the grammar and spelling.
- Approximations and inconsistent quotations do not negate inerrancy and are perfectly acceptable within the communication of truth.
- Not everything recorded in Scripture is a truth statement. For example, the Bible records Satan’s lies and the poor advice of Job’s friends. Inerrancy means their words are accurately recorded, not that what they’re saying is actually true.
- Variances between manuscripts don’t negate inerrancy, primarily because inerrancy is ascribed only to the original manuscripts. Unless one manuscript asserts a truth that another rejects, that manuscript is still trustworthy—even with the textual variations.
Most misconceptions about inerrancy stem from a confusion between technical accuracy and propositional truth. Inaccurate usage can still communicate fully accurate truth. A simple farmer with little to no education can still be considered quite trustworthy, even if his English is broken and his grammar is poor. His lack of formal training has no bearing on the trustworthiness of his character. Similarly, the Bible’s perfection is found, not in its technical accuracy, but in its ability to lead those who read it toward truth. “The language may at times be peasant-like in its lack of polish, and yet he who will follow this Book, humble as parts of it may appear to the sophisticated of the world, will surely find his way to the Savior.”1
We come closer to understanding Scriptural inerrancy by understanding our Savior. He, though God, was distinctly human. He needed to eat and sleep, and He got tired. He experienced temptation. He was affected by the weaknesses all humans experience. Yet, in all this, He did not sin. His perfection was in no way tainted by His humanity. He is divine and human in one Person; the Bible is divine and human in one Book. Jesus and the Bible are both human, yet they are both perfect.
Grammatical Errors
I noted some of the objections to inerrancy in brief above, but we’re going to spend some more time on them, beginning with the grammatical errors. Again, understanding the difference between assertions and mistakes is necessary. Inerrancy does not mean the Bible always maintains perfect spelling or grammatical structure; it means the Bible never teaches something untrue.
To borrow John Feinberg’s illustration, if I own a cat, and she is resting on the rug in living room, to write, “My kat is resting on a mat in my living room” only asserts the location of the cat and has nothing to do with the proper spelling of the word “cat.” My improper spelling does not negate the truthfulness of my assertion. “By misspelling a word, I don’t teach that the wrong spelling is right, unless I add ‘and “kat” is the right way to spell “cat”.’ Since I don’t affirm that, I’m not teaching it, despite what may appear to be the case.”2
When we find misspellings in the biblical text, we shouldn’t be concerned. In fact, understanding the humanity of the Bible helps us understand its purpose. The Bible is not written for the intellectual or the elite; it is written so even the simplest can understand the truth and find God. Scripture is humble, common, and simple, yet entirely true.
Similarly, we don’t need to bother about the Bible’s unscientific nature. It is not a science textbook. It is the authority on every subject, and I’m not saying we shouldn’t believe what the Bible says concerning science. What I am saying is that its primary purpose is not to teach us science. We have no issue when the Bible’s says the sun rises and sets, even though we know it’s the earth that rotates to bring the sun into view. The Bible simply describes things as they appear; an honest description from a human perspective is not a falsehood.
- J. C. Wenger, God’s Word Written (Northville, MI: Biblical Viewpoints Publications, 1999), 45.
- John S. Feinberg, Light in a Dark Place; The Doctrine of Scripture (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 235.