The Inerrant Word of God
The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.
Psalm 119:160 (CSB)
Many people declare that the Bible is the infallible, inerrant Word of God. This statement of faith is common. Yet, the concept of inerrancy is not a normal characteristic we use to define things. Thus, we must seek to grasp what we mean when we declare that the Word of God is inerrant.
When we speak of inerrancy, we mean that in the original manuscripts, nothing is affirmed that is contrary to fact. Thus, rest in the foundational truth that God’s Word is truth because it affirms that which is fact and not that which is untruth. The inerrancy of Scripture occurs because the Word is divinely inspired and has God as the author.
Some people argue that inerrancy does not exist because of grammatical differences. This argument fails to acknowledge that the human authors differed in their occupations and levels of education. Their cultural backdrop influenced the grammar used as they penned their letter. Today, people in the North refer to a soft drink as a “pop,” “soda,” or a “soda pop.” In the South, people refer to a soft drink as a “coke.” Both these statements are factual, but the influence of cultural grammar controls how one speaks that fact. The same is true concerning the original manuscripts. The human author’s location and backdrop influenced their language.
Some argue that inerrancy does not exist because exact calculations do not always occur. The argument fails to recognize that humanity often speaks in generalizations, including summations. These statements are still factual and accepted. For instance, if you and I were talking about driving to my house from the church, I would say you will drive just over 5 miles total, or I may say that you will drive just under 5 and 1/2 miles. Both these statements are general and factual. I live 5.3 miles from the church. The original authors made such generalizations when they spoke of numbers in an army or people perishing in a battle. They did not count every individual but gave a factual summation.
These two arguments and answers to these arguments reveal how we must understand the inerrancy of Scripture. The inerrant nature of Scripture is not a negotiable truth but a non-negotiable that we must hold. A proper view of inerrancy points us to understanding the truth of the Lord revealed in Scripture is factual and never affirms or points to something untrue.
QUESTIONS
Why must we hold the inerrancy of Scripture as a non-negotiable truth?
How does the nature of the inerrancy of Scripture impact our walk with the Lord and our daily walk in faith?
