Biblical inerrancy is a hotly debated topic within the Christian church. Some claim that the Bible may be inerrant only pertaining to matters of “faith and practice”[1] Others claim that the Bible need not be inerrant at all—because the Bible was written by fallible men, it must contain errors in certain matters. Finally, there are those who claim that the Bible is completely inerrant, as it pertains to the original documents written. This is the position to which I would subscribe. I believe that the Bible, as it pertains to the original manuscripts, is without error as it relates to all matters of life—not simply to “faith matters.” The Bible is the Word of God, “breathed out by God,” according to 2 Timothy 3:16. Peter says that, “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21 ESV) If God’s character is that of truth, as Jesus says in John 17:17, “your word is truth,” (ESV) then the Words which would be “breathed out by God” could not be false. God’s Word cannot be untruthful in any matter, because God is unchangingly truthful. P.D. Feinberg notes, “In John 10:34-35 Jesus says that Scripture cannot be broken and so is absolutely binding. While it is true that both passages emphasize the Bible’s authority, this authority can only be justified by or grounded in inerrancy. Something that contains errors cannot be absolutely authoritative.”[2] The Word of God is without error because God’s character is without error, and cannot change. The matters which may appear to be false about the Bible will inevitably be shown to be true, given enough time. This has been shown throughout history, both scientifically and archaeologically. Men may misinterpret the Word of God as being false, but the Bible itself never speaks falsely, and can be trusted in matters concerning every area of life, not just “faith and practice.” I am further convinced (although not as authoritatively) by the historical argument for inerrancy. If the Christian church has been convinced of the inerrancy of the Bible since the earliest days of the Church (as evidenced by Augustine) and throughout its history (as evidenced by Calvin and Luther), then it seems rather arrogant to assume that the 20th and 21st century church would suddenly discover contradictions and errors that brilliant men of the past (i.e. Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Edwards) had not already thought through. This doctrine has been taught implicitly throughout church history, and should be defended in the modern context explicitly and voraciously.
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