The contents of ScriptureIs the Bible free from

mistakes?

Three views…Three views…

Liberal:Liberal: the Bible may contain any the Bible may contain any amount of erroramount of error

Fundamentalist:Fundamentalist: the Bible is entirely free the Bible is entirely free from mistakesfrom mistakes

Other evangelicals:Other evangelicals: the Bible is without the Bible is without error for all the purposes for which it has error for all the purposes for which it has been givenbeen given

Liberal Fundamentalist Other

Where they stand…Where they stand…

Ten key issues in the Ten key issues in the debatedebate

What is `truth’?What is `truth’? What have Christians What have Christians

always believed?always believed? What did Jesus and the What did Jesus and the

first Christians think?first Christians think? What are the What are the

consequences of consequences of believing in errancy?believing in errancy?

Are there any clear Are there any clear mistakes?mistakes?

Just how much precision Just how much precision is necessary?is necessary?

Isn’t fact sometimes Isn’t fact sometimes stranger than fiction?stranger than fiction?

What do I rely on What do I rely on ultimately – God or my ultimately – God or my reason?reason?

Does believing in Does believing in inerrancy make us better inerrancy make us better Christians?Christians?

Is this just an argument Is this just an argument about words?about words?

What do we mean by What do we mean by truth?truth?

Once a man had two sons...

I was King in Jerusalem…

We saw his glory…

What have Christians What have Christians believed about it?believed about it?

`From the Fathers to the nineteenth century, it was possible for orthodox scholars to combine strong statements of Scripture’s inspiration, inerrancy and truthfulness, with occasional apparent acknowledgement that Scripture is sometimes not factually accurate.’

- John Goldingay

Augustine believed that the Spirit led Matthew to make a mistake in Mt 27:9 (it’s Zechariah, not Jeremiah)

Calvin said we shouldn’t seek astronomical information from Genesis, which speaks of things `only as they appear’

Luther commented about `discrepancies’ in Scripture:

`Let it pass, it does not endanger the articles of Christian faith’

What did Jesus and the What did Jesus and the first Christians think?first Christians think?

They seem to have assumed the total reliability of God’s Word in every detail…

Or was it simply a question which they never directly addressed?

John Wenham:

Jesus' view of the OT is unchanging... Christ held the OT to be historically true, completely authoritative, and divinely inspired... To him, what Scripture said, God said.

He treats OT narratives as factualHe regards OT teaching as still authoritative, powerful, and relevantHe regards the OT as the true source of ethical behaviourHe believes OT prophecy has been fulfilled, and still is beingHe speaks of “Scripture” generally assuming it’s all authoritativeHe attaches importance to the very details of a word or phrase

What are the What are the consequences of errancy?consequences of errancy? The `domino theory’ ?The `domino theory’ ?

– – if you can’t believe one part, you if you can’t believe one part, you can’t believe any…can’t believe any…

Saving time? Saving time?

- we shouldn’t focus on- we shouldn’t focus on defending all defending all the time, but on understanding…the time, but on understanding…

Are there clear mistakes?Are there clear mistakes?

Numbers can be wrong…Numbers can be wrong… There can be seeming discrepancies…There can be seeming discrepancies… Some historical claims appear to be Some historical claims appear to be

inaccurate…inaccurate…

… … but are these real `mistakes’?but are these real `mistakes’?

Solomon’s stables – 40 stalls (1 Ki 4) or 40000 (2 Chr 9:25)?

How much precision is How much precision is necessary?necessary?

God hasn’t seen fit toGod hasn’t seen fit to

give us a perfect TEXTgive us a perfect TEXT

or an infallibleor an infallible

INTERPRETATIONINTERPRETATION

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus… `Your daughter is dead,’ they said.

A ruler came and knelt before him, and said, `My daughter has just died…’

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus… `Your daughter is dead,’ he said.

Mk 5

Lk 8

Mt 9

Isn’t fact sometimes Isn’t fact sometimes stranger than fiction?stranger than fiction?

Which do I respect more: Which do I respect more: God’s Word or my reason?God’s Word or my reason?

Often we don’t have all the information we need to make a sensible judgment

If God’s Word hasn’t let us down before, it makes sense to trust it again

We don’t sit in judgment upon the Word of God – the Bible judges us

Does believing in inerrancy Does believing in inerrancy make us better Christians?make us better Christians?

Charles Taze Russell…?

The Ku Klux Klan…?

Divisive and malicious churches…?

Is this really just an Is this really just an argument about words?argument about words?

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy:The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy:

When total precision of a particular kind was not expected nor aimed at, it is no error not to have achieved it. Scripture is inerrant, not in the sense of being absolutely precise by modern standards, but in the sense of making good its claims and achieving that measure of focused truth at which its authors aimed.

The interpretation of ScriptureHow do we work out what

it’s saying?

Tomorrow, the next topic: