What Is Biblical Inerrancy?
Question 1070
If the Bible is truly God’s Word—inspired by Him in every part—then a natural question arises: does it contain errors? Can we trust everything it says? The doctrine of biblical inerrancy addresses this question directly, affirming that Scripture, in its original manuscripts, is entirely true and without error in all that it affirms. This has been the historic position of the Christian Church, and understanding it properly is essential for maintaining confidence in Scripture’s authority.
Defining Inerrancy
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978), signed by nearly 300 evangelical scholars, provides a helpful definition: “Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God’s acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God’s saving grace in individual lives.”
In simpler terms, inerrancy means that whatever Scripture affirms is true. It does not mislead us, whether it speaks about theology, history, geography, science, or any other subject. Because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18) and because Scripture is God’s Word, Scripture cannot lie either. The truthfulness of God guarantees the truthfulness of His Word.
This doctrine applies specifically to the original autographs—the texts as they came from the hands of the biblical authors. We no longer possess these original manuscripts, but we have thousands of copies that allow us to reconstruct the original text with remarkable accuracy. The small variations that exist among manuscripts affect no doctrine and amount to less than 1% of the text. For all practical purposes, the Bible we hold in our hands faithfully represents what the prophets and apostles wrote.
Biblical Foundation for Inerrancy
Inerrancy flows logically from two truths Scripture teaches about itself. First, Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Second, God is truthful and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2). If the Bible comes from a God who cannot deceive, then the Bible itself cannot deceive.
Jesus demonstrated complete confidence in Scripture’s truthfulness. He said, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35)—it cannot be set aside, contradicted, or proven false. He treated historical accounts that modern critics consider mythical as straightforward history: Adam and Eve (Matthew 19:4-5), Noah’s flood (Matthew 24:37-39), Jonah in the fish (Matthew 12:40), and the destruction of Sodom (Luke 17:29). If Jesus, the Son of God, believed these accounts were true, His followers have good reason to do the same.
The Psalmist declared: “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” (Psalm 119:160). Note that the “sum” of God’s Word is truth—not just portions of it, but the entirety. And Proverbs 30:5 affirms: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”
What Inerrancy Does and Does Not Mean
Properly understanding inerrancy requires recognising both what it affirms and what it does not claim.
Inerrancy does not mean the Bible uses precise scientific or technical language. Scripture often uses phenomenological language—describing things as they appear to ordinary observation. When the Bible speaks of the sun “rising” (Ecclesiastes 1:5), it is not teaching geocentrism any more than a modern meteorologist who speaks of “sunrise” believes the sun orbits the earth. The Bible speaks in ordinary language that ordinary people can understand.
Inerrancy does not mean every statement in Scripture is approved by God. The Bible accurately records lies (Genesis 3:4), bad theology (Job’s friends), and sinful actions (David’s adultery). Inerrancy means Scripture accurately reports what was said or done, not that everything recorded is morally or theologically endorsed.
Inerrancy does not mean the Bible must meet modern standards of precision in every detail. Ancient writers used approximations and round numbers (1 Kings 7:23), selective quotation, paraphrase, topical rather than chronological arrangement, and other literary conventions appropriate to their time. Inerrancy means Scripture is truthful according to its own standards and intentions, not according to standards imposed from outside.
Inerrancy does not mean we can explain every difficulty. There are passages that challenge interpreters, and intellectual humility is appropriate. But the track record of apparent contradictions being resolved through further study and archaeological discovery gives us confidence that difficulties we cannot yet explain do not constitute errors.
Inerrancy does mean that when Scripture makes a claim—whether theological, historical, or otherwise—that claim is true. The Bible does not teach falsehood. It does not mislead. It can be fully trusted in everything it affirms.
Why Inerrancy Matters
Some wonder whether inerrancy is worth defending. Isn’t it enough to say the Bible is “generally reliable” or “trustworthy in matters of faith”? Several reasons suggest that inerrancy is not merely a technical point but a doctrine of profound practical importance.
First, inerrancy is tied to God’s character. If the Bible contains errors, then either God could not prevent them (undermining His omnipotence) or He chose not to (undermining His truthfulness). Neither option is acceptable. A Bible that errs would reflect a God who cannot be fully trusted—and that has massive implications for everything else we believe about Him.
Second, inerrancy affects interpretation. Once we accept that some parts of Scripture are erroneous, we need a criterion for distinguishing true parts from false parts. But who decides? Human reason becomes the judge over Scripture rather than Scripture being the judge over human reason. Historically, this move has led to the progressive abandonment of biblical authority, as each generation dismisses more of Scripture as culturally conditioned error.
Third, inerrancy provides confidence in evangelism and discipleship. We can proclaim Scripture’s message knowing that we are conveying truth, not a mixture of truth and error. We can build our lives on Scripture’s foundation knowing it will not prove faulty. The one who trusts Christ because of Scripture’s testimony has trusted rightly.
Dealing with Difficulties
Every thoughtful Christian encounters passages that seem problematic—apparent contradictions between accounts, numbers that don’t seem to add up, statements that seem incompatible with scientific findings. How should we handle these?
The proper approach is charitable investigation, not hasty dismissal. Many alleged contradictions dissolve upon careful study. Different Gospel accounts often reflect complementary perspectives rather than conflicting reports. When Matthew says there was one angel at the tomb (Matthew 28:2) and Luke mentions two (Luke 24:4), there is no contradiction—if there were two, there was certainly one. Matthew simply focuses on the angel who spoke.
For difficulties that remain unresolved, intellectual humility is appropriate. We do not yet know everything about ancient languages, cultures, and circumstances. Problems that seemed insoluble to previous generations have often been resolved by subsequent discoveries. The Hittites were once considered a biblical fiction; now we have vast archaeological evidence of their empire. The census under Quirinius (Luke 2:2) was once considered a historical error; now we have evidence that Quirinius may have served in an earlier administrative capacity in Syria.
Our approach should mirror that of Jesus and the apostles: full confidence in Scripture’s truthfulness while acknowledging that our understanding is limited and growing.
Conclusion
Biblical inerrancy affirms that Scripture, in its original manuscripts, is entirely true and without error in everything it teaches. This doctrine flows from the nature of God, who cannot lie, and from the nature of Scripture as God’s Word. It has been the historic position of the Christian Church, reaffirmed by evangelical scholars in our own day.
Inerrancy does not mean Scripture uses modern technical language, endorses everything it records, or must conform to standards foreign to its original context. But it does mean we can trust whatever Scripture affirms—in theology, history, and every other area. This confidence enables us to build our lives on Scripture’s foundation, knowing it will never prove false.
“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Proverbs 30:5
Bibliography
- Geisler, Norman L., ed. Inerrancy. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980.
- Carson, D.A. and John D. Woodbridge, eds. Scripture and Truth. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992.
- Feinberg, Paul D. “The Meaning of Inerrancy.” In Inerrancy, edited by Norman L. Geisler, 265-304. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980.
- Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Chicago: Moody Press, 1999.
- Warfield, Benjamin B. The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible. Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1948.
- International Council on Biblical Inerrancy. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. 1978.