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by Chad Koons

Let’s just get this out of way: if you have embraced Universalism, LGBT inclusion into the Body of Christ, Progressive Christianity, the removal of Hell, or think fondly upon the deconstruction of one’s faith, then you’ve likely tripped over the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy to get there. Not only tripped over it, but perhaps yanked it out by the roots. Or maybe you just haven’t understood what it means or why it is important.

Now that I have your attention, let’s take a quick look at what “Biblical inerrancy” means and why your Christian life may depend upon it.

“'Inerrant' signifies the quality of being free from all falsehood or mistake and so safeguards the truth that Holy Scripture is entirely true and trustworthy in all its assertions.” – The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

In simple terms, the doctrine of inerrancy states that the Bible is true, without error, and from God. We at Worldview Warriors believe that inerrancy applies to the original texts of Scripture (not necessarily the translations of the original language texts, as translations vary on several levels). We acknowledge that there are minor scribal variations that have occurred over time, but none that have affected its meaning. To believe this inerrancy is of primary importance to the life of every believer in Jesus Christ. If we remove this truth, we open the door to becoming weird at best and heretical at worst.

Do you believe that the Bible is “inerrant”? Not sure? Answer these questions:
1. Do you believe that the Bible gets some things wrong, that it may contain errors?
2. Do you doubt that the Bible is the authoritative “Word of God”?
3. Is the Bible old-fashioned, irrelevant, or needing to progress with modern times?
4. Is the Bible a product of human invention?
5. Are some events in the Bible fictitious stories?
6. Has the Bible been changed or adapted since it was originally written?

If you answered “yes” to any one of these questions, then you have either intentionally or unintentionally rejected the inerrancy of Scripture. And yes, that is a huge problem. Although culture will not admit it for some reason, the slippery slope is very real. What you allow today will become the new standard tomorrow. Believing that the Bible is wrong in some way will lead us down a very dark and destructive path.

Many reject inerrancy because they think that they’ve stumbled upon an error. A skeptic may cite a few perceived issues such as grammatical misunderstandings, mathematical issues such as the measurements of Solomon’s Sea, or seemingly contradictory passages such as whether there were one or two demoniacs in the Gadarenes. These issues are quickly resolved with a little research, yet more often than not this begins the journey of doubt. This doubt, unless put into check, will lead to the idea that the Bible is not trustworthy, authoritative, or divine.

Most of the time, however, the supposed contradictions or errors are not the problem. When a person claims that the Bible is wrong, it’s usually because that person doesn’t like what the Bible has to say. They disagree with a particular passage and they become offended. Their emotion drives them to devalue the Bible, dismissing it as irrelevant, errant, or simply unrealistic. Rather than deal with the truth of the Word of God, they find it easier to write it off or seek to change it. This is when the more insidious roots begin to grow.

At odds with the Bible, many Christians will declare that we have “outgrown” the old-fashioned notions of Scripture, arguing that particular passages of the Bible are best disregarded or perhaps updated to coincide with our evolving modern times. Then along comes the many Christian teachers and philosophers who will support this divided mindset.

I think of Rob Bell’s infamous dismissal of the legitimacy of Scripture. In his opinion, the Bible is out of touch with modern man and therefore irrelevant to our current culture. Speaking of how culture has evolved, Bell stated, “I think culture is already there and the church will continue to be even more irrelevant when it quotes letters from 2,000 years ago as their best defense.” In Bell’s mind, Scripture is not the enduring Word of God. This, my friends, is where false teachers have introduced their own pet heresies, having long ago released themselves from the bonds of God’s eternal truth. Reinventing Scripture to suit their own positions, they make their followers twice the sons of Hell that they are.

I do not want you to be led astray, dear Child of God. Teachings of demons come through those who have rejected inerrancy. Go read 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

To quote the title of this blog post, the rejection of inerrancy seems to be the first step to oblivion. In my experience, it is the gateway through which all sorts of false doctrine burst forth. I’ve seen good people lose faith or begin a journey of grave error after rejecting Biblical inerrancy. Do not become one of them.

To deny Biblical inerrancy is to make yourself the judge over Scripture. We are not privileged with the authority to break apart Scripture in attempts to pick and choose what is from God and what is not. The Word of God stands alone regardless of our approval. If we attempt to pick and choose, then we have become the judge over it. God forbid, Scripture is not ours to break. “The Scripture cannot be broken.” (John 10:35)

The Bible claims itself to be flawless; it is perfect. The authority of the Scripture is available through responsible and accurate translation of the original language writings. We possess these translations today. “And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6)

You would be correct to say that men wrote the Bible. However, they wrote only what the Lord had instructed them to write. Do not mistake human authorship with divine instruction. We also recognize that the Bible uses allegory and imagery; do not misinterpret this as error. The Bible can be trusted, and the authors wrote through the Spirit of God Himself. “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For 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)

Finally, to deny inerrancy is to deny what God had already said about His own Scripture. To disagree with inerrancy is to set yourself at odds with God. The Bible truly is the Word of the Lord.” “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16)

If you are still on the fence, I implore you to take the time and effort required to wrestle through this. Listen outside of your current sphere of influence and discover the proofs of Biblical inerrancy from sources who believe it. Your Christian life depends upon it. Perhaps you already believe that the Bible is inerrant. If so, can you intelligently defend it? Take a few moments to digest the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. We must always have a strong defense of the inerrancy of Scripture.

For more on this topic, check out Ten Reasons to Believe the Bible by C.A. Wolcott.

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