Inerrancy

RevJP · Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 8:48 am Post subject: Inerrancy

A word on the concept of biblical inerrancy - The Bible as the inerrant Word of God, better defined:
"Inerrancy, although not always properly defined, is a logical corollary to inspiration and in no way diminishes the human authorship of scripture. If what the authors of Scripture penned was indeed under the supernatural influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit (as is properly affirmed), then since God is true, what they wrote and affirmed is in all ways true as well. Thus inerrancy applies to the autographa and Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic copies insofar as they faithfully reproduce the autographa. The doctrine rightly teaches that the scriptures are without error in all that they affirm (i.e., properly interpreted), whether they refer to geographical, historical, or theological issues. Thus the scriptures are the final authority in matters of faith and practice and take precedence over tradition, culture, and creed. This doctrine also allows for different literary styles, poor grammar, approximations in numbers, etc. (Psalm 119).
For further discussion of this and related topics, consult the series of articles in Inerrancy, ed. Norman L. Geisler (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980)."Copyright © 2003, Biblical Studies Foundation -- All rights reserved.

kiwimac · Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:00 pm Post subject:

I would assert that Jesus is the 'Word of God' whilst the Bible is more simply described as 'Words about God'. To assert Biblical inerrancy is to insist that a pre-scientific world view is normative for modernity, A statement I cannot agree with.

Kiwimac

RevJP · Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 5:20 am Post subject:

Kiwi, re-read the bolded portion and then explain to me what 'pre-scientific' has to do with it.

kiwimac · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 7:07 pm Post subject:

RevJp,

This is the sentence I was replying to:

Nobby · Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 4:47 am Post subject:

kiwimac, this will bring back to the top, Maybe RevJP will see & answer. Very Happy

kiwimac · Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:02 am Post subject:

I wait breathlessly Smile

RevJP · Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 11:59 am Post subject:

No need to wait. The point was made I think. You replied to a portion of the passage posted but ignored the driving point of the passage. I just pointed out that driving point.

Here it is again:

Thus the scriptures are the final authority in matters of faith and practice and take precedence over tradition, culture, and creed. This doctrine also allows for different literary styles, poor grammar, approximations in numbers, etc. (Psalm 119).

I will ask though about this:

kiwimac · Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:31 am Post subject:

RevJP,

Biblical inerrancy presupposes that the Bible is (surprise) inerrant (and many would add, in every matter .)

The picture of the three-tiered universe given in Genesis is obviously incorrect, there are no "waters above the firmament" that could be let in to help with a flood, the earth is not supported on pillars, etc.

Thus if the Bible is in error in these matters (& it is, given its pre-copernican 'science'.) then its inerrancy in other areas is also questionable.

Kiwimac

RevJP · Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:20 am Post subject:

Ah, I see. Since the metaphor, allegory, and observational language used in parts of scripture, cannot mean what they say, literally, then you assert that scripture is in error.

I'm sure if one wants to ignore literary practice and try to assert that a literary description contradicts that which one might find in a science text, one would have an argument for the case of error.

Gen 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament [the expanse of the sky] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters [below] from the waters [above].
Gen 1:7 And God made the firmament [the expanse] and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it was so.
Gen 1:8 And God called the firmament Heavens. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

Firmament
H7549
רקיע
râqîya‛
raw-kee'-ah
From H7554; properly an expanse, that is, the firmament or (apparently) visible arch of the sky: - firmament.

t-shirtsnjeans · Tadpole Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 23

You know, a thought just occurred to me (ouch!), the dictionary has all the words, but it is up to us to put them together for understanding. The Bible to many is contradictory, misleading, 'coded', etc, but to others the Bible makes perfect sense. That reason is that we understand through the Holy Spirit. A lot of times I can't make heads or tails of scripture, but when I pray about it, or it comes time to apply to me, the Holy Spirit gives it meaning and it makes perfect sense to me.
Just look at Psalms 23, the possibilities of meanings is endless, but most who don't understand take it to mean that we are just mindless sheep that can be led around, told what to do, being mindless robots. To others it is comfort that we have a God who is loving of us, gives us a time to do and a time to rest. Then there are those that it means that there is hope for hopeless times in life, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" is a very eerie feeling if one does not have God in their lives, and it can get cut short to only mean that we are to walk into, not through, the valley.
The interpretations come through the Holy Spirit much like the Word was given by God through the Holy Spirit to man as divine inspiration.
I have no doubt that all the accounts of the Bible happened in the order written. I have a hard time understanding how they apply to me and others most of the time until there is a time where it does apply.
How many of us have spots earmarked or highlighted because the statements were so profound, but going back years later 'Why did I highlight that?'
A lot of the Bible (to me) is our understanding of God communicating to us and others through the Word much like our wives communicate through 'the look', you know that 'look' like we did something wrong and we know what the 'look' is about, or the 'look' like we are in for a treat. It depends on our circumstances on what the 'look' means to us at that particular moment.
Wink

kiwimac · Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:27 am Post subject:

RevJP · Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:23 pm Post subject:

t-shirtsnjeans · Tadpole Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 23

I think that is where the dove comes from in the Christian faith regarding the Holy Spirit. It was said that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him 'like' a dove, not in the form of a dove. Also the 'sweat poured 'like' drops of blood, not blood actually dropped from Christ's forehead, the sweat dropped 'like'............

Either that or my Bible has too many words Confused

RevJP · Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:15 pm Post subject:

The 'dove' I can agree with. The sweating blood maybe not. I will have to reread the passage in the better translations to see what it really says.

Physiologically, sweating blood is understandable in that situation. During times of great duress the tiny blood vessels in the forhead can burst, causing one to 'sweat blood'. In this time for Christ, it would be fully understandable that this had occurred.

But your point is taken.

t-shirtsnjeans · Tadpole Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 23

Luke 22:44, And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Matthew and Mark say that Jesus fell to the ground and prayed, while John just states that Jesus prayed for His disciples.