Psalm 119:153-160, The Inerrancy of Scripture (1)

Let’s review.  Because of the “inspiration” of Scripture, we can say five things about the Bible: it speaks with the authority of God, it is inerrant and infallible, it will be preserved so God can speak throughout history, and it is living. 

Let us now consider the doctrine of “inerrancy.”  Because the Scriptures are inspired by a holy God, they are without error in any and every part.  Here is the related statement from a doctrinal state from one of the churches I pastored:

We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writing, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life.

In the age of the Church there have been many attacks on this doctrine.  Sometimes it came from translations.  The Revised Standard Version was the first serious translation by men who denied this doctrine.  The New English Bible, on the basis of the views of the translators, actually rearranged sections of Job and Zechariah, showing they did not believe what was handed down was without error.

Sometimes it was from the interpreters of Scripture.  Social liberalism (1800-1900s) ascribed to naturalism, debunking all supernaturalism as myth. Thus, they made science god over the Bible, and even robbed us of salvation: the golden rule became the key verse in the Bible rather than John 3:16.

We have been told that we can have an inerrant gospel, a saving Christ and a trustworthy Bible while having a Bible with errors.  Many of us, myself included, consider that to be ridiculous.  A book that gets it wrong about things we can check by our senses can’t be trusted to get it right when talking about spiritual and heavenly things that we can’t see.

The Bible claims inerrancy for itself. 

·       Here is a passage that brings together the perfect God and His proven word: As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him (2 Sam. 22:1).  Another thing this passage does is join the proven word and its value in the lives of the saints.  You can trust God because what He has said is true.  Furthermore, notice the words chosen by the Spirit.  God’s way is “perfect” meaning it is whole or complete.  The term “proven” is the standard term for smelting or refining precious metal.  It has been tried in life situations and always been true to the occasion.  Always!

·       Psalm 12:6 speaks of the “proven” idea: The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  “Tried” is the same Hebrew term as “proven” in the previous passage.

·       Psalm 119:160 says, The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.  This adds two thoughts.  All of Scripture is truth (firm, true, faithful).  And it will never cease to be true. 

·       Prov. 30:5 builds on previous passages: Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.  What it might emphasize is “ever word.”  The Bible can’t be wrong on “unimportant” facts but true on what really matters, as some want to maintain.

·       Jesus maintained the inerrancy of Scripture: If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scriptures cannot be broken) … (Jn. 10:35).  “Broken” means to “loosen” and is used in many contexts.  The Scriptures cannot be annulled or denied.  For Jesus, “Scriptures” refers to the entirety of the OT.  Remember Luke 24:44-45: when He opened up the “Scriptures” He was talking abut “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms.”

·       Jesus said it plainly: Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth (Jn. 17:17).