Inerrancy and Infallibility of the Bible - Essay Example

Inerrancy and Infallibility of the Bible The belief that the Biblical scriptures are infallible and therefore carry authority is a central one for the Christian Church. However not everyone accepts this doctrine as valid and proved. Whether or not people believe or do not believe in the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible depends upon a number of factors. These include their own faith position. Those who are not either Christian or Jewish are naturally less likely to believe in the truths of religious texts belonging to those faiths, even if they have respect for those who do believe. Also there are some who are only nominally members of these faiths , and although they may or may not have a faith in God, their belief in the truth of the scriptures may be incomplete or absent. Others are prepared to accept general truths such as that Jesus was a good man, but would find it much more difficult to accept that he was the promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world. There are many misapprehensions. Many people believe that the Bible was written in a chronological way, but upon examination this assumption falls flat. The epistles, especially those of Paul for instance, were written down before the dates of the Gospels, yet follow them in modern Bibles. The minor prophets such as Malachi and Zephaniah are simply gathered together in order of size, rather than any chronological order. 1 When it comes to early books of the Bible it must be remembered that stories would have in the first instance been passed on by oral tradition i.e. passed on word by word down the generations. Abraham did not carry stone tablets out of Ur. His story was written down much later. This does not take away or add to their validity as historical documents. According to the introduction to the Book of Genesis by Youngblood2, within the last 200 years Bible scholars have managed to distinguish 4 different threads within Genesis i.e. document U which include Yahweh , the personal name of God; E, Elohim , a generic name for god, D for a Deuteronomic source, and P for a priestly source. These scholars believe that the documents date from the 10th to the 5th century BC. So some later writer has brought together many different sources into a coherent whole. Thesis The Bible is not a history or scientific text and does not claim to be so. It is inspired by an infallible God, ( 2 Timothy 3 v 16)3 but put together by man, who is fallible. But because it is said to be inspired by God, as far as points necessary for salvation and man’s relationship with God the Bible is infallible. Method This thesis will be explored by considering various Biblical passages as well as certain historical instances. The Bible Record. On this topic Paul, writing in Ist Corinthians, one of the earlier New Testament documents, said :- We have not received the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is from God, that we may understand what God has given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.4 Not all the words in the Bible were recorded in written form immediately after the events they record. For instance Matthew 28 v 12 and 13 record how the Sanhedrin paid off the guard , instructing them to say that the disciples had stolen the body. The evangelist then adds in v 15 ‘This story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.’5 i.e. thus indicating a passage of sometime before the story was recorded. Nor was everything known recorded in the books now contained within the canon of scripture. After describing himself as an eye-witness to events by saying that he testifies to the things recorded John goes on to say6 :- Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. There are a number of obvious errors of fact in the Bible, or instances where it is not possible to discern which of more than one account is the true record of what occurred or where the Bible does not fit in with modern knowledge. One example is found in Deuteronomy 14 where there is a list of animals which are said to chew their cud, but the rabbit, which does not do so, is included, an instance of scientific inaccuracy7. An example of historical doubt is around the story of the death of King Saul. In 1 Samuel 31 v 4 we are told that Saul took his own sword and fell on it, yet in 2 Samuel 1 v 9-10 we read of an Amalekite who says that it was he who killed Saul at the king’s own request. It is impossible at this juncture to say which account is correct. It is possible for instance that the Amalekite was telling a lie because he mistakenly expected to be rewarded by the new king David8. These apparent discrepancies do not fit in with the idea of ‘verbal plenary’ inspiration, i.e. that every word is inspired by God rather than just the ideas and concepts contained therein. As described by Ackroyd and Evans9 this idea of inspiration as an ecstasy in which man the writer becomes a passive tool in the hands of God, was a common one in pagan society, but also in both Jewish and early Christian writings. Origen however was not a believer in this sort of automatic writing. If one discounts the idea of this automatic process then the individual natures of the many writers becomes more important. Some Greek speakers would have considered some New Testament writings to be at fault – they looked at grammatical errors in St Paul’s letters and felt that John did not always express himself as clearly as he might have done, yet10 . Origen wasn’t concerned by this, but wanted rather to find what the words said upon a superficial reading, but the deeper, spiritual meaning. According to the argument put forward by these authors11 the factual record is not what is important, but the spiritual truths contained therein. In the early years of the Church there were many documents circulating. Not all of these are now included within the Biblical canon. With regard to the books of the Old Testament and those now included in the Apocrypha choosing which were to be considered as sacred scriptures was a process which took place gradually over a very extended period of time. It is likely that the books of the law were accepted first of all, with other books being added gradually. By the end of the first century C.E. the canon was fixed as we now have it.12 By that time the books we now have in the New Testament had been written, not in Hebrew, but in Greek. By the end of the second century these books were generally considered to be of value as spiritual help, but some were still a matter of debate for some years, as also were some other works, now in relative obscurity such as The Gospel of Thomas 13. It was not until the early 5th century that the list of what was or was not included was finally closed, but much later Martin Luther struggled with books such as Hebrews, Jude, James and Revelation 14 although he eventually overcame such doubts. How does belief in Biblical infallibility and inerrancy affect worship? Firstly, whichever church or denomination one belongs to, the scriptures take a central place in worship. This could be from the opening words calling people to worship, through hymns and songs based upon words of scripture, the chanting of psalms, the reading of the scriptures and expositions upon the truths believed to be contained in their pages. When words of scripture are read out they are followed by phrases such ‘This is the word of the Lord’, thus emphasizing that fact that there is a belief that they are God inspired, and so helpful for worship and spiritual growth. In some Protestant churches the reading desk or pulpit takes a central place to emphasise the importance of what is read. In others it may be done from the side , but still takes up a considerable portion of the time taken in worship. In Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches the Eucharist or its equivalent and the alter are central, but even these are there because of belief in the scriptures, the words of Christ himself 15. If people did not believe in the scriptures , right from Genesis 1 v 1 ‘In the beginning God, and 1 v 26 ‘Let us make man in our image’ through the gospels and the Book of Acts which record the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus the promised Savior, on though the epistles to Revelation and the wedding of the Lamb of God,16 then there no point in worship, because if these are the words of God and they refuse them , then there is no relationship, because they are refusing to accept what God is telling them. Some churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican churches, follow a fixed liturgy, that is they follow a list of readings through a cycle so that all parts of the Bible are read. However this means that some passages receive more prominence than others, with some only used on weekdays when relatively few people attend church. The story of Mary Magdalene is such an example of a story that has lost prominence. In the Church of England’s 1549 Book of Common Prayer the feast of Mary Magdalene is included, but by the 1559 edition this feast had disappeared. Reasons for Worship There are a number of instances in scripture where believers are told to worship e.g. Psalm 118 v 1 ‘Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, His love endures for ever. 17 Acts of worship serve a number of purposes – firstly it glorifies God. It does this often by quoting words from the scriptures. Therefore unless there is belief in the validity of the scriptures worship has little value. Secondly worship encourages good Christian character. This is because it stresses such things as the words of the scriptures including passages such as Philippians 2 v 5 ‘Your attitude should be the same of Christ Jesus’18 and of course the gospel stories which tell us about that attitude, but also passages such as Isaiah 53 which speak of the promised Messiah. In Romans 12 v 1 Paul tells his readers to offer themselves to God as a spiritual act of worship. Using scripture in worship provides a common basis of knowledge about God and faith, therefore it is a positive and uniting force within the faith community. It is also a means of passing on the faith to the next generation as they gather together with their elders to hear the words of scripture and to have them explained and expounded upon. Often the use of scriptures in worship brings with it a call to action as in passages such as Matthew 5 v 16 :- Let your light shine before men , that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. 19 Many acts of worship include the recitation by the whole congregation of creeds such as the Apostle’s Creed 20. Such creeds have been used for thousands of years and are based firmly in the stories and aspects of faith outlined in the scriptures, especially, although not solely, from the New Testament gospels. They affirm commonly held beliefs. Scriptures from both Testaments are used as part of worship. Campbell 21 said that the story of Jesus cannot be fully understood unless as part of the whole story of the people of God The Doctrines of Biblical Infallibility and Inerrancy Inerrancy i.e not liable to error. Infallibility, not liable to error. Those are both secular dictionary definitions and would be generally accepted. In Christian term s there are subtle differences between what people understand of their meanings. Inerrancy is usually considered to be concerned with facts, but as outlined earlier in this essay there are some, although few, instances within the scriptures of factual errors or ambiguities, although some fundamentalist believers would dispute this. Infallibility is usually thought of as being concerned with the truth and value of the scriptures in terms of faith. Ackroyd and Evans22 discuss the attitude of Origen to the scriptures. He used the Septuagint version of Old Testament scriptures, this being what his congregation were used to, ‘which is familiar and current in the churches’ but was prepared to admit that at times there were discrepancies between the Greek and the older Hebrew version. Yet he felt that both could be used by God for good. It is often argued that this is much more important than differences about chronology, history or minor scientific details. For instance whether or not one believes that the acts of creation took place in 6 days, or over a much more extended period, does not detract from the facts as stated that God created the world and wants a relationship with his creation. Case 23describes how “the doctrine of scriptural infallibility gave way before an advancing scholarship which questioned the verbal accuracy of the current rendering.” She then goes on to describe the next step such scholars took - which was to doubt the validity of the truths described in even the earliest texts in other words , even if they could actually read Luke’s original writing when he describes the angel appearing to Mary24, they would be prepared to dispute whether or not such a meeting ever took place or if it did what occurred or how Luke could have come to know what was said to have happened. They don’t want to believe in what they cannot explain, understand, weigh or measure. However the majority view of those believers who have carefully considered the matter would probably say that although the Bible does contain errors in matters of faith it can be considered to be infallible. It is almost as if it more important what one believes about the scriptures than whether or not they really are inerrant and infallible. Translations and Paraphrases There have long been various translations of the scriptures. Ackroyd and Evans25 mention Jewish translations by Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion. These were early examples of many translations down the centuries. Some find this confusing and even derogatory, asking questions such as ‘Which is right?’ or dismissing the whole thing because they don’t know where to turn. There is a need to explain carefully that modern day translations such as the very popular New International Version are based upon very precise translations of the earliest known texts. The Preface to the New International Version26 says :- The New International Version is a completely new translation of the Holy Bible made by over a hundred scholars working directly from the best examples of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. Every time a new Bible translation comes out there is a double reaction. There are those , scholars and others, who believe that only one particular version is valid, or more valid than others.. On the other hand there are those who suddenly find the words relevant to their lives for the first time. Some of these new versions, despite great scholarship and years of very careful preparation, never really take off, or if they do soon fizzle out. The New English Bible 27 is one such. In more recent times quite specialist Bibles have been produced including one for Glasgow, Scotland28 which quickly became a best seller, bringing the Bible perhaps into homes and lives who would previously have been untouched by its message. Some of these paraphrases are just a collection of stories , or only deal with certain sections of the Bible , perhaps the popular stories from the Old Testament and the Gospels. In one sense they can be considered to be incomplete, but if, as Peterson says in his introduction29 they should be read alongside a full Bible. They are like appetizers which encourage the reader to try more. Interpretation As well as exact translations there is the matter of interpretation. Martin Luther for instance found that the scriptures spoke to him in ways that the then Catholic Church found difficult to interpret in the same way. Stupperich 30describes how he came to the belief , based upon his personal study of the scriptures that man is saved by faith alone . Passages such as Mark 3 v 31 which speak of the brethren of Jesus’ are not accepted by the Catholic Church, as well as some Anglicans and Lutherans, as meaning that Jesus had brothers and sisters by Mary, maintaining instead the idea that she remained as a perpetual virgin, not a doctrine followed by other branches of the church. But again interpretation one way or the other does not affect one’s ultimate salvation – that depends upon belief in Jesus as Saviour as stated by Paul and Silas, Acts 16 v 31:- Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.31 Conclusion “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2nd Timothy 3 v 16.32 That was Paul’s belief. If people don’t believe that, at least not in total, does it matter? It does if it affects their faith in an adverse way. Some people are able to cope with discrepancies such as that outlined above in the passages about the death of Saul, but there might be others who would say ‘If I can’t believe that I can’t believe any of it.’ It is important that that there is an emphasis on eternal truths that are of real value, rather than being distracted by what are really trivialities. Does it matter that modern man is reading the scriptures in a modern language rather than in the original languages, perhaps even in a paraphrase such as the Message Bible 33? Peterson wrote his book because he felt that his congregation no longer related to older versions. After all the purpose of scripture being written down was so that it could be read and understood. If there is a real belief in an all-powerful God surely there must also be a belief than God, who wants a relationship with his people, will still be able to speak to them. References Ackroyd, P. and Evans, C., The Cambridge History of the Bible, from the Beginnings to Jerome, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1970 Bible, New International Version ,London, Hodder and Stoughton, 2008 Bray,G., Creeds, Councils and Christ, Leicester, Inter-varsity Press, 1984. Cambell, R., The Story We Live By, Oxford, Bible Reading Fellowship, 2004 Case, S., Jesus Through the Centuries, Illinois, University of Chicago Press, 1934 Dodd, C., The New English Bible , Oxford and Cambridge, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, 1961 Metzer, B., and Coogan, M., The Oxford Companion to the Bible , New York and London, Oxford University Press , 1993. Meyer, M. ( translator) The Gospel of Thomas with the Greek Gospel of Thomas, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures, New York, Harper Collins, 2008 New International Version, 1987, London Hodder and Stoughton 1987 Peterson, E., The Message, The Bible in Contemporary Language , U.S.A., NavPress 1993 Stuart, J., A Glasgow Bible, Somerset, St Andrews Press, 1997 Stupperich ,R, Martin Luther , A Lion Handbook: The History of Christianity, Tring, 1977 The Alternative Service Book, Clowes, SPCK, 1980 The Book of Common Prayer, as Issued in the Year 1549, in the Reign of King Edward the Sixth The Book of Common Prayer, 1559, during reign of Elizabeth 1 Youngblood, Ronald., Genesis, New International Study Bible, London, Hodder and Stoughton, 2008 Read More