Biblical inerrancy: Difference between revisions

'''Inerrancy'''. The word ''inerrancy'' comes from the [[English language|English]] word ''inerrant'', from the Latin ''inerrantem'', (parsable as ''in-'' + ''errantem'' - the accusative singular present participle of ''errāre'' - "to err" or "wander"). The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] defines ''inerrant'' as "That does not err; free from error; unerring."<ref>{{oed | inerrant}}</ref> ▼

'''Complete and restricted inerrancy'''. Some literalist or conservative Christians teach that the Bible lacks error in every way in all matters: chronology, history, biology, sociology, psychology, politics, physics, math, art, and so on.<ref name="inerrancy" /> Other Christians believe that the scriptures are always right (do not err) only in fulfilling their primary purpose: revealing God, God's vision, God's purposes, and God's good news to humanity.<ref name="Tolerance"> Robinson, B.A. "Inerrancy: Is the Bible free of error? All points of view". Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 2008-SEP-01. Web: 25 January 2010. [http://www.religioustolerance.org/inerrant.htm Inerrancy: Is the Bible free of error?'] </ref>▼

'''Inerrancy and Infallibility'''. Some authors use “inerrancy” and “infallibility” interchangeably, while others limit the term “inerrancy” to complete inerrancy and use “infallibility” to refer to the more limited view that the Bible is without error in conveying God's self-revelation to us.<ref>McKim, DK, ''Westminster dictionary of theological terms'', Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.</ref><ref>Geisler, N. L. (ed), ''Inerrancy'', Zondervan, 1980, p. 22. "The trouble is that such a distinction is nowhere to be found in Jesus' own teaching, and seems to be precluded by His testimony both to the unqualified historical accuracy and the inspiration of the Old Testament&nbsp;... The attempt to discriminate&nbsp;... seems to be a product of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries".</ref> Still others understand "infallibility" differently. Citing dictionary definitions, Frame (2002) claims 'infallibility" is a stronger term than "inerrant": "'Inerrant' means there are no errors; 'infallible' means there ''can be'' no errors".<ref>Frame, John M. "Is the Bible Inerrant?" IIIM Magazine Online, Volume 4, Number 19, May 13 to May 20, 2002 [http://reformedperspectives.org/files/reformedperspectives/theology/TH.Frame.inerrancy.html]</ref> Yet he acknowledges that "modern theologians insist on redefining that word also, so that it actually says less than 'inerrancy.{{'"}} [[Harold Lindsell]] states: "The very nature of inspiration renders the Bible infallible, which means that it cannot deceive us. It is inerrant in that it is not false, mistaken, or defective".<ref>[[Harold Lindsell|Lindsell, Harold]]. ''The Battle for the Bible.'' Zondervan, 1978, p. 31. {{ISBN|978-0-310-27681-4}}</ref>▼

'''Judaism'''. According to H. Chaim Schimmel, [[Judaism]] had never promulgated a belief in the literal word of the [[Hebrew Bible]], hence the co-existence of the [[Oral Torah]].<ref>Schimmel, H. Chaim, ''The Oral Law: The rabbinic contribution to Torah Shebe'al Peh'', 2nd, revised ed., Feldheim Publishers, Jerusalem, 1996, pp. 19–21</ref> The significance of most phrases, their parts, grammar, and occasionally individual words, letters and even [[Hebrew cantillation|pronunciation]] in the Hebrew Bible are the subject of many rabbinic [[Baraita of Rabbi Ishmael|discussions]] in the [[Talmud]].▼

'''Catholic Church'''.The [[Second Vatican Council]] authoritatively expressed the [[Catholic Church]]'s view on biblical inerrancy. Citing earlier declarations, it stated: "Since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation."<ref name=DV11>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531175312/https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html|url-status= dead|title=Dei verbum|archivedate=May 31, 2014|website=www.vatican.va}}</ref> The Council added: "Since God speaks in Sacred Scripture through men in human fashion, the interpreter of Sacred Scripture, in order to see clearly what God wanted to communicate to us, should carefully investigate what meaning the sacred writers really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means of their words."<ref>''Dei verbum'', 12</ref>▼