
Understanding Inerrancy
One of the most troubling aspects of the deconstruction movement is the view they are espousing regarding biblical inerrancy. I need to be clear in asserting the reality that simply because someone mentions deconstruction does not mean they would deny the inerrancy of God’s Word. However, as we look at this movement as a whole, we begin to see some troubling views embedded in the foundations regarding inerrancy. Consequently, it is important we ensure that we have an accurate understanding of the inerrancy of Scripture before we even begin to examine some of these false teachings. In this two-part article series, we are going to dive into the subject of both understanding what inerrancy means and also elaborate on why this doctrine is important. Throughout the second article, our goal will be to analyze some falsely held views by deconstructionists on this issue.
A flagship theological moment in the 20th century was when men like R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Francis Schaeffer, and James Montgomery Boice gathered to craft and sign the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. In an era surrounded by the fog of theological liberalism, this act of pointing back to the perfection of Scripture provided clarity for many evangelicals moving forward. Note their words in the second paragraph of this statement:
“The following Statement affirms this inerrancy of Scripture afresh, making clear our
understanding of it and warning against its denial. We are persuaded that to deny it is to
set aside the witness of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit and to refuse that submission
to the claims of God’s own Word which marks true Christian faith. We see it as our
timely duty to make this affirmation in the face of current lapses from the truth of
inerrancy among our fellow Christians and misunderstanding of this doctrine in the world
at large.”1
What we see these men clarifying is the imperative nature of the inerrancy of Scripture. This issue is not a peripheral matter where we can hold hands and sing kumbaya while we disagree. It is one we must mark so important that to deny this truth is to repudiate the clear commandment of the teaching of God Himself. What exactly does it mean for the Bible to be inerrant? Article 12 of the statement says:
“We affirm that Scripture in its entirety is inerrant, being free from all falsehood, fraud, or
deceit.”
“We deny that Biblical infallibility and inerrancy are limited to spiritual, religious, or
redemptive themes, exclusive of assertions in the fields of history and science. We further
deny that scientific hypotheses about earth history may properly be used to overturn the
teaching of Scripture on creation and the flood.”2
Here we see the meaning of inerrancy being clearly set forth. We do not just reference what might be called “theological” or “spiritual” themes in Scripture as alone being inerrant. What inerrancy necessitates is the reality that every affirmation of Scripture, regardless of the subject matter, is inerrant. That doctrinal truth stems from the fact the Bible is inspired by God as seen in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2). Therefore, since He breathed out His own Word, it is not mixed with error. We see the Chicago Statement is simply reminding us of these important biblical truths. Article 10 brings us to another point of clarification:
“We affirm that inspiration, strictly speaking, applies only to the autographic text of
Scripture, which in the providence of God can be ascertained from available manuscripts
with great accuracy. We further affirm that copies and translations of Scripture are the
Word of God to the extent that they faithfully represent the original.”
“We deny that any essential element of the Christian faith is affected by the absence of the
autographs. We further deny that this absence renders the assertion of Biblical inerrancy
invalid or irrelevant.”3
Whenever we discuss inerrancy it is important to be clear on the point that we are not saying the English Standard Version is the inerrant translation as opposed to the New American Standard Bible. This distinction matters because it does not prove an error in God’s Word when translations slightly vary from verse to verse. The second part of this article from the Chicago Statement comes into play because it discusses the reality that we are able to translate the Bible accurately. No essential element of the Christian faith is in jeopardy because we do not have the original manuscripts of the biblical books, God has preserved His Holy Word.4 We are able to translate it with accuracy and see the truth our God has revealed!
Applying Inerrancy
What we have gone through in this post will be helpful for the future as we begin to engage deconstructionist ideas regarding biblical inerrancy. Clearly, it would be impossible to do an exhaustive treatment of inerrancy in a small blog post, however, we will continue to utilize the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy because it is a good summary of what Scripture teaches on the subject. The important question is this, are you going to stand on inerrancy or not? Deconstruction, evolution, wokeism, and countless false viewpoints all raise their arguments against God’s Word via various attacks. What are we going to hold to as our ultimate authority? The ideas of men, or the revelation of God? In the end, that is what the battle comes down to, that is the dividing line.
Inerrancy is a subject where we must be grounded in our understanding. It is thoroughly important to be biblical in all of our explanations about this area. Undoubtedly, this doctrine has a profound impact not only upon our daily lives and our theological beliefs, but even on how we think about defending the faith against false religions and ideologies. Because Scripture is the inerrant Word, we stand on it uncompromisingly. Therefore, when we engage the deconstructionists, we will do so without wavering on the authority of the Bible. We shall pick up on that subject in the next article!
Sources
1 https://www.etsjets.org/files/documents/Chicago_Statement.pdf
2 https://www.etsjets.org/files/documents/Chicago_Statement.pdf
3 https://www.etsjets.org/files/documents/Chicago_Statement.pdf
4 For more on why I believe the Bible check out these posts here:
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