Week 2 Inerrancy

Question 1

To what does Inerrancy refer?

Answer 1

Actual words on the page

Question 2

Definition of inerrancy

Answer 2

“All the words in Scripture are God’s words” –Grudem

Question 3

More about what inerrancy means

Answer 3

completely truthful
no errors
no internal contradictions
affirms nothing contrary to fact
Bible tells truth

Question 4

Why not “infallibility?”

Answer 4

“Infallibility” is subjective–truth comes to me

Question 5

Bible claims God speaks through a prophet

Answer 5

Ahijah 1 Kings 14,16

Question 6

Bible claims God speaks directly to a prophet

Answer 6

Jeremiah 1:4 “Word came to me”

Question 7

Prophet believed he was speaking God’s words

Answer 7

Jeremiah 2

Question 8

We have a written account of God’s words

Answer 8

Samuel (1 Sam 10) says he is writing God’s word

Question 9

Jesus claimed that the Scriptures would be maintained

Answer 9

Not the smallest stroke pass away Mt 5, John 10

Question 10

Neo orthodoxy says

Answer 10

men fallible recorded God’s word therefore must contain errors

Question 11

NT affirms that Scripture is God’s word

Answer 11

Acts 24, 1 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:21 men spoke as moved

Question 12

NT claims same authority

Answer 12

the rest of the scriptures

Question 13

Paul claimed to be speaking on behalf of God

Answer 13

“things I write to you are the Lord’s commandment” 1 Cor 7, 14

Question 14

Self attesting people object is circular

Answer 14

Multiple authors attest. Holy Spirit attests.

Question 15

Not dictation

Answer 15

“write the things you have seen” Rev 1; Luke 1; Heb 1

Question 16

Scripture says God doesn’t lie

Answer 16

Titus 1:2, Heb 6:18

Question 17

God’s words are ultimate standard of truth

Answer 17

though interpretation can be wrong

Question 18

If a new discovery contradicts the Bible

Answer 18

hold in tension until resolves

Question 19

Are only Autographs inerrant?

Answer 19

The text is inerrant, not the document

Question 20

God approves transmission

Answer 20

Jer. 36:28 “take another scroll”
2 Kings 22:8 directed to make copies
Errors can be recovered

Question 21

Both inerrant and in ordinary language

Answer 21

Yes–see Ps 19

Question 22

Inerrant and casual quotations

Answer 22

Mk 1:2 quotes several but only attributes Isaiah. Was a common practice.

Question 23

Inerrant and unusual or uncommon grammatical constructions

Answer 23

See 1st Peter vs 2nd Peter

Question 24

Inerrant but quoted statement may be untrue

Answer 24

Job’s friends

Question 25

God’s word in translation

Answer 25

True collectively though translation errors may occur

Question 26

“unanswered questions” vs “demonstrated errors”

Answer 26

Possibly emerges from prior decision to judge the Bible rather than letting the Bible be the norm for all judgments. Harold OJ Brown

Question 27

Scope of inerrancy

Answer 27

Faith and practice, or everything

Question 28

Manuscripts not inerrant

Answer 28

Therefore don’t say the Bible is inerrant

Question 29

Denying inerrancy creates moral problem

Answer 29

Did God intentionally speak falsely in anything, even minor?

Question 30

Denying inerrancy in some areas

Answer 30

Means human mind has to judge all

Question 31

Denying inerrancy affects doctrine

Answer 31

Bible must then be wrong in major doctrines as well as minor details

Question 32

Words vs paper

Answer 32

The Word of God –words –are inerrant and we make no claim about the physical carrier of the words.

Question 33

Dynamic vs functional

Answer 33

Dynamic allows actual meaning; functional stays more strictly literal