Inerrancy: September 12, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2013.

INERRANCY

DEFINITION:

Inerrancy as it relates to God’s Word (the Bible) means free of mistakes. In this context the Bible is also infallible and inspired.

SCRIPTURE:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
II Timothy 3:16

The law of the Lord is perfect, the testimony of the Lord is sure, the precepts of the Lord are right, the commandment of the Lord is pure. Psalm 19:7-8.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

For over eighteen centuries the vast majority of people in the Christian world have accepted the Scriptures as THE HOLY BIBLE and believed it to be God’s revealed message to all mankind. People believed that the Bible was free of mistakes, that it could not be wrong on any subject, and that its words came direct from God through chosen prophets. In regard to the Old Testament scriptures the Jewish believers held this view centuries before Christians did and Orthodox Jews hold this same position today.

Evangelical Christians today believe that God spoke to men through the Holy Spirit as II Peter 1:20-21 says: “no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Thus the Bible is accepted as verbally written words, not merely thoughts. The Psalmist declares (in the verse above) that God’s Word is perfect, sure, right and pure. God’s Word thus is inerrant, infallible and inspired as they were originally written.

During the last two centuries men and women have risen up and have attacked the inerrancy of the Bible. They have rejected the creation account, the miracles of Jesus, the deity of Jesus and many other great and eternal truths. This began in graduate institutions of learning and today has permeated our public education system.

The New Testament was written by eyewitnesses who knew Jesus personally or by those who knew those that had known Jesus. Do we believe someone who was actually there or someone of more recent date who is many years removed from the time of Christ being on this earth. People have their opinions but opinions are not necessarily based on facts.

We have been taught by our parents and teachers in school and church that the scriptures are inerrant, infallible and inspired. We in turn have taught our children the same and now our grandchildren are being taught this as well. Each year there are more pressures put on children, youth and adults to question the inerrancy of the Bible. The fact is that GODS WORD NEVER CHANGES BUT PEOPLE DO CHANGE! People are fallible and their opinions are easily influenced.

Very often we talk to people that question the inerrancy of the Bible. And when we take the time to sit down and watch TV we are overwhelmed by the conscious and unconscious attacks on truths we learned and now live by from the Bible. People say to us such things as “Do you really think that Jonah was swallowed by that whale, or there is no way the story of Noah and the flood ever happened?”

People have a hard time accepting what seems to be impossible, but we must remember that with God all things are possible. We cannot limit God and we should not want to believe in a God who has limited power.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:7.

Do not be amazed that I said unto you, you must be born again,

PRAYER:

Thank you, Lord, for giving me the Holy Bible to read each day. May I never question the accuracy of the scriptures and may I allow the power of Your infallible Word correct me and instruct me in righteousness.