Subject: Revelation in the Gospels? |
Bible Note: Greetings Jim! Thanks for the response! Concerning your minor "problem," grammar is not a hard, fast science. Grammar has, at best, only loose rules which chance over time. So, it is hard to say that there is a problem with someones grammar. Especially in Greek, which really has no particular word order anyway. Concerning inerrancy, I am a firm believer in it for several reasons. One, Scripture claims it for itself. Two, God's nature demands it. God, who can not tell a lie, cannot publish a lie. However, like with the word 'literal,' there are many problems with the word 'inerrant.' Here is the definition that Millard Erickson gives in his systematic theology. It is one of the best definitions I have seen. "The Bible, when correctly interpreted in light of the level to which culture and the means of communication had developed at the time it was written, and in view of the purposes for which it was given, is fully truthful in all that it affirms." This allows the Bible to be judged based, not upon today's standards, which have changed, but on the standards of the time in which it was written. For instance, is the Bible in error because it does not footnote? Some today would say yes, simply because they are judging the Bible on today's standards. Your example at the end of your post is a good example. The purpose of 1 Peter 3:20 was not to define the word "few." To take it that way is to take the verse in a manner in which it was never intended. Furthermore, 'few' may have had a different meaning then as opposed to now. You also mentioned the sciences. Obviously, the Bible is not a physics textbook. It was never meant to be. Saying that the Bible is inerrant, doesn't mean that it includes every detail about every subject. It simply means that where the Bible does touch on issues relating to science, health, or government, the Bible is right. Inerrancy can't be stressed enough. When Paul says that homosexuality is a sin, he is not simply giving his opinion. He is speaking for God. To abandon inerrancy or inspiration is to turn the Bible into a collection of nice sayings equivalent to the book, "Chicken Soup for the Soul." It is a good read, but not God's word. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |