Biblical Inerrancy

Courtesy of www.LumoProject.com

Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

1978​

Article I. We recognize the Holy Scriptures as the authoritative Word of God. We reject the notion that the Scriptures derive authority from the church, tradition, or any human source.

Article II. We uphold Scripture as the supreme written norm by which God binds the conscience, and we submit the church's authority under it. We reject any claim that creeds, councils, or declarations possess authority equal to or above the Bible.

Article III. We affirm that God has revealed himself fully through the written Word. We deny that Scripture merely witnesses to revelation, only becomes revelation in human encounter, or depends on human response for validity.

Article IV. We acknowledge that God, who made humankind in his image, uses language to convey divine revelation. We deny that human language fails as a vehicle for God's truth. We further reject any suggestion that sin or the corruption of human culture has thwarted God's inspiration.

Article V. We affirm that God's revelation in Scripture progresses over time. We deny that later revelation corrects or contradicts earlier revelation. We further reject any claim that God has given normative revelation after the New Testament.

Article VI. We uphold the divine inspiration of all Scripture, down to the very words of the original texts. We reject any view that affirms inspiration selectively, excluding some parts while affirming others.

Article VII. We recognize that God, by his Spirit, inspired human authors to write Scripture. We acknowledge the divine origin of the text while accepting that the mode of inspiration remains a holy mystery. We deny that inspiration reduces to human insight or emotional states.

Article VIII. We honor the unique personalities and literary styles of Scripture's authors, as God used them in his work of inspiration. We reject the idea that God overrode these personalities in choosing words for Scripture.

Article IX. We affirm that inspiration guarantees accurate and trustworthy teaching on all matters the biblical authors addressed. We deny that human finitude or sin introduced falsehood or distortion into God's Word.

Article X. We hold that inspiration fully applies to the autographic texts of Scripture, which God has preserved through available manuscripts. We affirm that copies and translations convey God's Word accurately when they faithfully reflect the originals. We deny that the absence of autographs undermines Christian faith or the doctrine of inerrancy.

Article XI. We affirm that God's Word is infallible, accurate, and reliable in all that it teaches. We reject any claim that Scripture can be simultaneously infallible and erroneous. We distinguish infallibility from inerrancy without separating them.

Article XII. We affirm the complete inerrancy of Scripture, free from falsehood, fraud, or deceit. We reject the view that inerrancy applies only to spiritual or redemptive matters, excluding historical or scientific claims. We further deny that scientific theories may overturn God's teaching on creation or the flood.

Article XIII. We affirm the theological legitimacy of inerrancy, describing Scripture's complete truthfulness. We deny any evaluation of Scripture by standards foreign to its purpose. We further reject claims that minor textual variations, grammar, or literary forms negate inerrancy.

Article XIV. We affirm the unity and internal consistency of Scripture. We deny that unresolved alleged discrepancies diminish the Bible's truth claims.

Article XV. We affirm that the doctrine of inerrancy rests on Scripture's own teaching about inspiration. We reject any appeal to human limitation that diminishes Jesus' teaching on Scripture.

Article XVI. We affirm that the church has consistently upheld inerrancy throughout history. We reject the notion that inerrancy is a recent invention of scholastic Protestantism or a reaction to higher criticism.

Article XVII. We affirm that the Holy Spirit bears witness to Scripture, confirming its truth to believers. We deny that this witness acts independently of or contrary to God's Word.

Article XVIII. We affirm that proper interpretation of Scripture follows historical-grammatical exegesis, accounting for literary forms and devices, and that Scripture interprets Scripture. We reject interpretive methods that relativize, dehistoricize, or dismiss its teaching or claims to authorship.

Article XIX. We affirm that confessing the full authority, infallibility, and inerrancy of Scripture is essential for sound Christian faith and should cultivate conformity to Christ. We deny that this confession is necessary for salvation, but we further reject any dismissal of inerrancy without grave consequences for the believer and the church.

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Bibliography​​

Geisler, Norman L., Joseph M. Holden, F. David Farnell, William C. Roach, Phil Fernandes, Richard G. Howe, Christopher T. Haun, Ian Buckley, and Shawn Nelson. "The Statements." Biblical Inerrancy. link.

"Records of the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy." Dallas Theological Seminary. link.