Thesis: A thinking Christian can believe in an inerrant Bible.
Intro.:
1. Illust. There's an old story about four blind men who were introduced to an elephant for the first time. None of them knew what an elephant looked like. "Ah!" the first one cried out as he grabbed the elephant by the trunk. "An elephant is like a giant and powerful snake!" "No, you are wrong," said the second blind man as he ran his hands over one of the elephants floppy ears. "The elephant is like a large, leafy plant." "No, you are both wrong," said the third blind man as he wrapped both arms around one of the elephant's legs. "The elephant is like a strong, sturdy tree." "All of you are wrong," said the fourth man. He was holding onto the elephant's tail. "The elephant is like a rope."
2. People approach the Bible with the same sort of confusion:
a. < examples >:
1) The Bible is the literal Word of God without error.
2) The Bible is the flawed product of men.
3) The Bible is both the Word of God and the product of men.
4) The Bible is the Word of God and the product of men, but it does have mistakes in it.
b. Like the blind men examining the elephant, each one of these statements embraces only part of the truth about the book we call the Bible.
1) The Bible is the Word of God.
2) The Bible is also the product of inspired men.
3) The Bibles we have today do contain some copyist errors and some seeming/apparent contradictions.
3. What is important is to see the whole picture--the entire elephant, so to speak.
a. The Bible is the Word of God given to us through inspired men.
b. Mistakes and seeming contradictions are there, but they can be corrected and/or explained.
c. The Bible, as it was originally written and received is totally and completely free from error.
I. WHY INERRANCY MATTERS.
A. It does NOT matter to some.
1. Some simply accept the fact that the Bible has errors in it. (Even some Christians believe the Bible is not without error!)
a. Consider what one member of the churches of Christ has to say about this:
b. Illust. "Neither do I see it necessary to hold to a theory of absolute inerrancy of Scripture in order to accept it as authoritative. The Bible is hardly a volume that has come to us ... free of any kind of error. It is difficult for a thoughtful Christian to believe this. If it were true, it would make God responsible for every little mistake in scripture, such as in Mk. 2:26 where Abiathar is wrongly written for Ahimelech, or in Mt. 27:9 where Jeremiah is given credit for something said by Zecharia. We unnecessarily burden ourselves with the task of explaining all such discrepancies, as if the nature of biblical authority demanded this. Even though the scriptures make no such claim for themselves, [ See 1 Tim. 3:16-17 ] we belabor the point and make a big deal out of explaining, with all sorts of gymnastics, `the alleged contradictions and discrepancies of the Bible.'"
2. Others want to qualify error as "intentional deceit."
a. Illust. A cowboy wanted to get an insurance policy and the agent was interviewing him. "Have you ever had any accidents?" The cowboy thought a minute and then said, "Nope, but a bronc did kick in two of my ribs last summer, and a couple of years ago a rattler bit me on the ankle." "Wouldn't you call those accidents?" replied the agent. "Naw," the cowboy said, "they did it on purpose!"
b. The approach some people take to inerrancy is to simply redefine "error."
1) If a Bible writer did not intend to deceive people, he could make a mistake that shouldn't be called an error.
2) Illust. That kind of thinking is ridiculous! If it were true then there would be no such thing as errors in a baseball game. None of the players ever intend to make an error! But they do! And it results in lost runs and lost games!
B. In contrast to those who say inerrancy does not matter, it does matter! It matters because ...
1. The Bible claims to be without error (2 important texts):
a. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
1) Speaks of all Scripture as being inspired (OT & NT).
2) "All Scripture is God-breathed." What does that mean?
3) It means God is the source of Scripture--He created it! Scripture is ultimately God's doing, not man's!
b. 2 Peter 1:19-21.
1) Stresses that Scripture originates with God.
2) "Interpretation" (v. 20) does not mean what we usually mean. It means "origin" as very next verse illustrates.
3) Illust. While men are involved in the production of Scripture, God is still very much in control of the final product. The picture in v. 21 is that of men being "carried along" by the Spirit much like a ship is "carried along" by the wind. The one at the helm has some control, but is really at the whim and mercy of the wind. Similarly, the authors of Scripture were guided along by the Holy Spirit in producing Scripture.
c. These passages teach that God, not man, is ultimately responsible for Scripture. That's what it means to say the Bible is the Word of God!
2. We need an absolute, objective standard we can rely on.
a. That's what it means to say the Bible is our authority.
b. Those who say inerrancy does not matter often point out the fact that the original documents as penned by the Biblical are not in existence--impossible to tell if they were inerrant. c. Illust. Is there a perfect original? Some say it doesn't matter. Does it matter whether or not there is a perfect measure for a "pound" or "foot?" Try taking your own interpretation of those units of measure with you when you go to the grocery store or to buy a piece of property! But we've never seen a precise measurement--always off to some degree. In the Bureau of Standards in Washington D.C. there are models of the standard weights and measures used by U.S. citizens. They are as accurate as humanly possible. The vast majority of us have never seen them, but they govern our lives and give meaning to everyday exchanges. One doesn't need to see the inerrant original manuscripts to affirm that there is such a thing as an inerrant Bible!
3. We need a reliable testimony about God and his will.
a. Those who want to qualify inerrancy will often say that the Bible is inerrant in its doctrine, but not in the details of geography, science, or history.
b. If we allow that part of the Bible is true and part is not, how can we know for sure which parts are which?
c. Illust. In a court case the trustworthiness of a witness in even minor details is crucial. A good attorney will go to great lengths to discredit the witness of the opposing side. The lawyer will try his best to trap the witness by making him/her say things that contradict each other. Why? To show that his/her testimony is not reliable. The same is true for the Bible. Either it is all true or it is not reliable at all.
4. We need something to keep us morally on track.
a. What is going to be our guide for moral and ethical behavior?
1) Our conscience? (Generally reliable, not infallible).
2) What society dictates? (Real trouble here!)
3) What we think God wants? (dangerously subjective!)
4) We need some sort of objective guide for daily life.
b. Illust. There is a camera aboard the Tiros XII satellite that takes pictures of ships drilling for oil in the North Atlantic. If the ships move more than 10 feet from their pre-programmed positions, the satellite will send a signal back to a computer that automatically activates the ship's propellers to correct the drift and keep the ship over the oil-drilling hole. The Bible functions the same way for those who believe it is true.
Conclusion:
1. The Bible is the Word of God.
2. You can stake your life on what it says.
