Biblical authority, inspiration, and inerrancy in NIV translation

Biblical Inerrancy

Authority, Inspiration and Inerrancy in the Bible

There is no greater calling than living by the word of God. As Christians, we have a responsibility to exemplify God's wisdom in the way that we live our lives. This is the knowledge given to us by the scriptures and in recognizing the truth that is held within these scriptures, we understand that there could be no other way than the one laid out before us by God. As the discussion on authority, inspiration and inerrancy shows here, this is the imperative that makes the Bible so powerful a source of faith.

Biblical Authority:

The Bible comes to us not as a text authored by man nor as the allegorical mythology that non-religious scholars might argue. Quite to the contrary, we recognize that the authority derived from the Bible is in its direct origin as the Word of God. While there may be distinct theories about how these Words have become transcribed in their present day form, we are collectively agreed on where the narratives, imperatives and divinity conveyed in the Bible come from. According to Tinsley's (2012) analysis of Elwell, "biblical authority is the idea that The Bible is the word of God, points back to God, and can be trusted as factual and true. In Elwell's article, he discusses John 14:10 which demonstrates that Jesus' authority came from God and Jesus was sent to bring the New Covenant to the world."

This denotes that the authority of the New Testament in constructing our lives in nothing short of a gift given straight by Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God. No authority more powerful than this could be acknowledged as a source for the Bible, and certainly not the authority of man. In this way, we could explain gently and with patience to the passing stranger in the park that the Bible's authority is the overarching authority from which we derive our mortal senses of justice, mercy, morality, virtue, charity and love.

Biblical Inspiration:

In addition to the authority that extends from the Bible, we are moved constantly by the inspiration it provides daily in our lives. Authority can only give us a sense of that which we have been called to do. The inspiration in the knowledge that God gave his only son to us in forgiveness of our sins is a powerful force. It drives us as Christians to aspire always to be better. As Tinsley remarks, "the authoritative nature of the Bible implies a divine authority that inspires the words in the Bible. The Bible's inerrancy implies that the book itself is perfect and without flaw or contradiction. Given that these things are true, we are called to live as God teaches through Jesus Christ. Because such a lifestyle implies perfection, we are incapable of doing so. Therefore, the sacrifice of Christ reconciles our sinful nature. This does not mean we should not try. 'Faith without works is dead' (James 2:20)."

Inspiration and Inerrancy:

This notion above suggests that inspiration is the emotional and spiritual power of the scriptures which puts us to action. The 'works' described above are critical as we strive to give, build, reach out and organize in our communities. But it is the inerrancy of the Bible which gives us the confidence to do so. Inerrancy implicates that the Bible is perfect, infallible and invariably true. As a reflection of God's works, the Bible's minutiae are neither subject to debate or denial, only to adherence.

As the Tinsley source shows, Elwell's essay offers four correlated arguments illustrating the inerrancy of the Bible. "First, the Bible teaches its unique inerrancy through 2 Timothy 3:16. Second, God defines criteria for distinguishing His message from the message of false prophets in Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and 18:20-22. Third, the Bible teaches its own authority. In John 10: 34-35, Jesus says scripture is binding and cannot be broken. Fourth, Scripture uses Scripture in a way that supports inerrancy." (Tinsley, p. 1)

Of these arguments, we acknowledge above and beyond all others that Jesus proclaimed the words of the Bible to be beyond scrutiny or speculation, to be the Word of God and to be our best source for knowing God's wishes. Perhaps the weakest argument above is that which states the Bible's own internal repetition of its authority. This argument does not stand on its own but must be presupposed by knowledge that the Bible is God's Word directly.