The basis for the doctrine of biblical inerrancy is located both in the nature of God and in the Bible's teaching about itself. First, if God is perfect – all knowing, all wise, all-good – it follows that God speaks the truth. God does not tell lies; God is not ignorant. God's Word is thus free from all error arising either from conscious deceit or unconscious ignorance. Such is the unanimous confession of the Psalmist, the prophets, the Lord Jesus and the apostles. Second, the Bible presents itself as the Word of God written. Thus, in addition to its humanity (which is never denied), the Bible also enjoys the privileges and prerogatives of its status as God's Word. God's Word is thus wholly reliable, a trustworthy guide to reality, a light unto our path.
Vanhoozer deals with the oft repeated claim that BB Warfield virtually invented the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy, by demonstrating that the Church in all ages has accepted the total reliability of the Bible. He charges those who find errors in the Bible with exegetical insensitivity. It is often the case that those who argue for an errant Bible interpret texts in a hopelessly wooden way without regard for the context, intention or literary genre of the passage.
All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
(Psalm 119:60)
"In a word: if Scripture is obscure or equivocal, why need it have been brought down to us by act of God? Surely we have enough obscurity and uncertainty and darkness being augmented from heaven...
ReplyDelete...Those who deny the perfect clarity and plainness of the Scriptures leave us nothing but darkness." (Martin Luther, Bondage of the Will, p. 128)
2 Peter 1:19-20: "And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation."
2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
enjoy, ron
Great stuffs by Vanhoozer! Inerrancy is a relevant and important doctrine today, and a nuanced articulation of the doctrine is very much tenable and crucial to the health of the church :)
ReplyDeleteIs that Vanhoozer's current position vis a vis inerrancy, or does he alter it in his latest work 'The drama of Doctrine'?
ReplyDeleteI've only just purchased his "The Drama of Doctrine", so I couldn't tell you.
ReplyDeleteThis review over at Reformation 21 ponders your question:
http://reformation21.com/?pageId=196&vobId=3294&pm=478