In the following article concerning the Inerrancy of Biblical Scripture, I will share an exposition of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics from the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, 1983, Article I. The formation of this council is to affirm the inerrancy of the Bible. In the past and even more so now, the inerrancy of the Bible has come into question. I believe that the Bible is inerrant and infallible. The Bible is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help God Himself. Unfortunately, even people who have taken a secular “religious studies” course or attend church fail to realize what they are studying. People often compare the study of the Bible to the study of literature, sociology, or history. But, in fact, the study of the Bible is the study of the wisdom, heart, and mind of the almighty God.
A Quick Illustration
A coworker shared with me, much to his chagrin, that his religious studies professor said that the Bible could be interpreted differently by different people. And what you understand from the Bible is personal and can be different for each individual. My unfortunate knee-jerk response was, “Your professor doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” But then I explained the difference between exegesis and eisegesis and explained that there is only one true meaning in each passage. Because each passage must be read and understood as the writer and original readers would understand the passage. So, making up your own interpretation is wrong. The utilization of hermeneutics helps us maintain the integrity of the scriptures and explain them correctly.
“Hermeneutics is the art of finding the meaning of an author’s words and phrases, and explaining it to others.” In the case of Biblical hermeneutics, you are studying the orthodox meaning of God’s words and phrases and explaining them to others.
Inerrancy of Biblical Scripture, Article I
The first article of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics, 1983 states
WE AFFIRM that the normative authority of Holy Scripture is the authority of God Himself, and is attested by Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church.
WE DENY the legitimacy of separating the authority of Christ from the authority of Scripture, or of opposing the one to the other.
So, they and I agree that the common understanding of Scripture must have the same authority as God Himself. Because God is the Author of Biblical Scripture, and therefore the Scripture is the Word of God. The scriptures carry the total weight of God’s deity. Now, we are not to worship the scriptures, but we are to worship the God who gave us His Holy Scriptures and apply them in accordance with His will.
Also, they and I deny separating the authority of Christ from having the equivalent authority of Scripture. Christ is God, and He has the full authority of God. Therefore, both the Old and New Testaments hold equal authority with God the Father and the Son. Our Triune Godhead wrote the scriptures, so They impart God’s authority on every word of Scripture, from the first word of Genesis to the last word of Revelation.
Inerrancy of Biblical Scripture Conclusion
This article was a brief explanation of the first article of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics. There are, in fact, 25 articles that attest to the inerrancy of the Bible. Inerrancy means “incapable of being wrong.” The International Council on Biblical Inerrancy and I agree that the Bible is inerrant. So, if you want to know the truth about heaven, consult the Holy Bible. If you want to know the truth about how to raise children, consult the Bible. If you want to know how to vote in the next election, consult the Bible. The Bible has the true answer to every question you can present.
After Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit came and inspired the New Testament writers to write down the Word of God, just as the Old Testament writers were inspired. So, God is the Author of our inerrant Holy Bible, and it carries the full authority of God. The divine authority of Old Testament Scripture was confirmed by Christ Himself in Matthew 5:17-18 and Luke 24:44. Jesus also confirmed the divine authority of the New Testament in John 14:16 and John 16:13).
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