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-28-
God Hath Spoken
Chapter 6
THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE
Are the Scriptures without error? The manner in which a person answers this question has colossal ramifications.
Neo Orthodoxy and Inerrancy
The followers of Karl Barth and his Neo Orthodox theology profess to be orthodox in their faith, but by re defining Bible doctrines, they are intent upon repudiating them. They do not believe them.
One such doctrine espoused by the Neo Orthodox is that the Bible contains the Word of God. Although this appears to be fundamentally sound, what is meant is that the Word of God is that which speaks to a person. Those words that speak to another is the Word of God for that person. This is not true! The Bible is the Word of God; and whether or not it speaks to us, it remains the Word of God.
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (II Tim. 3:16), but The New English Bible translates the verse, "Every Scripture that is inspired by God is profitable." That is simple heresy. All Scripture is inspired by God. Remember the words of Martin Luther: "Whom God intends to destroy, He gives leave to play with Scripture." Here is our premise: "If there are errors in the Bible, then we have no foundation for our faith. If there is but one doctrinal error, the plan of salvation is suspect. The Scriptures must be thoroughly inerrant. We have no need for a Bible that is more than perfect, but one that is less than perfect is of no use to us.
The Meaning of Inerrancy
What do we mean by the term "inerrancy?" Liberal theologians like to point out that the 1560 edition of the Geneva Bible translated the word "aprons" (Gen. 3:7) as "breeches," and became known as the "Breeches Bible."
The "Placemakers Bible" was the second edition of the Geneva Bible (1562) and read, "Blessed are the placemakers," instead of "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matt. 5:9).
The so called "Wicked Bible" of 1631 was published in London. It left the negative out of the seventh commandment, and read, "Thou shalt commit adultery." The "Wicked Bible" of 1653 was also published in London and read, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God?" (I Cor.6:9).
In 1716, J. Baskett published "The Vinegar Bible" at Oxford. It was so called because the word "vinegar" appeared for the word "vineyard" in the heading to Luke 20.
The "Discharge Bible" was printed in London in 1802 and translated I Timothy chapter 5, verse 21, "I discharge thee before God" instead of "I charge thee before God."
A Bible printed at Oxford in 1804 makes Numbers 35:18 to read, "The murderer shall surely be put together" instead of "to death." And, one published in 1837 at Hartford reads, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable...for destruction in righteousness," instead of "instruction in righteousness."
It is little wonder as Cotton Mather reports, that a Bible printed before 1702 makes David to complain, "Printers have persecuted me without a cause," instead of "Princes have persecuted me without a cause" (Ps. 119:161).
These are not "errors:" the doctrine of inerrancy does not refer to typographical errors any more than it refers to cultural adaptations. Let me illustrate. Some years ago translators were working with a Bible translation for a people in the South Seas who considered the seat of the affections to be the kidneys, rather than the heart. They therefore translated Psalm 119, verse 11 "Thy word have I hid in my kidneys that I might not sin against Thee." The sense is not altered; and even in the shoddy workmanship of a printer, the sense is perfectly understood.
In I John chapter 2, verses 1 and 2 we read, "My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world." Now, this is how my hundred dollar Bible from Oxford Press reads, "And He is the propitiation for our not sins: and for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
By the term "inerrancy" we mean the Scriptures are inerrant in doctrine, and inerrant in truth.