Inerrant Questions

Without a doubt, inerrancy is a hot topic in Christian circles. Some believe that the entire Bible (word for word) is inerrant. Others believe that the inspiration behind scripture is inerrant and therefore scripture should be deemed as so. Another group relies on the original manuscripts of the Bible to be inerrant. This group acknowledges disagreements in scripture but counters it by suggesting the original manuscripts are not ambiguous. There is a fourth group that chooses not to use the word inerrant to define scripture but recognizes scripture as the “inspired” word of God.

What is inerrancy? Webster defines it as “lack of error in science or matters of faith.” A synonym for this word is infallibility. Theologians do not agree on the definition of this word and as far as I can tell are not trying to universalize the definition of this loaded word.

I am not promoting one viewpoint in this blog but simply am raising the issue. How do you see scripture intersecting your faith practice? What does scripture mean to you as a follower of Christ? Do you need a perfect book, free from error in science or matters of faith, in order to believe in Jesus Christ as your personal savior? Or, can you live with scripture seeming to disagree in parts?

Below are questions that I believe all Christ-confessors should begin to ponder. These list of questions are research questions that demand intentional time in scripture to find the answer. The reason for this is because each question within scripture has at least two answers. This not an exhausted list but it does help illustrate that the topic of inerrancy runs much deeper than simply believing what your pastor tells you on Sunday morning. This is an issue that all Christians need to wrestle with within her/his faith practice.

  • What day was the last supper?
  • Was Jairus’ daughter dead or alive when Jesus healed her?
  • What happened when Jesus was baptized? Dove or no dove?
  • Where did the disciples go after Jesus died?
  • Who did Jesus see after he rose from the grave?
  • Who saw Jesus first?
  • Could you recognize Jesus after the resurrection?
  • Did Jesus turn over the tables in temple early in his ministry or late?
  • How many times did Jesus go to Jerusalem?
  • How many Passovers did Jesus experience?
  • What is Jesus’ genealogy?
  • When was John the Baptist killed?
  • Should women where hats, not speak, and sit opposite of men in church or just one or the other?
  • What chapter and verse in Isaiah does Mark quote in chapter 1?
  • How many animals were on the ark?
  • What is the creation story?
  • Who commanded King David to generate a census: God or Satan?
  • Did Jesus preach on the mount or the plain?
  • Who is the Beloved Disciple in the Gospel of John?
The Bible is authoritative. The Bible is the breath and the inspired word of God. But what does the Bible really say? As Christians, we should take seriously our study of scripture. Happy hunting my fellow sister and brothers.

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