In the previous article, we considered the authority of Scripture. If the Bible is truly the Word of God, then to disbelieve or disobey Scripture is ultimately to disbelieve or disobey God. This naturally raises another question: Can the Bible contain errors?
This brings us to two important qualities of Scripture: inerrancy and clarity. Inerrancy concerns whether Scripture affirms anything that is false. Clarity concerns whether ordinary people can understand what Scripture means.
What Is Inerrancy?
By inerrancy, I mean that Scripture, in its original manuscripts, does not affirm anything contrary to fact. Whatever Scripture affirms is truthful.
This follows from the character of God Himself. Numbers 23:19 tells us that God is not a man that He should lie. Psalm 12:6 describes the words of the Lord as pure words, like silver refined in a furnace. Proverbs 30:5 tells us, “Every word of God is tested.”
If Scripture comes from a truthful God, we should expect His Word to be truthful.
But we need to understand what inerrancy does and does not mean.
Inerrancy does not require scientific precision in ordinary speech. We still say that the sun rises and sets, even though we understand the movement of the earth. We are simply describing what we observe.
The same principle applies to numbers. If someone says that 8,000 soldiers fought in a battle, he is not necessarily making an error if the exact number was 8,050. He may simply be using a rounded number.
We do this constantly. I might say I live two miles from my office rather than saying I live 2.14 miles away. Both statements can be truthful; they simply use different levels of precision.
Scripture works the same way. Sometimes it gives exact numbers, while at other times it gives approximations. Truthfulness does not always require mathematical precision.
The same principle applies to quotations. Ancient Hebrew and Greek did not use quotation marks as we do. Biblical writers could summarize what someone said without giving a word-for-word transcript. Different wording does not necessarily mean different meaning.
We must also allow biblical writers to have different styles. Luke and Isaiah wrote with considerable literary skill, while Peter and Amos could be rougher in their expression. A sentence can be grammatically awkward and still be completely true.
This reminds us that Scripture is a divine-human work. God worked through real people with different personalities, backgrounds, vocabularies, and writing styles.
Is the Bible True Only About Spiritual Matters?
Some people argue that the Bible is trustworthy in matters of faith and practice but may contain errors when speaking about history or the natural world. The problem is that Scripture never makes this distinction.
2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God.” Romans 15:4 says that “whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction.” Jesus and the apostles repeatedly appealed to historical events in the Old Testament as real events.
Scripture does not place one part of reality into a “religious” category and another into a “historical” category. Whatever Scripture actually affirms, it presents as truthful.
This does not mean we worship the Bible. Sometimes people accuse Christians who affirm biblical authority of “bibliolatry.” But Scripture is not the ultimate object of our worship. Scripture points beyond itself to Christ.
We worship the One to whom the Bible points.
At the same time, we need Scripture because it gives us an anchor in a constantly changing world. It reveals truths about God, ourselves, and reality that we could never discover on our own.
What About Manuscript Differences?
Another objection is that we no longer possess the original manuscripts. Copies of biblical manuscripts contain small variations, so how can we speak of an inerrant Bible?
This is where textual criticism becomes useful. Textual criticism compares ancient manuscripts to determine the original wording. Because we possess many manuscripts, scholars can compare their differences.
These variations are generally quite small, and significant ones are normally identified in the notes of modern Bible translations. More importantly, these variations do not overturn Christian doctrine.
The existence of copying differences should not surprise us. Scribes were human beings and could make mistakes. Inerrancy applies to the original writings, not to every copy someone made afterward. The remarkable thing is how faithfully the biblical text has been preserved.
What About Alleged Contradictions?
Perhaps the most common objection to inerrancy is the claim that the Bible contains obvious contradictions. When someone makes that claim, I like to ask a simple question: Where? Often people have heard that the Bible contains contradictions without actually examining the passages themselves.
There are certainly difficult passages. But a difficult passage is not necessarily a contradiction. We need to ask whether there is a reasonable way of understanding the texts together.
For example, one Gospel mentions one angel speaking to the women at Jesus’ tomb, while another mentions two angels. This is not a contradiction. Saying that one angel spoke does not mean that only one angel was present.
Other difficulties have been clarified as archaeology has uncovered additional information. At one time critics questioned the book of Daniel because Belshazzar did not appear on known lists of Babylonian kings. Later evidence showed that Belshazzar served as a co-regent. This also explains why Daniel was offered the third-highest position in the kingdom rather than the second.
The lesson is important: our lack of information is not the same thing as an error in Scripture.
After many years of studying difficult passages, I have found that when we examine them carefully rather than being afraid of them, reasonable explanations emerge.
Why Inerrancy Matters
If we decide that Scripture contains errors, another question quickly arises: Who decides where those errors are? Soon our own minds become the final authority over Scripture. We accept the passages we like and dismiss the ones we find uncomfortable.
This becomes especially tempting when Scripture challenges the values of our culture. But Scripture has always been countercultural. God’s Word does not stand beneath culture to be judged by it; Scripture stands above culture and judges it.
That is why inerrancy is not merely an academic question. It eventually becomes a question of trust and obedience.
Can Ordinary People Understand the Bible?
This brings us to the clarity of Scripture. Clarity does not mean that every passage is equally easy to understand. Peter admits that some of Paul’s writings are difficult (2 Peter 3:15–16). But difficult does not mean impossible.
The Bible repeatedly assumes that ordinary people can understand its central teachings. Israelite parents were instructed to teach God’s words to their children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Psalm 119:130 says, “The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
The New Testament letters were written to entire congregations, not merely to scholars.
So, we should not turn Bible reading over to the professionals. Certainly, teachers, commentaries, and other resources can help us. But you cannot grow spiritually by proxy any more than you can hire someone to exercise your body for you. You must encounter Scripture yourself.
Reading Scripture Well
Why, then, do Christians sometimes disagree about Scripture?
Part of the answer is that people do not always interpret it carefully. One important principle is that Scripture is its own best interpreter. Compare one passage with other passages dealing with the same subject.
A second principle is equally important: a text without a context can become a pretext. Read verses in their immediate setting and within the larger teaching of Scripture.
But interpretation is not merely intellectual. First Corinthians 2:14 reminds us that spiritual truth requires spiritual understanding. We should approach Scripture humbly, asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate its meaning and make us willing to obey what we discover.
This is the great encouragement of the clarity of Scripture: God has given us a Word we can understand.
So come to Scripture with an open heart and an open Bible. Read it carefully. Read it repeatedly. Ask the Spirit of God to illuminate your mind, expose your assumptions, and show you how to respond.
God has spoken clearly enough for us to hear. The question is whether we are willing to listen.
To explore this topic more deeply and discover how to thoughtfully answer the questions below, subscribe to Ken Boa Reflections on Substack.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the character of God provide a foundation for trusting the truthfulness and reliability of Scripture?
- When you encounter a difficult or seemingly contradictory passage, how can you approach it with both intellectual honesty and confidence in God’s Word?
- In what ways can cultural assumptions or personal preferences influence how you interpret and respond to Scripture?
- What would it look like for you to approach Scripture more consistently with an open heart, an open Bible, and a willingness to obey what God reveals?
