Katherine Phillips
Writing Style Used: MLA
THEO 201 C01
Short Essay #1
Short Essay on Bibliology: Inspiration and Inerrancy of the Bible
There is a great need for all Christians to be able to back up and defend the very material
that they center their lives upon- to be able to explain why they study the word and how they can
believe it to be authoritative. In 1 Peter 3:15, Christians learn the necessity of being able to
defend ones faith. The ability to do so lies in having a solid understanding of foundational topics
such as biblical authority, inspiration, and inerrancy. This essay will deal with such topics and
give implications for how a Christian is to live their life based on these concepts.
To begin, biblical authority must be defined. According to the American Heritage
Dictionary, “Authority is the right and power to command, enforce laws, exact obedience,
determine, or judge”.1 In the New Testament, it was seen that Jesus had both bestowed and
inherent authority. That is, he was granted authority from his Father in Heaven by teaching and
acting in accordance to the Father’s will. Jesus also had an innate form of authority. This is
known as ontological authority- that the source of his authority was in his own being.1 In the
same way that Jesus had authority, so does the Bible. The Bible gains authority from both
pointing to God as well as being in itself the very expression of God’s truth (ontological
authority). Furthermore, the Hebrew word ĕmet (used in the Old Testament) and the New
Testament word alētheia are used throughout the Bible to describe God as true and genuine as
1 McDonald, “Bible, Authority of” 153.
opposed to what is unreliable and false.2 Because God cannot go against his own nature, he
cannot speak falsities. The repetition in the Old Testament of the phrase “This is what the Lord
says” shows the authority and truth of the passage simply because it is spoken by the Lord.2
Therefore, one can know that the Bible is truth and contains God’s truth. Because it is
trustworthy and reliable, it is our ultimate source of authority.
The guidance by the Holy Spirit upon the human writers of Scripture is known as
inspiration. Through this influence, God controlled the men so that everything they wrote was
without error.2 One of the most popular verses to support inspiration is 2 Timothy 3:16. The word
theopneustos used in this verse literally means God- “spirited” or breathed out. It affirms that
God is the true author of the Bible and that “Scripture is the product of His creative breath.”3
There are four main arguments for inerrancy. Inerrancy defined by Elmer Towns states,
“That which God revealed and inspired (the Bible) is accurate, reliable, authoritative, and
without error”.4 The first argument for inerrancy is the Biblical argument. This argument states
that one should believe in inerrancy because the Bible teaches its own inerrancy. The scriptures
repeatedly teach that God cannot lie (Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18).5
Therefore, if the Bible is God’s inspired word, then it has to be without error. While critics claim
that the Bible never explicitly says that the Bible is inerrant, this doctrine is taught implicitly all
throughout scripture.6 The next argument for inerrancy is the historical argument. This argument
states that the church has historically believed in the inerrancy of Scripture, and thus it is a
doctrine with long-standing support in tradition.5 The Epistemological argument basically states
that if you deny inerrancy, you have no sure foundation for knowledge at all.5 Lastly, the slippery
2 Towns, Theology for Today 59.
3 Henry, “Bible, Inspiration of” 160.
4 Towns, Theology for Today 897.
5 Feinberg, “Bible, Inerrancy and Infallibility of” 158.
6 Feinberg, “Bible, Inerrancy and Infallibility of” 157.
slope argument states that if you give up inerrancy, you will begin to give up more and more of
the Christian faith until you end up denying central doctrines of the Christian faith.5 This
argument is least supported by individuals who do not affirm inerrancy; however, multiple
instances prove this argument to be valid.
Inspiration and inerrancy are linked in a way that the presence of one provides the
foundation for the other. From 2 Timothy 3:16, one learns that all scripture is “God-breathed”.
This plainly depicts that God inspired everything that was written in the Bible. And because God
is the ultimate source of authority, it is evident that his word is inerrant. It would be against his
very nature if there were any errors in the Bible.
Because God has given us the Bible - His own authoritative word - we ought to follow
what is written in it. Jesus says, “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
We ought to celebrate the fact that we can trust his word and rejoice that we are able to live a life
pleasing to the Lord.
Bibliography
Feinberg, P.D. “Bible, Inerrancy and Infallibility of.”
Evangelical Dictionary of
Theology. 2
nd
ed. Ed. Walter A. Elwell Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.
156-159. Print.
Henry, C. F. H. “Bible, Inspiration of.”
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 2
nd
ed. Ed. Walter A. Elwell Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.
159-63. Print.
McDonald, H. D. “Bible, Authority of.”
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 2
nd
ed. Ed. Walter A. Elwell Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.
153-55. Print.
Peterson, R. A. “Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.” Evangelical Dictionary
of Theology. 2
nd
ed. Ed. Walter A. Elwell Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.
226-27.
Print.
Towns, Elmer. Theology for Today. Mason: Thomson Custom Solutions Center, 2001.
Print
Points
|
Points
Criterion
Possible
Given
This
section
deals
with
and
including
but
not
limited
to:
correct
word
count
limit
(600-800
words).
Paper
is
double-spaced
with
1-inch
margins
and
12
pt.
Times
New
Roman
font.
File
is
properly
saved
as
specified
in
the
instructions.
properly
formatted
Bibliography,
Footnotes
(if
any),
and
so
on.
7.5
You
have
provided
a
brief
introduction
to
the
topic
you
are
addressing
and
you
demonstrated
an
understanding
of
the
importance
of
the
subject
matter.
75
‘You
have
clearly
stated
where
you
stand
on
the
topic
and
issues
and
anwered
ALL
questions
in
the
correct
order.
75
You
have
clearly
articulated
your
position
by
answering
all
of
the
essay
questions.
You
have
provided
adequate
biblical
and
theological
support,
including
showing
awareness
of
the
major
arguments
and
Bible
passages
used
to
support
your
view.
30
You
have
presented
and
responded
to
the
main
objections
to
your
position
by
identifying
key
opposing
views,
arguments,
and
Bible
passages.
You
have
also
provided
a
brief
response
to
the
case
they
are
making
and
to
the
objections
they
are
presenting
agains
15
You
have
concluded
your
essay
with
a
summary
statement
that
brings
the
various
points
together
in
support
of
your
view.
7.9
Total 75
0
