Anthony Henderson
Turabian
Theo-201 D16
Essay on Bibliology: Inspiration and Inerrancy of the Bible
I n today’s society many people question the authority and inerrancy of the Bible. They want concrete proof of the inerrancy of the Bible and they question the inspiration and ability of the writers.
When we say the Bible has authority, we must also show where the authority comes from. “Authority is the right and power to command, enforce laws, exact obedience, determine or judge”. Many people do not understand how much authority a book written thousands of years ago actually commands. The authority comes from God because the Bible is the Word of God. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” We know God is truth and the Bible is His word. This knowledge leads us to conclude that the Bible is authoritative and true.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God given to the writers of the scripture. “The content of the Bible teaches that it was given by the process of inspiration of God so that the words were God’s Word and that they are accurate and reliable, hence they are authoritative”. We read in the Bible how the prophets did not use their words, but were moved by the Spirit to speak God’s Words. We also see that the Spirit led them to write what God wanted to be written. The Bible is inspired, or “God-breathed”. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”.
The question of the Bible being the inerrant word of God is always being discussed. The meaning of inerrancy is being without error. “Inerrancy is the view that when all the facts become known, they will demonstrate that the Bible in its original autographs and correctly interpreted is entirely true and never false in all it affirms, whether that relates to doctrine or ethics or to the social, physical, or life sciences”. There are four arguments for the inerrancy of the Bible. The arguments are; the Biblical argument, the Historical argument, the Epistemological argument and the Slippery Slope argument. The Biblical argument states that “the Bible teaches its own inspiration, and this requires inerrancy”. It also shows us that in the Old Testament the people were given explicit instructions on how to tell the difference between God inspired prophets and false prophets. The Historical argument states that the church has believed the inerrancy of God’s word throughout history. This belief therefore makes it doctrine. “One must remember that inerrancy was part of the corpus of orthodox doctrine, then in many discussions it was assumed rather than defended”. The Epistemological argument makes the statement that those who do not have full knowledge of the Bible, do not believe in the inerrancy of God’s word. The Slippery Slope argument states that if a person makes a decision not to believe a certain part of the Bible, they soon find themselves in a pattern of unbelief which leads them down a slippery slope away from Christianity. “Finally, some see inerrancy as so fundamental that those who give it up will soon surrender other central Christian doctrines”. I believe the strongest argument is the Biblical argument because of the inspired word of God given to the writers by God. To me the weakest is the Epistemological argument because people can say they have Bible knowledge, but they still do not believe the inerrancy of the Bible.
The relationship between inerrancy and inspiration is they are interwoven together. This relationship is brought about by God inspiring the writers to write with total inerrancy, therefore making the Bible the inerrant Word of God.
Since the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God, we should use His instructions and devotions in our daily lives. Through His word He commands authority and expects His children to live by His word.

Word count: 710
Bibliography
Elwell, Walter A. 2001. Evangelical dictionary of theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic
Towns, Elmer L. 2008. Theology for today. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning

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[ 1 ]. Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2001. p. 153
[ 2 ]. John 17:17 NKJV
[ 3 ]. Towns, Elmer L. Theology for Today. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008. p. 66
[ 4 ]. 2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV
[ 5 ]. Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2001. p. 156
[ 6 ]. Ibid., p. 157
[ 7 ]. Ibid., p. 158
[ 8 ]. Ibid., p. 158