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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

P2 The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy - Practical reasons for understanding Biblical inerrancy



2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

Introduction and review
Yesterday we introduced the historic and comprehensive doctrinal affirmation of Biblical inerrancy called: "The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy".  We saw the reason why the the document was drafted, why inerrancy matters to the Christian life and practice and why studying such a document can prove edifying to the Christian.  The reader may also had noticed the citation of the Baptist faith and Message 2000 definition of the Bible's character as the inerrant and infallible Word of God.  This citation was given to show where this blogger stands on this vital issue, and thus why the "Chicago Statement" is important for all Christians to know about in a day and age that wholesale rejects the authority of Scripture. 

Two practical benefits for gaining a better understanding of Biblical inerrancy Before we continue, a few words are in order as to why Christians need to understand the Biblical doctrine of inerrancy.  First, all preaching that aims to unfold the Bible one word, one verse or one chapter at a time assumes Biblical inerrancy.   When it comes to the Bible, the Christian can rest assured that the Bible that is preached, taught or heeded is without error, will never fail and is always trustworthy.  As a preacher myself, I have absolute confidence that the words of scripture that supplies the basis for my less than perfect preaching are inerrant words.  The same Holy Ghost who inspired the inerrant, infallible words of scripture is the same One Who applies them to the hearts of listeners. 

A second major important reason for considering Biblical inerrancy has to do with the practice of the Christian faith. Thankfully the Christian has nothing to fear when it comes to the scriptures. The scriptures are the inerrant, infallible Words of God that are sufficient for the church's and Christian's standard of faith, life and eternity. 

With those two thoughts, in today's post we continue on looking once again at the Chicago Statement by observing its "Short Statement" on what it means when it states the Bible to be the inerrant and infallible Word of God.  Again I urge the reader to look at the following link to see the entire text of the statement at:  http://library.dts.edu/Pages/TL/Special/ICBI.shtml

A SHORT STATEMENT (from the document: "The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy)

"1. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture
is God's witness to Himself."

"2. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms; obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises."

"3. The Holy Spirit, Scripture's divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning."

"4. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives."

"5. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church."


More tomorrow....