Lesson One: Inerrancy of Scripture
As I was growing up, I was often taught that the Scripture is inerrant, but “inerrant” is not a word we often use. However, I love looking up word meanings and antonyms (opposites). So, when I looked up the opposite of inerrant, Merriam-Webster cites words like unreliable, shaky, dubious, dodgy, questionable, doubtful, or uncertain. I then wanted to know what words are similar to the word inerrant. Again, according to Merriam-Webster, inerrant means infallible, reliable, trustworthy, dependable, credible, and solid. Did I mention, I really love to look up words?! The message of this topic is that the Bible (also called Scripture) is free from error. I have heard it said, “The Bible never fails!”
In 2 Peter 1:19-20, we read, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” Here we have it recorded from the Apostle Peter that the Bible is infallible, and that “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” In verse 21, it reads, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Here, we learn that the prophets and writers of the Bible were carried along by the Holy Spirit as they wrote God’s Word.
We also know a lot from 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Can you imagine? How could anything that was “breathed out by God” be wrong? We know that God cannot breathe out anything in error. We read in Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” We know that God’s Word is true and without error.