Holy Scripture

The Inspired, Infallible, Inerrant Word Of God.

This is the claim the Bible makes. We must either accept the claim in its entirety or reject it altogether. Either this Book is the Word of God, or it is a horribly evil hoax by which the souls of men are deceived and ruined. The same must be said concerning all other religious books that claim divine origin. If the Bible is the Word of God, then the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and the claims of modern self-proclaimed prophets must all be rejected as evil deceptions by which the souls of men are deceived and destroyed. The Bible claims singularity as the Word of God in that it claims: Divine Origin - It claims to be written by men, but to be infallibly inspired, though those who wrote it were only fallible, sinful saved by the grace of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 1:1-3; 2Pet. 1:21). Necessity - The Bible claims to be a necessary revelation, without which God cannot be known. God is Spirit, the eternal, self-existent, incomprehensible Spirit. Though his eternal power and godhead is evident from the things he has made, so that all are without excuse, he cannot be known unless he makes himself known by special revelation through the Word (Rom. 10:13-17; 1 Pet. 1:23-25). Sufficiency - The Bible claims to be the sufficient, effectual means by which chosen, redeemed sinners are called to life, faith, and everlasting salvation in Christ (Isa. 55:11; 2 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 4:12; Jas. 1:18). Authority and Finality as the Word of God (Isa. 8:20; Rev. 22:18-19).

Inspiration relates to the Scriptures themselves, not to the men who were used to write them. We sometimes speak of the men as being inspired. That is not really accurate. Those men were moved and carried along by the Holy Spirit as they wrote; but they were not inspired. It is the Word of God which they were employed to write that is inspired. We recognize, and the Bible carefully shows us the flaws of those men. The Book was given through weak, sinful human beings; but their weaknesses, sins, and humanity does not affect the Bible’s infallibility. We see the personalities of the writers in their writings; but their personalities did not corrupt the Bible’s perfection. The Bible claims to be and is the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God.

Sometimes I am asked, “what about all the places where the statements of the Bible contradict the proven discoveries of science?” Usually, I ask, “Would you show me which statements you mean?” That usually ends the discussion. I do not claim to be a scientist. I am not even a student of science. Yet, I do make this assertion without the slightest fear of contradiction - There is not a single point of contradiction between the statements of Holy Scripture and the established facts of science. There is great conflict between the Scriptures and scientific theories, but none between Scripture and fact. The theories of science change constantly and constantly conflict one another; but the facts of science and the facts of the Bible are in perfect harmony.

Don Fortner