Biblical Inerrancy

Approach to Scripture:

1. Theological Use of Scripture:
• The Bible is the witness to God’s revelation in Jesus Christ, rather than as a flawless, dictated text. The focus is on the story of redemption, not on proving the Bible’s historical or scientific accuracy.
• The Christocentric nature of Scripture, interpreting it through the lens of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible’s authority lies in its ability to point to and proclaim the promise of God’s kingdom, not in its literal perfection.
2. Human and Contextual Nature of the Bible:
• The human nature of Scripture, was written by humans in specific historical, cultural, and social contexts. This makes the Bible a dynamic text, shaped by its time but also inspired by the Spirit.
• A strict doctrine of inerrancy reduces the Bible to a static set of propositions rather than a living testimony to God’s work in history.
3. The Bible as Open to Interpretation:
• We affirm the need for interpretation of Scripture within the context of faith communities, guided by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is not a a self-evident, unquestionable authority but as a text that invites dialogue, questioning, and discernment.
• We integrates insights from philosophy, science, and contemporary issues, suggesting that biblical texts must be read in conversation with modern knowledge and challenges.
4. Focus on Promise and Hope:
• Theology is centered on God’s promise for the future, as revealed in Scripture. The Bible is primarily a book of hope, emphasizing God’s commitment to renewal and redemption, rather than a rulebook or a scientifically/historically inerrant document.
5. Critique of Literalism:
• There is to be an emphasis on the symbolic, metaphorical, and narrative aspects of Scripture standing in contrast to literalist readings often associated with inerrancy. Scripture is pointing beyond itself to the transformative work of God in history.


Critique of Inerrancy:

• Reductionism: Inerrancy risks reducing the Bible to a set of fixed, factual statements, undermining its role as a living witness to God’s ongoing action in the world.
• Disconnection from Context: By insisting on inerrancy, one might ignore the historical and cultural contexts in which the biblical texts were written, flattening their richness and complexity.
• Stifling Interpretation: An inerrantist approach could discourage critical engagement with the text, closing off the possibility of new interpretations inspired by the Spirit.


Biblical Authority in Theology:


The Bible’s authority lies in its capacity to proclaim the liberating message of the Gospel and the hope of God’s future. The Bible is inspired and authoritative, but in a way that allows for human fallibility in its composition and recognizes the need for interpretation within the broader narrative of God’s mission.