There
is a sense in which I believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, yet my
faith does not nor ever shall depend upon Biblical inerrancy. I do
not worship the Bible, it is not my God; It not for me an idol.
Jesus is my Savior not only for what he said but importantly for what
he did—not only at the crucifixion but throughout his ministry. I
look to the Bible daily for insight in how best to follow Jesus. I do
not claim to have correctly interpreted every jot and tittle in the
Bible, nor do I trust any human being to do so. In a sense I suppose
it comes down to this in the end—why is the inerrancy of the Bible
so important when no human has the capacity to inerrantly interpret
it? And this is certainly no small matter, for the Bible has been
used to justify great atrocities even in my own country’s history.
Too often strident defences of Biblical inerrancy come from the lips
of those certain of their own inerrancy—a dangerous and fundamental
lapse in Biblical understanding from my point of view.
How
would I talk with my son (an honors “of course” Christian high
school student straight out of a life sciences class dealing with
reproduction) who has some doubts about the virgin birth? He has
learned of Jesus and been a follower of Jesus from his earliest days.
I would say “Son, it is essential that you follow Jesus always and
know that he is the Son of God and that He is your pathway to
abundant life and true freedom. Is the virgin birth of Jesus
necessary for you to believe that He is the 'the way, and the
truth, and the life?'” “No father,” he answers, “that
question has never bothered me.” “Then, son, don’t let it
bother you now.”
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