I was meeting with some friends about a month or so ago and one of them commented that he didn’t believe in the infallibility of the Bible. Then just the other day I met a chap who complained that he’d met a minister that believed in evolution.
These two statements made me think about what is implied by a belief in the infallibility of the Bible.
The big problem, it seems to me is that everyone will inevitably have a different interpretation of the Bible and that everyone’s interpretation of the Bible (and I’m using interpretation to also mean perception of what it means) must have errors – let’s face it, we are only human!
So what does it mean to say that the Bible is the infallible word of God? Is a statement that cannot make be of any use? I’m going to assume that the Bible is infallible (in fact I tend to believe that it is), however, we now have a huge problem in that nobody has an infallible interpretation of the Bible. So therefore is it meaningless to say that the Bible is the infallible word of God?
If the Bible is the infallible word of God then it doesn’t it make absolutely no difference to anyone because we all make mistakes in interpreting it. What is more important is that ‘the faith we have is infallible’ – which must be true be because faith is from God. What we believe to be faith can only be fallible if it isn’t faith at all.
We know God through faith, through his Spirit communicating to us. This is through all sorts of things, not simply the Bible. It is surely more important to know God than to know what the Bible says about God? (and no, I’m not saying that it isn’t important to know what the Bible says about God!)
Slightly hard to follow but I think I get it. I like the link with interpriting and this being the way fallibility comes in. Not so sure about the “the faith we have is in fallible” as I need to think about the link between faith and doubt, infallibility and choice and belief.
I reckon that, if what we think we have as ‘faith’ is actually fallible, then surely it is just opinion and not faith at all?
Hmmm. My mountain bike is infallible… if I go mountain biking with it. If I try and go road racing on it d rely on it to get me through I will find it is fallible. Something is only infallible if it is used for the purpose for which it was created.
Now whether or not the Bible is infallible I suppose would also depend on if we use it for what it was created. I think if we try to use the Bible as a text book and book of rules for everyday 21st centuary life, then we will not find it is infallible. However, if we read it in context, and see it as the search for God of a people group and their explainations and conclusions, and interperate that faithfully to learn from it in our context, then maybe we will find it more infallible?
That’s a great angle on it Nikki! Thanks.
The faith I have is fallible, but the God is know isn’t. The object of my faith is God, not the Bible or my perception of it. The Bible (and other holy books) have been raised by some to a status that was never intended (well, that is my perception!), Peter writes of Paul’s letters as “scripture” and doesn’t diferentiate between them and OT scripture – He sees the hand of God on what is written . . . but is that his perception or not? When Paul says, “I am out of my mind to talk like this?” is he? Or is that also an infallible word of God . . . it isn’t that simple, scripture is useful for lots of things – but it points to truth, highlights the truth, shows us the truth – but it is only part of the revelation of God . . .
Thanks Ali. I’m really encouraged by these items of feedback (Nikki, Ali) as I half expected to be torn off a strip by someone! (maybe that’s to come?)
By the way, I’m a Gideon – I think that tells you how I value the Bible even if I haven’t replaced God with it!