What’s Inerrancy?
A few weeks ago, I was able to take advantage of the awesome opportunity to attend an annual gathering at The Master’s Seminary (TMS) in L.A. widely known as the Shepherds’ Conference — a conference offered to encourage and further educate pastors and church leaders. This year was extra special. Typically, the conference is three days long. However, for this year’s conference, an extra day was added in order to give ample time to the topic of biblical inerrancy. Here’s what we mean by “inerrancy”: the canonical Scriptures, the 66 books of the Old Testament and New Testament, in their original autographs, are completely free from and untainted by any human error. Wayne Grudem defines it as such: “The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact.”[1] In other words, every single word in the Bible is true and, because of this, the Bible we have in our possession can be trusted 100% and is our only source of absolute authoritative Truth. This issue is so vital and so fundamental that most evangelical churches and seminaries typically have a sentence or two about biblical inerrancy in some form or fashion in their doctrinal statement. For instance, the local church I serve officially makes this claim:
“It [the Bible] is without error in concept or detail in the original writings.”
Translation: we’re dead serious about knowing what God’s Word says, what it means, and how it applies.
Why Does Inerrancy Matter Now?
Without holding to inerrancy, everything in the Bible is up for debate. The moment one gives an inch, the floodgates are open. If one even gives credence to one, teeny-tiny error, there’s no stopping one from making room for one more. And then one more. And then one more…and so on until you get to the part about the Gospel, hell, heaven, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Holding to inerrancy, on the other hand, means that we can really take God at His word. We then, in turn, can know God and know the way to God. Therefore, if we want to know God, we must be willing to “fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 6:12) when it comes to the inerrancy of Scripture.
The conference was a huge success. Over 4,000 men from all over the world descended upon the TMS campus to be a part of this historic event. Why was it historic? Because the Word of God is under attack today, not only by unbelievers (as expected), but also by professing believers. Churches, Bible colleges, and seminaries — many of which once stood for the inerrancy of Scripture — all over the globe have acquiesced to liberal scholarship, human philosophy, and secular pseudo-science, which has led to the abandonment of biblical inerrancy. Thus, they no longer embrace the inerrancy of Scripture, and it’s time for our generation to take a stand as the universal church of God and defend God’s Word. The 2015 Shepherds’ Conference — The Inerrancy Summit — was put on to publicly reaffirm our commitment to biblical inerrancy.
Is Inerrancy “A Hill to Die On”?
Yes. Absolutely and vehemently, yes! Remember the tactic that Satan employed to lead the entire human race into sin? He merely started out with, “Did God really say” (Genesis 3:1)? Those who deny the doctrine of biblical inerrancy are asking the same exact question the serpent did. When God’s Word is questioned, the next step is inevitably outright rejection. After Satan called into question God’s Word, creating doubt about its truthfulness, he told a bold-faced lie: “You surely will not die!” (Genesis 3:4). Eve fell for this lie because Satan had succeeded in causing her to deny God’s inerrant Word. God’s Word is a matter of life and death.
Today, Satan, the Adversary, still uses this very same tactic against God’s people — His church. Therefore, we need to be ready to “stand firm…and take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6) when the spiritual battles come. When we abandon our trust in God’s Word, we are left defenseless, and that’s when the Evil One takes the chance to deliver a debilitating blow to our spiritual life.
Learn More About Inerrancy
Here’s a link to all of the sessions from the Inerrancy Summit. I would highly encourage you to watch and/or listen to each one. These sessions were delivered by some of the best qualified and gifted pastors, professors, and prolific authors of this generation. Though they may differ to a small degree on secondary matters of doctrine and theology, they all came together to lead us in a fight against Satan’s attack on God’s perfect, inspired Word.
I was tremendously blessed to have been able to attend this conference at my alma mater, The Master’s Seminary. The men who trained me for a lifetime of ministry remain committed to training church leaders for the benefit of God’s kingdom. I left with a renewed zeal and passion for the power of the Word, the effect of the Word, and the inerrancy of the Word.
About a year or so ago, in a chapel service, TMS President, Dr. John MacArthur said, “We will be the flagship seminary for inerrancy.”
As I sat listening to his closing session at the Summit, I realized what he meant and why he made that commitment. The church of Jesus Christ needs men and women who are ready and willing to go to battle for the Bible. We have won many battles, but the war is far from over. Let’s band together to protect God’s Word. Lives depend on it. Your life depends on it.
[1] Grudem, Wayne A. (2009-05-18). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (p. 90). Zondervan. Kindle Edition
