Session 8 - Inerrancy

Do the Scriptures contain errors? If so, can they still be said to be inspired? How do we harmonize the difficult portions of Scripture that seem to disagree? This session will familiarize the student with the often misunderstood and abused doctrine of inerrancy. Evangelicals have in many respects been defined by this doctrine. The student should learn to distinguish between the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility, understanding that they are no longer synonymous as is often supposed. During this session, the student will struggle with many of the various passages of Scripture that seem to disagree with one another, learning that these “discrepancies” usually are supposed because of faulty assumptions pertaining to one’s hermeneutic. The student will also struggle with the difference in saying that the doctrine of inerrancy demands that the Scripture contain the exact words of its subjects and saying the doctrine of inerrancy allows for summaries and paraphrases of its subjects.