THE BIBLE AND THE DILEMMA OF INERRANCY

It occurs to me that inerrancy is tragically misunderstood.

When we look at a beautiful object we will all see, analyze, criticize, objectify, and appreciate the beauty of that object from our own pre-existing paradigm. The truth that can never be changed are the inherent characteristics of that object.

For those who have experienced the intervention of the Holy Spirit, you will know that God speaks directly to you through the Sacred Scriptures and He will use that Scripture to address the particular situation at hand. Because it is God talking to you (which requires spiritual discernment that it is actually God doing the talking), and by virtue of His very Being, what God says must be inerrant.

When people quote and use Scripture out of context, e.g. using selective passages of Scripture to condone slavery [which is contradictory to the message that God is actually conveying], it is obvious that it is not God doing the talking and that which is quoted is no longer inerrant. Inerrancy, like the Bible, must be considered 'in context'.

When Eugene Peterson wrote The Message, one could argue that his interpretation is not inerrant. If, as I believe, God inspired Eugene to write The Message, then, when I am being guided by the Holy Spirit, what I read in The Message is inerrant. Even having written The Message, I believe Eugene Peterson would still confirm the inerrancy of the original Scriptures as God authored them.

Although same may say these are circular arguments, the Bible itself speaks to its inerrancy:

2 Samuel 22:31
Psalms 12:6
Psalms 19:7
Psalms 119:160
Isaiah 40:8
Matthew 24:35
John 10:35
John 17:17
Hebrews 4:12
2 Timothy 3:16
2 Peter 1:20-21
James 1:22

...and so many more.

For those that are interested the following is a link to an interview with Bono (U2) and Eugene Peterson. Worth every minute of your time!

https://youtu.be/-l40S5e90KY

https://youtu.be/-l40S5e90KY