“Why do you believe the Bible? It is an ancient book full of errors and contradictions.” We have all heard this many times. However, most conservative evangelical Christians disagree with this claim. They hold to a doctrine called the inerrancy of Scripture.

The place to start our discussion is with a definition of inerrancy and error. By inerrancy, we mean that when all the facts are known, the Bible—in its original manuscripts and properly interpreted—will be shown to be true and never false in all that it affirms, whether related to doctrine, ethics, or the social, physical, or life sciences. Three matters in this definition are noteworthy. First, there is the recognition
that we do not possess all the information to demonstrate the truth of the Bible. Much data has been lost due to the passing of time. It simply no longer exists. Other data await archaeological excavation. Second, inerrancy is defined in terms of truth that most philosophers today take to be a property of sentences, not words. This means that all the indicative sentences, or statements, of the Bible are true. Therefore, on this definition, an error in the Bible would require that it made a false statement. Finally, all information in the Bible, whatever the subject, is true. That is, it accurately records events and conversations, including the lies of men and Satan. It teaches truly about God, the human condition, and heaven and hell.

Want more? Check out the Apologetics Study Bible on page 1412 or visit ApologeticsBible.com.