Those who oppose inerrancy argue that the Bible is true theologically. That is that what it reveals about Jesus Christ is true and we can trust it. What the Bible says about salvation, for example, is said to be true. However, when it comes to being truthful about all things, well they take exception to that. The problem is how do we decide what is truthful and what is not? Who is in the authority to say that this event is true but not this event?
What is interesting about the Bible is that it presupposes that even minor events are true. An example of this comes from the excellent book, Scripture and Truth
- David ate the bread of the presence (Matthew 12:3-4; Mark 2:25-26; Luke 6:3-4)
- Jonah was in the fish (Matthew 12:40)
- The men of Nineveh repented (Matthew 12:41; Luke 11:30, 32)
- The Queen of the South came to hear Solomon (Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31)
- Zechariah was murdered between the sanctuary and the altar (Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51)
- Elijah was sent to the widow of Zarephath (Luke 4:25-26)
- Naaman the Syrian was cleansed of leprosy (Luke 4:27)
- On the day Lot left Sodom fire can brimstone rained from heaven (Luke 17:29)
- “Remember Lot’s wife” who turned to salt for looking back at Sodom (Luke 17:32)
- Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (John 3:14)
- Jacob gave a field to Joseph (John 4:5)
- Several details of the history of Israel are cited by Paul (Acts 13:17-23)
- Abraham believed and received the promise before he was circumcised (Romans 4:10)
- Abraham was about a hundred years old (Romans 4:19)
- God told Rebecca before her children were born that the elder child would serve the younger (Romans 9:10-12)
- Elijah spoke with God, as recorded in 1 Kings 19:10, 18 (Romans 11:2-4)
- The people of Israel passed through the sea, ate and drank spiritual food and did all the events recorded in the Old Testament story (1 Corinthians 10:1-11 with emphasis on verse 11)
- Abraham gave a tenth of everything to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:2)
- Detailed descriptions of the Old Testament tabernacle are reported (Hebrews 9:1-5)
- Moses sprinkled the people and the tabernacle vessels with blood and water, using scarlet wool and hyssop (Hebrews 9:19-21)
- The world was created by the word of God and is shown to be a scientific fact (Hebrews 11:3)
- Many details of the lives of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, and others are recounted as events that actually happened (Hebrews 11)
- Esau sold his birthright for a single meal, and later sought it back with tears (Hebrews 12:16-17)
- Rahab received the spies and sent them out another way (James 2:25)
- Eight persons were saved in the ark of Noah (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5)
- God turned Sodom and Gommorah to ashes but saved Lot (2 Peter 2:6-7)
- Balaam’s donkey spoke (2 Peter 2:16)
What does this show? It shows that the New Testament writers trusted the Old Testament just as Jesus did (John 10:35; cf. Matthew 5:17-18). It also shows that if we can trust God in “big” issues such as salvation then surely He is powerful enough to make sure that the events recorded in Scripture are trustworthy and true. We need not doubt that God’s Word is without error as the writers above affirmed that even the minor events are true and not just the major ones.
© 2011, Matt. All rights reserved.
