Biblical Inerrancy

Definition and Meaning

Biblical inerrancy is the doctrine that, because the Bible was written under the inspiration of God (the moving of the Holy Spirit), its contents are without error. The claim of inerrancy usually refers to the original autographs as first written and does not extend to variations that arose in the course of copying or translating the text.

Verbal inspiration is the view that inspiration extended not only to the thoughts but to every individual word. It is frequently distinguished from the mechanical (dictation) theory of inspiration, according to which the authors merely took dictation. Others limit the scope of freedom from error to matters of faith and practice; this position is sometimes distinguished by the term infallibility.

Biblical and Historical Background

Proponents of inerrancy cite passages such as 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21 in support. Chapter 1 of the Westminster Confession of Faith confesses that the authority of Scripture rests not on any man or church but on God.

As biblical criticism and liberal theology spread from the nineteenth century onward, the fundamentalist and evangelical camps in the United States made inerrancy a central issue. In 1978 evangelical theologians issued the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. Opponents, by contrast, regard the Bible as a testimony that bears the historical limitations of its human authors. They accept historical criticism and object to applying inerrancy to scientific or historical statements.

In the Korean Church

In Korean Presbyterianism, the doctrine of Scripture was a major issue in denominational divisions. During the 1940s and 1950s, conflict persisted over Professor Kim Chae-choon of Chosun Theological Seminary and his acceptance of biblical criticism, and in 1953 the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea separated (Korean Presbyterian schisms).

The Twelve Articles of Faith adopted by the Independent Presbytery in 1907 confess the Scriptures to be "the only infallible rule of faith and duty." These articles are included in the constitutions of several Presbyterian denominations, including the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hapdong) and the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap).

Denominational positions fall broadly as follows:

• Denominations and seminaries that identify with the Reformed tradition, such as Hapdong, Kosin, and Hapshin, place strong emphasis on verbal inspiration and inerrancy.
• The Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea tends to regard the Bible as a testimony to the Word of God and to accept critical study.
• The Wesleyan tradition, including the Korean Methodist Church, tends to emphasize the "sufficiency of Scripture," the view that everything necessary for salvation is fully contained in the Bible.