"We conclude that the Bible is plenarily inspired by God; and hence that
it is fundamentally reliable and truthful - in regard to history and
science just as much as in regard to faith and morals. At the same time
because God really has entered into history and is wise and loving as
well as truthful, the reliability and truthfulness of the Bible is
relative to the practical needs of God's children for religious and
moral instruction, not abstractly absolute, that is not inerrant. One
may derive inerrant truth from Scripture; but, not every verse in itself
is inerrant.
Christ's rejection of biblical teachings regarding both faith (e.g., the
harsher laws regarding the Sabbath, the laws governing clean and unclean
foods, the law prescribing execution for adultery) and morals (the broad
Mosaic permission for divorce) assures us that not every verse of
Scripture is inerrant. And, if faith and morals in Scripture can err,
then so, of course, may history and science.
If we are really going to view the Bible biblically then, we must see it
as sapientially inerrant rather than factually inerrant. This means we
must approach it as Jesus did: not simply legalistically or
rationalistically, but spiritually. We shall discern thereby not only
its absolute truths but that its relativized truths demand a greater
fulfillment consonant with the full glory of the only One who is
Absolute."
Is anyone familiar with this book or its author? I've not seen anything
else speaking directly to the topic of biblical inerrancy and the effect
alternative definitions or understandings of this concept might have on
science/faith issues.
Rocky