Inerrancy and Science

    The International Council on Biblical Inerrancy (1982) produced 25 Articles of Affirmation and Denial about Biblical Hermeneutics.  Four of these are especially relevant for origins questions:
    Article 19:  WE AFFIRM that any preunderstandings which the interpreter brings to Scripture should be in harmony with scriptural teaching and subject to correction by it.  WE DENY that Scripture should be required to fit alien preunderstandings, inconsistent with itself, such as naturalism, evolutionism, scientism, secular humanism, and relativism.
    Article 20:  WE AFFIRM that since God is the author of all truth, all truths, biblical and extrabiblical, are consistent and cohere, and that the Bible speaks truth when it touches on matters pertaining to nature, history, or anything else.  We further affirm that in some cases extrabiblical data have value for clarifying what Scripture teaches, and for prompting correction of faulty interpretations.  WE DENY that extrabiblical views ever disprove the teaching of Scripture or hold priority over it.
    Article 21:  WE AFFIRM the harmony of special with general revelation and therefore of biblical teaching with the facts of nature.  WE DENY that any genuine scientific facts are inconsistent with the true meaning of any passage of Scripture.
    Article 22:  WE AFFIRM that Genesis 1-11 is factual, as is the rest of the book.  WE DENY that the teachings of Genesis 1-11 are mythical and that scientific hypotheses about earth history or the origin of humanity may be invoked to overthrow what Scripture teaches about creation.

    In his commentary on the articles, Norman Geisler (a member of the committee that produced the 25 articles, and General Editor for the conference) says, in part:
    What one learns from sources outside Scripture can occasion a reexamination and reinterpretation of Scripture. ...[but] The final authority for what the Bible teaches rests in the text of Scripture itself.
    It is acknowledged by all that certain interpretations of Scripture and some opinions of scientists will contradict each other.  However, it is insisted here that the truth of Scripture and the facts of science never contradict each other.  /  "Genuine" science will always be in accord with Scripture.  Science, however, based on naturalistic presuppositions will inevitably come in conflict with the supernatural truths of Scripture.  /  Far from denying a healthy interchange between scientific theory and biblical interpretation, the framers of this statement welcome such.  Indeed, it is acknowledged (in Article XX) that the exegete can learn from the scientist.  What is denied is that we should accept scientific views that contradict Scripture or that they should be given authority above Scripture.
    The article [22] left open the question of the age of the earth on which there is no unanimity among evangelicals and which was beyond the purview of this conference.  There was, however, complete agreement on denying that Genesis is mythological or unhistorical.  Likewise, the use of the term "creation" was meant to exclude the belief in macro-evolution, whether of the atheistic or theistic varieties.