Re: [asa] Question on inerrancy

----- Original Message -----
From: David Heddle
To: D. F. Siemens, Jr.
Cc: bernie.dehler@intel.com ; asa@calvin.edu
Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2008 3:04 PM
Subject: Re: [asa] Question on inerrancy

George,

  It strikes me that much of what is said about biblical inerrancy is of a piece with the hankering for a golden age that I spoke of in another thread. People insist that God had to inspire a book that meets their standard of perfection, just as they think that God had to create a world that measures up to their ideas of what a good world would be.

>I don't think I actually understand what that paragraph means. I think you are just giving you personal opinion.

>So do you think all the signatories of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy were just hankering for some Golden Age? People like Packer, Nicole, Boice, >Schaffer, Sproul, Gersnter?

I think my wording makes it very clear that I was expressing my opinion about one of the motivations (in many cases an unconscious one) of inerrantists. I fail to see though why that should make it hard for you to understand what I was saying.

If you will read carefully what I said you'll see that I made no claim to read the minds & hearts of all who subscribe to inerrancy. My immediate reference was to some of the participants on this list. OTOH I have not, nor has the church body of which I am a member, subscribed to the Chicago Statement, nor do my ordination vows require such a subscription.

  Most seriously though, the insistence on biblical inerrancy on all matters, including astronomy, geography, history &c, even more than belief in a golden age, pays no attention to the character of the God revealed in Jesus Christ, a God who is willing to limit himself to the human condition in order to accomplish his purposes.

>But that's just another assertion. You have not provided one micron of support. I could just as easily reply with an equally unsupported assertion such as "Those >who jettison inerrancy make a liar out of God." That's your opinion, which is fine, but you've offered nothing to back it up.

I suggest you point out the ways in which the position on inerrancy which you defend depends upon or reflects the character of God revealed in Jesus Christ. (Yes, I know appeals can be made to sayings of Jesus to try to show that he "taught inerrancy." Besides the dubious character of those specific arguments, they are just concealed versions of the original claim that God had to give us an inerrant book.) OTOH I've already pointed out that "error" cannot automatically be equated with "lie."

>Again, is it your position that the men I mentioned above "pay no attention to the character of God revealed in Jesus Christ?"

As I've pointed out, the Chicago Statement carries no confessional weight for me. & the question isn't whether those specific men believe, teach & confess the character of God revealed in Christ but whether their understanding of inerrancy reflects it. & the same is true of everyone else. I am not challenging what anyone believes about Christ but ideas about scripture which do not reflect belief about & in him. The notion that the Bible, & not Christ, is the primary form of the Word of God is one common expression of such inadequacy.

>And your standard proof texts are not proof texts at all—so listing them as such s a strawman argument. Since 2 Tim 3:16 is not immune from suspicion if scripture >contains errors, it surely cannot be a proof text for inerrancy.

Sorry but this is nonsense. I Tim.3:16 is used as such a proof text all the time & on this thread Gordon Brown appealed to Tit.1:2. Note that I didn't say that these texts actually prove what they're used to prove (my point was that they don't) & I didn't say that I was pointing out all the things wrong with using them in that way.

    Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: David Heddle
  To: D. F. Siemens, Jr.
  Cc: bernie.dehler@intel.com ; asa@calvin.edu
  Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2008 3:04 PM
  Subject: Re: [asa] Question on inerrancy

  George,

    It strikes me that much of what is said about biblical inerrancy is of a piece with the hankering for a golden age that I spoke of in another thread. People insist that God had to inspire a book that meets their standard of perfection, just as they think that God had to create a world that measures up to their ideas of what a good world would be.

  I don't think I actually understand what that paragraph means. I think you are just giving you personal opinion.

  So do you think all the signatories of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy were just hankering for some Golden Age? People like Packer, Nicole, Boice, Schaffer, Sproul, Gersnter?

  I think my wording makes it very clear that I was expressing my opinion about one of the motivations (in many cases an unconscious one) of inerrantists. I fail to see though why that should make it hard for you to understand what I was saying.

  If you will read carefully what I said you'll see that I made no claim to read the minds & hearts of all who subscribe to inerrancy. My immediate reference was to some of the participants on this list. OTOH I have not, nor has the church body of which I am a member, subscribed to the Chicago Statement, nor do my ordination vows

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Received on Sat May 10 15:33:54 2008