11/21/2023
How Are We Supposed to Understand the Bible?
A Five-Part Discussion
Part One:
The two words most commonly used regarding the Bible are infallible and inspired. The problem is that different religions—even different Christians within the same church—mean different things by using those words.
The words infallible (incapable of failing) or inerrant (without error) are often used of the Bible in order to express the belief that the Bible is trustworthy and reliable. If I can count on the Bible to be true then I am much more likely to live my life by what it teaches.
When some people use these terms what they mean is the Bible is absolutely and literally correct in every statement and every detail. For instance, they would believe that the earth was created in 7, 24-hour days. There are those who may use words like infallible or inspired and mean that the Bible can be counted on as being true in the things that really matter, but each detail does not have to be factually accurate. For instance, they may point out that the Hebrew word translated in Genesis as ‘day’ doesn’t mean what we think it does, or that the passage is to be understood poetically not scientifically. What is important to understand is that God is creator and His act of creation moved forward in a planned and evolving way, and was judged by God to be good....
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