In Defense of Biblical Inerrancy
I once read a comment which said that the doctrine of biblical inerrancy was invented by Protestants in the early 1900's. That claim is patently false. It was Protestants who forsook the historic doctrine of biblical inerrancy in the 1900's.
The First Vatican Council affirmed the inerrancy of Scripture, stating, "They contain revelation without error because having been written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit they have God as their author." (Denzinger).
The Canons and Dogmatic Decrees of the Council of Trent (1563) says..."[Following then,] the example of the orthodox Fathers, it receives and venerates with the same sense of loyalty and reverence all the books of the Old and New Testaments--for God alone is the author of both." (Neuner and Dupuis, The Christian Faith: Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church, p. CF, 77).
Pope Leo XIII stated: "it would be entirely wrong either to confine inspiration only to some parts of Scripture, or to concede that the sacred author himself has erred." (Denzinger, 1950, Encyclical, Provident Deus, 1893).
The Dogmatic Decrees of the Vatican Council Concerning the Catholic Faith and the Church of Christ (1870): "divine revelation that can be known by everyone with facility, with firm assurance, and with no mixture of error...Further, this supernatural revelation, according to the universal belief of the Church, declared by the sacred Synod of Trent, is contained in the written books and unwritten traditions which have come down to us." (Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, 2.240-241).
Carl F. Henry correctly states: "Throughout it's long medieval influence, the Roman church therefore promoted the doctrine of scriptural inerrancy and opposed notions of a limited inerrancy restricted to faith and morals."
He also states: "But in the late nineteenth and early twenieth century, Roman and Protestant clergy alike shared in the flight from inerrancy. The New Catholic Encyclopedia indicates the Roman church's traditional support for inerrancy."...(See Henry, Revelation and Authority, 374).
Kenneth S. Kantzer: “Readers will soon discover that the view of inerrancy set forth by Dr. Archer is the historical position of the church in all of it’s many branches.” (Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, p. 7).
(Note by me: I don’t believe in the branch theory of the church).
Christ had a high view of Scripture. He recognized it's divine authority (Matt.4:4, 7,10), imperishability (Matt.5:17-18), inspiration (Matt. 22:43), unbreakability (John 10:35), status as the Word of God (John 10:34-35), supremacy (Matt.15:3, 6), inerrancy (Matt. 22:29; John 17:17), historical reliability (Matt. 24:37-38; Matt.12:40), and scientific accuracy (Matt.19:4-5).
St. Paul taught that all Scripture is inspired. (see 2 Tim.3:16-17).
Clement of Rome: "the Holy Scriptures, which are true, given by the Holy Spirit." (Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 45).
St. Irenaeus: "the Scriptures are indeed perfect, since they are spoken by the Word of God and His Spirit." (see Against Heresies 2.28.2 in Roberts and Donaldson. ANF, 1).
Blessed Augustine spoke of "Infallible Scripture" (City of God 11.6). Elsewhere he referred to the Bible as the "oracles of God," "God's word," "divine oracles," and "divine Scripture." Speaking of Scripture, he also said "the authors were completely free from error." (Against Faustus 11.5).
Blessed Augustine: "If we are perplexed by any apparent contradiction in Scripture, it is not allowable to say,"The author of this book is mistaken." ; but either the manuscript is faulty, or the translation is wrong, or you have not understood." (Against Faustus 11:5).
Blessed Augustine: "I have learned to yield this respect and honor only to the canonical books of Scripture: of these alone do I most firmly believe that the authors were completely free from error." (Letters 82.1.3).
St. Gregory of Nyssa said about the Genesis account of the six days of creation…”the Testament, written under the dictation of the Divine Spirit.” (Preface to Hexaemaron, as quoted by Rufini, p. 201).
St. Epiphanius of Cyprus writes: “Nothing of discrepancy will be found in Sacred Scripture, nor will there be found any statement in opposition to any other statement.”
Thomas Aquinas said of Scripture: "I firmly believe that none of their authors have erred in composing them." (Summa Theologica 1a.1, 8). "That God is the author of holy Scripture should be acknowledged." And "The author of holy Scripture is God." (ibid, 11.1, 10). "It is heretical to say that any falsehood whatsoever is contained either in the gospels or in any canonical Scripture." (Commentary on the Book of Job, 13, 1).
For Thomas Aquinas, the Bible was inspired and inerrant, even in matters not essential to redemption. (Summa Theologia 1.a.1, 10, ad3).
John Calvin also held to inerrancy. (See Institutes of the Christian Religion 1.18.4).
Martin Luther held to inerrancy. (See The Works of Luther 37:26; Reu, Luther on the Scriptures 44; ibid 33).
Again, the claim that the doctrine of biblical inerrancy was invented by Protestants in the early 1900's contradicts the facts.
Orthodox St. John of Kronstadt says:
"When you doubt in the truth of any person or event described in Holy Scripture, then remember that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” as the Apostle says and is therefore true, and does not contain any imaginary persons, fables, and tales, although it includes parables, which everyone can see are not true narratives, but are written in figurative language. The whole of the word of God is single, entire, indivisible truth; and if you admit that any narrative, sentence, or word is untrue, then you sin against the truth of the whole of Holy Scripture and its primordial truth, which is God Himself. “I am the truth,” said the Lord; “Thy word is truth,” said Jesus Christ to God the Father. Thus, consider the whole of the Holy Scripture as truth; everything that is said in it has either taken place or takes place." (My Life in Christ- p. 70).
The original manuscripts of Scripture (autographs) are perfect. I don't deny variant readings and copyist errors in later manuscripts; but no doctrine is affected by these variant readings and copyist errors. The Bible is true in everything it teaches and touches, whether it be history, science, theology or spirituality.