The doctrine of inerrancy is often misunderstood. The following addresses eight common misunderstandings of inerrancy:[1]

1. Inerrancy does not demand strict observance of the rules of grammar. There are errors in grammar. Rules of grammar are man-made and formal. They do not necessarily need to be followed by the writers of Scripture.

2. Inerrancy does not exclude the use of figures of speech or particular literary styles. The Bible contains many different kinds of writing, including poetry, symbolism, and even hyperbole. If a reader insists that all sections of Scripture be read and interpreted in the exact same manner, he will encounter problems. However, by interpreting various sections of Scripture based on the literary style in which the passage is written, there will be no problem.

3. Inerrancy does not demand historical or numerical precision. An example of this is differing records of numbers in the Bible. There is no a contradiction when one writer records that two persons were present at an event and another writer says there was one. If the latter recorded there was only one, it would be a contradiction. The difference in numbers does not negate the accuracy of the point being conveyed, since the numbers are not the purpose of the scripture.

4. Inerrancy does not demand the technical language of modern science. For example, the Bible records the sun rising in the east. Scientifically, the sun does not rise or set because the earth rotates. Those who fault the Bible on these grounds must also throw out all the great poetry that speaks of sunrises or broken hearts, since these are not scientifically accurate. The Bible is not a science text. Though it does not present scientific data, neither does it oppose scientific data.

The last four next time.

Note:
[1] This section is based on Charles Feinberg’s, “The Meaning of Inerrancy,” in Inerrancy (edited by Norman Geisler).