The Doctrine of Inerrancy stems from the fact that all Scripture is inspired by God (i.e., God-breathed). The logic from inspiration to inerrancy, and then to authority is as follows.

Since all of the Word of God (the Bible) is the literal words of God, they must be inerrant because God is inerrant. The next step is that because God’s Word is inerrant (because it is the very words of God), the Word of God is also supremely authoritative because God is supremely authoritative.

Here are three Qualifications on the Doctrine of Inerrancy.[1]

1. Inerrancy applies to all areas of Scripture as originally written. This allows for the understanding that the copies and translations we have are not inerrant, but that they accurately reflect the originals, which are inerrant. This we believe, first, because God is faithful to preserve His Word, and second, because textual criticism demonstrates how accurately the Bible has been copied and translated throughout the centuries.

2. Inerrancy is intimately tied to hermeneutics.[2] This affirms that the Scripture is always true, though we can err in our interpretation of Scripture.

3. Inerrancy is related to Scripture’s intention. There are things recorded in the Bible that are not approved by God. For example, the Bible accurately records sinful actions that are wrong.

Notes:
[1] This section is based on Charles Feinberg’s, “The Meaning of Inerrancy,” in Inerrancy (edited by Norman Geisler).
[2] Hermeneutics is the science/discipline of interpretation, particularly, but not limited to Scripture.