Lecture Notes: Understanding Biblical Inerrancy and Alleged Contradictions

Key Concepts

Biblical Inerrancy: The belief that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is without error.
- 2 Timothy 3: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God..."
- Statement of Faith: Bible is divinely inspired, inerrant, and factually true.

A contradiction implies stating both truth and falsity of something at the same time.
A misunderstanding arises when not distinguishing between different contexts or times (e.g., David and Solomon as kings).

Apparent Disagreements: Not all apparent discrepancies are contradictions.
- Example: Jesus as the Good Shepherd vs. dying for the ungodly (both are true in different senses).
Verbal Disagreements: Using a word in different senses is not a contradiction.
Bias and Worldview: Skeptics may see contradictions where there are none due to biases.

Disprove Collusion: Different perspectives in the Gospels disprove collusion among authors.
Encourage Study: Difficulties force deeper study, revealing more depth in scripture.
Product of Brevity: Scriptures use summaries; not every detail is included.
God's Higher Ways: Some complexities illustrate God’s higher understanding.

Assuming Guilt: Assuming the Bible is false until proven otherwise.
Confusing Interpretation and Revelation: Misinterpretation of figurative/phenomenological language.
Ignoring Context: Context is crucial (e.g., "there is no God" is quoted out of context).
Partial vs. False Reports: Partial accounts are not false; different authors highlight different details.
Exact Quotations: Expecting exact quotations isn't always necessary; paraphrasing is acceptable.
Different Literary Devices: The Bible uses figures of speech, hyperbole, etc.
Round Numbers: Usage of approximate numbers isn't inaccurate.

Trust in God: Confidence in the divine authorship of scripture.
Acceptance of Mystery: Some aspects of God and scripture are beyond full human understanding.
Avoid Overemphasizing Difficulties: Focus on the consistency and evidences rather than the alleged difficulties.
Prayer and Study: Careful, prayerful study often resolves apparent contradictions.
Offensive Strategies: Be proactive in defending faith without being offensive.
Contextual Interpretation: Use clear scriptures to interpret more obscure ones.

Biblical Prophecy: Unique and accurate, supporting the Bible's divine inspiration.
Encouragement: Confidence in scriptural truth despite challenges; God’s word is reliable.

Books and Curriculum: Guides and studies for deeper understanding.
Online Content: Answers in Genesis provides resources and live sessions for ongoing learning.

The Bible remains true and reliable; believers are encouraged to trust and share its message, focusing on Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection as central to faith.