First a reassurance for the unwary - I'm not here to question inerrancy; this is about language and history. I am naive and unschooled in the nuances of modern reformed; I stopped at the Puritans as more than adequate and haven't until recently acquainted myself with more modern developments (e.g. never heard of Sproul until I came to the PB). So to me the language of inerrancy is quite new, but I affirm the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy. Can I run the following past you and see if it's a fair summary of the process?

1. Historically people thought in terms of genuine infallibility and most had a good understanding of that. Inerrancy was included in their understanding but it didn't need to be made explicit.

2. More and more people had a lower view of the bible but, still wanting to think themselves orthodox, continued to use the word 'infallible', but meant by it a watered down generalised and even potentially meaningless version.

3. So clarification was needed about what infallibility meant. This could have been done directly, but would only have caused arguments - "No, historic infallibility never meant that" which would be a dragged out process with probably no end. The route chosen then was to introduce a new concept, inerrancy, with which people who held to genuine infallibility would agree but those who held to a watered down version would not.

4. Thus one can now tell who may have really had the infallibility of the bible witnessed to them in their hearts by the Holy Spirit - he will agree with inerrancy as well as infallibility. The introduction of the word (with a technical meaning slightly different to its normal role c.f. Chicago Article XIII) thereby asserted a line crossing which a believer would be warned of danger and unorthodoxy.

I think why I have been uneasy reading about inerrancy is that it seems to be presented as something additional to infallibility and so would be a suspicious innovation. It also concerns me that those who do not know the nuances and the history and the context of its introduction could reject it quite legitimately as an innovation, be seen to be on the other side of the line, but really they hold to genuine infallibility (with its inherent inerrancy as defined). This risk of division must be worth the avoidance of a lack of clarity amongst professors of infallibility.

??

__________________
Paul
No denomination, affiliated with FIEC
"Deliver me from worldly dispositions, for I am born from above and destined for glory" - Valley of Vision
"They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation" - Peter

It's my understanding that B.B. Warfield brought the idea of "inerrancy of the originals" to bear down on the liberals who were attacking Scripture via the variants that were found amongst the manuscripts.

The way i've always looked at it (which may be incorrect) is that...

The Scriptures we have in our hands is infallible, in that it is God's truth.

The Scriptures as originally penned are inerrant, in that they contain no errors or variants at all, in the minutiae - including spelling, grammar, and word order.

__________________
Larry Bray
Elder - Reformed Presbyterian Church of Boothwyn, PCA
Boothwyn, PA - http://www.rpcb.org/
Free Online Reformed Seminary - http://www.tnars.net
-----------------------------------------------------
Christian ritual costs nothing and is worth nothing. True Christian religion costs all that we have and is worth everything.

In the founding Fathers, here are just a some of their writings about inerrancy, although the term 'inerrancy' would come about until much later.


Clement of Rome (Mid-1st Century - 101): "Ye are fond of contention, brethren, and full of zeal about things which do not pertain to salvation. Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit." Clement of Rome To the Corinthians (A.D. 98), in ANF,I:17

Justin Martyr (100 - 165): "And Trypho said, 'Being shaken by so many Scriptures, I know not what to say about the Scripture which Isaiah writes, in which God says that He gives not His glory to another, speaking thus 'I am the Lord God; this is my name; my glory will I not give to another, nor my virtues.'And I answered, 'If you spoke these words, Trypho, and then kept silence in simplicity and with no ill intent, neither repeating what goes before nor adding what comes after, you must be forgiven; but if[you have done so] because you imagined that you could throw doubt on the passage, in order that I might say the Scriptures contradicted each other, you have erred. But I shall not venture to suppose or to say such a thing; and if a Scripture which appears to be of such a kind be brought forward, and if there be a pretext[for saying] that it is contrary[to some other], since I am entirely convinced that no Scripture contradicts another, I shall admit rather that I do not understand what is recorded, and shall strive to persuade those who imagine that the Scriptures are contradictory, to be rather of the same opinion as myself." Justin Martyr,Dialogue with Trypho,65(A.D. 155),in ANF,I:230

Irenaeus (c. 120 - 202): "If, however, we cannot discover explanations of all those things in Scripture which are made the subject of investigation, yet let us not on that account seek after any other God besides Him who really exists. For this is the very greatest impiety. We should leave things of that nature to God who created us, being most properly assured that the Scriptures are indeed perfect, since they were spoken by the Word of God and His Spirit; but we, inasmuch as we are inferior to, and later in existence than, the Word of God and His Spirit, are on that very account destitute of the knowledge of His mysteries." Irenaeus, AgainstHeresies, 2, 28:2 (A.D.180), in ANF, I:399

Theophilus of Antioch (c. 118 - 185): "It behoved, therefore, that he should the rather become a scholar of God in this matter of legislation, as he himself confessed that in no other way could he gain accurate information than by God's teaching him through the law. And did not the poets Homer and Hesiod and Orpheus profess that they themselves had been instructed by Divine Providence? Moreover, it is said that among your writers there were prophets and prognosticators, and that those wrote accurately: who were informed by them. How much more, then, shall we know the truth who are instructed by the holy prophets, who were possessed by the Holy Spirit of God! On this account all the prophets spoke harmoniously and in agreement with one another, and foretold the things that would come to pass in all the world. For the very accomplishment of predicted and already consummated events should demonstrate to those who are fond of information, yea rather, who are lovers of truth, that those things are really true which they declared concerning the epochs and eras before the deluge: to wit, how the years have run on since the world was created until now, so as to manifest the ridiculous mendacity of your authors, and show that their statements are not true." Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus, 17(A.D. 181), in ANF, II:116

Clement of Alexandria (150 - c. 215): But we, who have heard by the Scriptures that self-determining choice and refusal have been given by the Lord to men, rest in the infallible criterion of faith, manifesting a willing spirit, since we have chosen life and believe God through His voice. And he who has believed the Word knows the matter to be true; for the Word is truth. But he who has disbelieved Him that speaks, has disbelieved God. ANF: Vol. II, The Stromata, Book II, Chapter IV.—Faith the Foundation of All Knowledge.

Clement of Alexandria (150 - c. 215): It will naturally fall after these, after a cursory view of theology, to discuss the opinions handed down respecting prophecy; so that, having demonstrated that the Scriptures which we believe are valid from their omnipotent authority, we shall be able to go over them consecutively, and to show thence to all the heresies one God and Omnipotent Lord to be truly preached by the law and the prophets, and besides by the blessed Gospel. Many contradictions against the heterodox await us while we attempt, in writing, to do away with the force of the allegations made by them, and to persuade them against their will, proving by the Scriptures themselves. ANF: Vol. II, The Stromata, Book IV, Chapter 1.

Clement of Alexandria (150 - c. 215): But if from any creature they received in any way whatever the seeds of the Truth, they did not nourish them; but committing them to a barren and rainless soil, they choked them with weeds, as the Pharisees revolted from the Law, by introducing human teachings, — the cause of these being not the Teacher, but those who choose to disobey. But those of them who believed the Lord’s advent and the plain teaching of the Scriptures, attain to the knowledge of the law; as also those addicted to philosophy, by the teaching of the Lord, are introduced into the knowledge of the true philosophy: “For the oracles of the Lord are pure oracles, melted in the fire, tried in the earth, purified seven times.” Just as silver often purified, so is the just man brought to the test, becoming the Lord’s coin and receiving the royal image. ANF: Vol. II, The Stromata, Book VI, Chapter VII.

Tertullian (c. 160-c. 220) while speaking of the heretics: What sort of truth is that which they patronize, when they commend it to us with a lie? Well, but they actually treat of the Scriptures and recommend (their opinions) out of the Scriptures! To be sure they do. From what other source could they derive arguments concerning the things of the faith, except from the records of the faith? ANF: Vol. III, The Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter 14.

Hippolytus of Rome (later 2nd century- c. 235): "Therefore they[the followers of Artemon's heresy] have laid their hands boldly upon the Divine Scriptures, alleging that they have corrected them...But how daring this offense is, it is not likely that they themselves are ignorant. For either they do not believe that the Divine Scriptures were spoken by the Holy Spirit, and thus are unbelievers, or else they think themselves wiser than the Holy Spirit, and in that case what else are they than demoniacs?" Hippolytus of Rome,Fragment in Eusebius' EH 5:28 (A.D. 230), in NPNF2, I:248

Origen of Alexandria (185 – c. 254): "In the case I have supposed where the historians desire to teach us by an image what they have seen in their mind, their meaning would be found, if the four were wise, to exhibit no disagreement; and we must understand that with the four Evangelists it is not otherwise." Origen, Commentary on John, 10:4 (A.D. 232), in ANF, X:383
[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Andrew/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif[/IMG]
Origen of Alexandria (185 – c. 254): "'Blessed are the peacemakers. ...' To the man who is a peacemaker in either sense there is in the Divine oracles nothing crooked or perverse, for they are all plain to those who understand. And because to such an one there is nothing crooked or perverse, he sees therefore abundance of peace in all the Scriptures, even in those which seem to be at conflict, and in contradiction with one another." Origen, Commentary on Matthew, 2 (A.D. 244), in ANF, X:413
[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Andrew/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif[/IMG]
Athanasius (c. 293 – 373): "Now it is the opinion of some, that the Scriptures do not agree together, or that God, Who gave the commandment, is false. But there is no disagreement whatever, far from it, neither can the Father, Who is truth, lie; 'for it is impossible that God should lie,' as Paul affirms. But all these things are plain to those who rightly consider them, and to those who receive with faith the writings of the law." Athanasius, To Rufinus, Epistle 19:3 (A.D. 347), in NPNF2, IV:546
[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Andrew/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif[/IMG]
Epiphanius (c. 320 – 403): "And nothing of discrepancy will be found in Sacred Scripture, nor will there be found any statement in opposition to any other statement." Epiphanius, Panarion,70:7 (A.D. 377), in JUR, II:75

Jerome (347-420): "I am not, I repeat, so ignorant as to suppose that any of the Lord's words is either in need of correction or is not divinely inspired." Jerome, To Marcellus, 27:1 (A.D. 385), in NPNF2, VI:44

Jerome (347-420): The error, neither of parents nor ancestors, is to be followed; but the authority of the Scriptures, and the government of God as our teacher. Goode, Vol. 3, p. 151.
Latin text: Ergo nec parentum nec majorum error sequendus est: sed auctoritas Scripturarum, et Dei docentis imperium. Commentariorum in Jeremiam, Liber Secundus, Cap. IX, v. 12, PL 24:743.

Augustine (354-430): "I have been reading also some writings, ascribed to you, on the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. In reading your exposition of the Epistle to the Galatians, that passage came to my hand in which the Apostle Peter is called back from a course of dangerous dissimulation. To find there the defence of falsehood undertaken, whether by you, a man of such weight, or by any author (if it is the writing of another), causes me, I must confess, great sorrow, until at least those things which decide my opinion in the matter are refuted, if indeed they admit of refutation. For it seems to me that most disastrous consequences must follow upon our believing that anything false is found in the sacred books: that is to say, that the men by whom the Scripture has been given to us, and committed to writing, did put down in these books anything false. It is one question whether it may be at any time the duty of a good man to deceive; but it is another question whether it can have been the duty of a writer of Holy Scripture to deceive: nay, it is not another question -- it is no question at all. For if you once admit into such a high sanctuary of authority 'one false statement as made in the way of duty, there will not be left a single sentence of those books which, if appearing to any one difficult in practice or hard to believe, may not by the same fatal rule be explained away, as a statement in which, intentionally, and under a sense of duty, the author declared what was not true." Augustine, To Jerome, Epistle 28, 3:3 (A.D. 395), in NPNF1, I:251-252

Augustine (354-430): "If we are perplexed by an 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." Augustine, Reply to Faustus the Manichean, 11:5 (A.D. 400), in NPNF1, IV:180
[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Andrew/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif[/IMG]
Augustine (354-430): "For I confess to your Charity that I have learned to yield this respect and honour only to the canonical books of Scripture: of these alone do I most firmly believe that the authors were completely free from error. And if in these writings I am perplexed by anything which appears to me opposed to truth, I do not hesitate to suppose that either the Ms. is faulty, or the translator has not caught the meaning of what was said, or I myself have failed to understand it." Augustine, To Jerome, Epistle 82,1:3 (A.D. 405), in NPNF1, I:350

Augustine (354-430): For it cannot be remotely possible that the authority of the Scriptures should be fallacious at any point. FC, Vol. 20, Saint Augustine Letters, 147. Augustine to the noble lady Paulina, greeting, Chapter 14 (New York: Fathers of the Church, Inc., 1953), p. 181.

Augustine (354-430): I have thought it my duty to quote all these passages from the writings of both Latin and Greek authors who, being in the Catholic Church before our time, have written commentaries on the divine oracles, in order that our brother, if he hold any different opinion from theirs, may know that it becomes him, laying aside all bitterness of controversy, and preserving or reviving fully the gentleness of brotherly love, to investigate with diligent and calm consideration either what he must learn from others, or what others must learn from him. For the reasonings of any men whatsoever, even though they be Catholics, and of high reputation, are not to be treated by us in the same way as the canonical Scriptures are treated. We are at liberty, without doing any violence to the respect which these men deserve, to condemn and reject anything in their writings, if perchance we shall find that they have entertained opinions differing from that which others or we ourselves have, by the divine help, discovered to be the truth. I deal thus with the writings of others, and I wish my intelligent readers to deal thus with mine. NPNF1: Vol. I, Letters of St. Augustine, Letter 148, §15.

Augustine (354-430): For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7); but faith will start tottering if the authority of Scripture is undermined; then with faith tottering, charity itself also begins to sicken. See John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint Augustine, Part I, Vol. 11, trans. Edmund Hill, O.P., De Doctrina Christiana, Book I, §37. (New York: New City Press, 1996), p. 124.

Augustine (354-430): Your design clearly is to deprive Scripture of all authority, and to make every man’s mind the judge what passage of Scripture he is to approve of, and what to disapprove of. This is not to be subject to Scripture in matters of faith, but to make Scripture subject to you. Instead of making the high authority of Scripture the reason of approval, every man makes his approval the reason for thinking a passage correct. NPNF1: Vol. IV, Reply to Faustus the Manichaean, Book XXXII, §19.

Augustine (354-430): What sort of a man this Nathanael was, we prove by the words which follow. Hear what sort of a man he was; the Lord Himself bears testimony. Great is the Lord, known by the testimony of John; blessed Nathanael, known by the testimony of the truth. Because the Lord, although He had not been commended by the testimony of John, Himself to Himself bore testimony, because the truth is sufficient for its own testimony. NPNF1: Vol. VII, Tractates on John, Tractate VII, §16, John 1:34-51.

Augustine (354-430): What is this word, which is thus called a light and a lantern at the same time, save we understand the word which was sent unto the Prophets, or which was preached through the Apostles; not Christ the Word, but the word of Christ, of which it is written, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”? For the Apostle Peter also, comparing the prophetical word to a lantern, saith, “whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lantern, that shineth in a dark place.” What, therefore, he here saith, “Thy word” is the word which is contained in all the holy Scriptures. NPNF1: Vol. VIII, St. Augustin on the Psalms, Psalm 119:105.

Augustine (354-430): Everything we have heard in the scriptures, brothers, is the voice of God saying “Watch out!” . . . Repent at the voice of scripture, for at the voice of the judge when he is here you will repent in vain. John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint Augustine Part 3, Vol. 2, trans. Edmund Hill, O.P., Sermons, Sermon 22.3 (Brooklyn: New City Press, 1990), p. 43. (400 AD.)

Augustine (354-430): Let us treat scripture like scripture, like God speaking; don’t let’s look there for man going wrong. It is not for nothing, you see, that the canon has been established for the Church. This is the function of the Holy Spirit. So if anybody reads my book, let him pass judgment on me. If I have said something reasonable, let him follow, not me, but reason itself; if I’ve proved it by the clearest divine testimony, let him follow, not me, but the divine scripture. John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., The Works of Saint Augustine, Part 3, Vol. 11, trans. Edmund Hill, O.P., Newly Discovered Sermons, Sermon 162C.15 (New York: New City Press, 1997), p. 176.

__________________
Rev. Andrew J. Barnes
Husband of Dena
Father of Oliver
Master of Bruce
Pastor of Tchula Presbyterian Church

What can I say, I like blogs!

Nicely done, Dr. Barnes!

I was going to point to the book by John Woodbridge, Biblical Authority: A Critique of the Rogers/McKim Proposal (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982).

The Rogers/McKim Proposal argued that inerrancy was an invention of the Princeton faculty. Woodbridge quickly served up a devastating rebuttal which was never answered. Among his evidence were many quotations similar to those that Rev. Barnes has produced.

__________________
Wayne Sparkman, Th.M.
Director, PCA Historical Center, St. Louis, MO
Blogs: The Continuing Story and PCA History Blog

I had done some work for a sunday school handout a few years ago. Just copied and pasted from my computer.