What is Inerrancy? Part 1

One humanism examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint when warming is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect.

And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism, Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe in the doctrine of biblical inerrancy. Welcome to this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism.

I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at M. R.

M. Joseph Smith made the statement and this can be found in the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 327 he said. I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers now. Eric that definition that Joseph Smith gives is really not all that different than what a lot of biblical scholars have said regarding how our Bible came to be and the understanding of the doctrine of inerrancy. I think in order to have a discussion on the subject. We need to have a working definition of what inerrancy is, as opposed to what it isn't, because I think it would be safe to say that even many professing Christians probably don't have a clear understanding of what the doctrine of inerrancy is all about and we have two parts to what he's saying here first part is where I think you and I would agree in all evangelical Christians could agree when he says I believe the Bible as it is spread when it came from the pen of the original writers now.

I think that is a classic idea of inerrancy compared to the transmission of the text which is the second part of his citation when he says, ignorant translators, careless transcribers or designing and crêpe precept committed many years and you can understand why.

Later he came up with the eighth article of faith which says that the Bible is true only as far as it is translated correctly.

We talked about that a number of times on the show Bill that he really is not saying translated correctly but transmitted correctly, there is a difference even though he uses the phrase ignorant translators that when he says careless transcribers that seems to be speaking directly to transmission. But even when he says this. Let's give it to him.

Let's say okay there were some ignorant translators. There were some careless transcribers and there may have even been designing her corrupt priest who committed many errors. I think the question that we need to ask our earliest friends when discussing the subject is all right. How many of these errors found their way into our modern text really, how many corrupt priests were there purposely trying to corrupt the text because it makes me think that even if this was true.

There alterations would be found out rather easily. Just as today modern biblical scholars can go back in time, if you will, and see where something is amiss. But that doesn't mean the whole Bible has to be thrown out. We know where it is amiss and we can prove that that portion might be a mess but in order to do that we have to have something that's correct and I think that's lost a lot of Latter Day Saints. I think for those who are Christians listening to us right now.

I think this is a great quote that you could actually bring out to your LDS friends teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 327 and you could cite it to a Latter Day Saints. I do agree with this and I bet the average latter-day St. is going to say absolutely well then you can ask the questions that you believe the Bible is it read when it came from the pen of the original writers, then you must believe in an inerrant Scripture and in an inerrant Bible and I think that a lot of Latter Day Saints that will complain, say, well, I'm not so sure. But if you come up with what Joseph Smith has said and with what we as Christians hold to were on the same page as what the original authors wrote was what God intended. We can go to second Timothy 316 that it says all Scripture is God breathed is inspired by God and is profitable and it gives reasons why we can trust it how we can use it. But when we take a look at what theologians and pastors how they have defined the word inerrancy. I think we can say that we can agree with what Jessa Smith, the said there will let's look at some of the definitions of inerrancy that have been given to us by scholars by pastors and theologians to give you one. This is from the encyclopedia of Bible difficulties page 19 that was written by Christian theologian Gleeson L Archer and he said that throughout the history of the Christian church, it has been clearly understood that the Bible as originally given by God was free from error, except for heretical groups that broke away from the church. It was always assumed that Scripture was completely authoritative and trustworthy in all that it asserts is factual.

So here we have a theologian saying what was originally given by God. It was free from error. Now I would think that the Latter Day Saints should want to be able to agree with that as well because otherwise why would they have the Bible in their canon of Scripture. In the first place because they like to cite verses like James 15 in first Corinthians 1529 and at many other verses and you say what do you believe that when that was originally written.

It was true, and if they said no then that doesn't make any sense that they would want to cite that in an authoritative sense, and as we've said many times on this show. If the Latter Day Saints brings up a verse out of the Bible you ask him will how do you know that is an accurate understanding of the text. How do you know that text is even supposed to be there. Whatever rule they can come up for determining that it should be and should be believe, don't you think that that same rule can be applied to other verses in the Bible as well will, of course, you would think that would be the case but let me read you another definition. This is from the Evangelical dictionary of theology Walter Elwell was the editor and under the section of Bible inerrancy and infallibility. This is an essay in this book that was put together by Paul Fienberg. Paul Fienberg was a professor of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity school.

He passed away in 2004. He starts off this section by saying inerrancy is the view that when all the facts become known. They will demonstrate that the Bible in its original autographs and correctly interpreted is entirely true and never falls in all it affirms.

Whether that relates to doctrine or ethics to the social, physical, or life sciences. What would you say about that. I agree with that. That is what inerrancy is another theologian would agree with that. I Wayne Gruden who wrote the classic systematic theology and introduction to biblical doctrine and he says this. The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact and he says this definition focuses on the question of truthfulness and falsehood in the language of Scripture the definition. In simple terms just means that the Bible always tells the truth, and it always tells the truth concerning everything it talks about another theologian and Christian pastor John MacArthur. He says inerrancy means literally without air when applied to Scripture. It means that the Bible is without error in the original copies. It is therefore free.

When properly interpreted from affirming anything that is untrue or contrary to fact and again I'm saying the Latter Day Saints should want to say he believes in the inerrant Scripture because when I talk about the copies that the transmission part, but rather were talking about when it was originally written by the authors who were inspired by God. They were not automatic writers who had their hands come out and then God put a pen in it and started writing with that they actually use their own personality and their and they wrote what they were inspired to write him. That's what we accept as the 66 books of the old and new Testaments in the original copies called autographs.

We believe that that is what inerrancy is. There's a slight difference between that and infallibility.

Infallibility is the idea that the original autographs are written exactly the way God intended us related so the idea that God has given these men the ability to write that and that it is applicable for us today because the Bible says very clearly that is been inspired by God as a mention. Second Timothy three and second Peter 121 says that God made it available that human authors would write down what he intended. This is a very important point, and for those who are Latter Day Saints or former Latter Day Saints. What I hate to see Bill is somebody who ends up believing Mormonism and heading over to atheism or agnosticism and you asked them why they say well I just don't believe anything that the church taught. I don't believe the Bible is true.they don't, maybe even believe Jesus anymore or if they do believe in Jesus. He was just a historical figure and it's sad to me that because of all of the errors that they had been taught as a latter-day St. they take that into their next area of life and they reject the Bible and you asked him why don't you believe in the Bible and a person was left.

The church says well you know is full of errors. Well that they never have been taught. Unfortunately, the value of the original manuscripts of the Bible in Ezra talk about later this week. I think the Bible is still trustworthy. 99% of what the Bible has is made for us even today that we can actually take those words and understand not only how to believe, but how to live.

I think what's tragic is many Latter Day Saints when they look at the second portion of what Joseph Smith said where he talks about ignorant translators, careless transcribers are designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors. I think many Latter Day Saints not understanding what were dealing with here just naturally assume that all those ignorant translations and careless transcribing's are those errors made by designing and corrupt priests can't be known unless Joseph Smith or some leader in the LDS church tells you what they are and I think that would be a serious error on the part of the Latter Day Saints to make that assumption.

But when you say that probably most of them do.

That's why they need these living prophets as they understand them to guide them to point the way through these landmines of mistakes that are allegedly in the Bible and then they'll take their word for it because they say they have latter-day revelation and the authority to tell them what to believe and unfortunately, we find and II think this should be made clear. It's not usually the Latter Day Saints scholar that buys into that. I don't see them using those kind of arguments. Occasionally, it kind of creeps in the maybe some cases, but for the most part I find that many of the Latter Day Saints scholars when it comes to the Bible that we have. They tend to agree a lot with our biblical scholars build there's an article that is on our website why inerrancy of the Bible is so important to Evangelical Christians and somebody can go to that article by going to MRM.org/Bible inerrancy Bible with the-and then inerrancy. I and E are our ANC. Why, thank you for listening you would like more information regarding his research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website at www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you join us again as we look at another viewpoint is beginning on Saturday, March 6 Utah lighthouse bookstore will be reopening on Saturdays. If you're in the downtown Salt Lake City area.

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