Letters: About inerrancy

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RE: Voices: How I came to affirm inerrancy

What is missing in this article supporting the SBC definition of “inerrancy” is the subtle but real influence of a Presbyterian theological approach to theological reasoning.

Whether affirming the Princeton theologians, John Calvin or 19th century Southern Baptist Seminary professor Boyce’s text titled “Systematic Theology,” the focus is on God’s power to so overrule all of human endeavors by His “irresistible grace” in all areas including the background, development and actual writing of the Holy Bible, that if one adopts these presuppositions, one has to logically affirm the SBC definition of “inerrancy.”

This Calvinistic approach to God’s relationship with mankind is simply one of allowing no freedom of thought, speaking, and in this case writing. Such a system that rejects human freedom, if carried out to wider perspectives ultimately evenly rejects the authentic humanity of Jesus Christ and makes the God-man’s atonement for all mankind a sham since Jesus used His deity to overcome His humanity.

By the way, that was Satan’s temptation to Jesus in the wilderness: “If you really are the Son of God, turn these stones to bread.” If Christ’s sinless humanity is not limited as our humanity is limited, we do not have a genuine savior for all sinful people.

To be consistent with the biblical material itself, we must affirm both God’s fully holy power and at the same time, man’s freedom to be holy or reject holiness. The Holy Spirit of God works in the lives of believers to guide us toward holiness but does not do away with our free choices.

In the real world in which we live, man’s choices to use one word as opposed to another is based on one’s background, knowledge and many other limitations. God allows man this freedom. The Bible is Holy and Inspired because God has Holy Power and those who actually wrote the words down did so in the confines of their theological/historical background, knowledge and moral freedom, but also by the guidance of The Holy Spirit.

If there is no freedom of choice for biblical writers, the Bible could just have easier been dropped from heaven. That freedom was the same way Jesus made the right decisions when tempted by Satan. That is also the way today’s believers are to overcome the evil one today: choosing to use our freedom of choice for the Glory of God; “until we all come to the measure of the stature of Jesus Christ.”

Art Allen
Kempner, Texas


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