I opened my mailbox today to be greeted by a slick flyer inviting me to discover what the Bible really says about a variety of things. Among the the questions I’m told I can get answered: What is the future of our country during this economic downturn? What does the Bible really say about the…
On the Energion Hangout tonight at 7:00 PM central time, we’ll be discussing the topic of violence in the Bible, with a particular emphasis on the Old Testament. But as participant Dr. Alden Thompson will doubtless remind us tonight, there’s violence in the New Testament as well. Alden Thompson is author of the very first…
John Hobbins is again correcting the rest of us regarding the meaning of the word inerrancy. The interesting thing here is that I can affirm everything he says about inspiration in his post. He writes in opposition to the approach taken by by Michael Heiser and C. Michael Patton, each of whom have written posts…
I found this video interesting, even though I don’t consider Spong one of the better advocates of a liberal approach to the Bible. From my perspective he’s slipped off the far edge of the map. I would suggest there is a position that does not affirm biblical inerrancy, yet maintains biblical authority. (HT: Exploring Our…
The following is from Origen, On First Principles, 4.1.15. All emphasis is mine. (Also from CCEL.) But since, if the usefulness of the legislation, and the sequence and beauty of the history, were universally evident of itself, we should not believe that any other thing could be understood in the Scriptures save what was obvious,…
I’ve previously expressed my surprise about what some people can believe about the Bible and yet call their belief “inerrancy.” As an example, I responded to Earnest Lucas’s excellent commentary on Daniel in which he maintains that one can hold both inerrancy and a late dating of Daniel. I think a good one sentence summary…
I think Mark at Pseudo-Polymath is absolutely correct in his excellent post Of Scripture and Tradition. When I first decided that inerrancy didn’t work, it was because I found errors as they would be defined by the people that first taught me to regard the Bible as inerrant. At the same time I remained convinced…
This video is cute and edgy and well-produced. It has all the characteristics that make a good YouTube video. Since I also don’t accept the doctrine of inerrancy, what is the problem? I think it perpetuates the equation of biblical literalism, the verbal dictation view of inspiration, and the doctrine of inerrancy. I have a…
This is a very worthwhile review to read. I haven’t yet read the book, but the key points noted are interesting in themselves.
When I teach people about how to study the Bible, and especially when I talk to them about handling difficult passages, there is one category of passage that dominates: Violent and sometimes difficult to understand passages from the Old Testament. How can a God of love command the slaughter of thousands, even women and children?…
