Is the Bible Inerrant?

Is the Bible Inerrant? 

Imagine you’re in a debate with someone about whether God is loving or wrathful. They slam  their Bible down on the table and say, “It’s right here! The Bible is inerrant, and it says  ‘Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord!’ Case closed.” And that sounds pretty definitive—until you  remember that Jesus literally told us to forgive seventy times seven, love our enemies, and turn  the other cheek. So... which is it? Is God about vengeance or love? And is the Bible as clear-cut  as some claim? 

The question of biblical inerrancy—whether the Bible is completely without error in every single  detail—has been one of the biggest theological debates in Christian history. And as with all big  theological debates, it involves a lot of passionate people, shifting historical perspectives, and a  fair amount of men in robes making decisions for the rest of us (shout-out to those church  councils!). 

How Did We Get the Bible? 

Before we decide whether the Bible is “inerrant,” let’s talk about how it came together. Spoiler  alert: it didn’t fall from the sky, leather-bound, with Jesus' words in red. 

The Bible consists of 66 books for Protestants (39 Old Testament, 27 New Testament), and 73  books for Catholics (thanks to the Apocrypha). These were written by over 40 authors, across  three continents, over a span of more than 1,500 years. It includes history, poetry, prophecy,  letters, and even what could be considered apocalyptic sci-fi (looking at you, Revelation). And  yet, through all of this diversity, Christians claim it carries one overarching message about God’s  love and redemption. 

But here’s the wild part: deciding what actually made it into the Bible took centuries. By Jesus’  time, most Jewish communities agreed on the books of the Old Testament. The New Testament,  however, was a work in progress for hundreds of years before church leaders officially  confirmed the 27 books we know today. This process—called canonization—involved a lot of  debate and councils. The final stamp of approval came around the 4th and 5th centuries for most  Christian traditions. And then came Martin Luther in the 16th century, who removed several Old  Testament books that didn’t align with his theology (some say because they referenced purgatory,  which he wasn’t a fan of). So, depending on whether you’re Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox,  your Bible may actually have different books. 

If the Bible was slowly formed over time, with human hands choosing what made the cut, does  that mean it’s flawed? Or does it mean God has been at work through the messy, human process  of history? 

What Does “Inerrant” Even Mean? 

Some people define biblical inerrancy as meaning that the Bible is completely without error in  every historical, scientific, and moral detail. This is often connected to the idea that scripture  should be interpreted literally—meaning, for example, that Genesis describes six actual 24-hour  days of creation and that Jonah really did spend three days inside a giant fish. This view gained  major traction in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in response to challenges from modern  science and secular philosophy. 

But here’s the thing: the early church didn’t talk about the Bible as inerrant. They saw it as  inspired and authoritative, but they also understood that human authors, writing in particular  cultural and historical contexts, shaped it. Many early Christian thinkers, like Origen and  Augustine, read scripture allegorically, seeing deeper spiritual truths rather than strict literalism. 

And if inerrancy means every detail must match up perfectly, then we’ve got a few problems. For  example: 

• The Last Supper is described differently in the Gospels—Matthew and Mark say Jesus  gave the bread first, while Luke has him giving the cup first (Matt. 26:26-28, Mark  14:22-24, Luke 22:17-20). 

• The sign on the cross has slightly different wording in each Gospel (Matt. 27:37, Mark  15:26, Luke 23:38, John 19:19). 

• The resurrection accounts vary—who got to the tomb first? How many angels were  there? (Compare the endings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.) 

Do these differences mean the Bible is unreliable? Not at all. It means the Gospels were written  by real people, telling the story from different perspectives, which actually makes the whole  thing more authentic than if they had perfectly matched (which would look suspiciously like  collusion). If eyewitnesses of an event tell the exact same story, word-for-word, we’d assume  they got together and rehearsed it. 

Jesus’ Approach to Scripture 

If we really want to understand how to approach scripture, the best example is Jesus himself.  How did he use scripture? Did he read it like a legal contract, treating every word as fixed and  unquestionable? Not exactly. 

1. He Reinterpreted It – In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly says, “You have  heard it said… but I say to you” (Matthew 5:21-48). He wasn’t tossing out the Old  Testament, but he was expanding and deepening it, moving beyond legalism into  transformational love. 

2. He Used Parables – Jesus rarely gave straight answers. Instead, he taught in metaphor,  story, and allegory, using relatable, everyday experiences to reveal spiritual truths. In fact,  he explicitly stated his teaching method in Matthew 13:34-35: "Jesus spoke all these  things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a  parable." His parables challenged religious assumptions and invited people into a deeper  understanding of God.

3. He Omitted Troubling Passages – In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus intentionally stops mid-verse,  leaving out “the day of vengeance of our God.” This was a clear rejection of a wrathful  interpretation of God, emphasizing healing, freedom, and love instead. The original  passage Jesus was quoting comes from Isaiah 61, which speaks of bringing good news to  the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, and proclaiming freedom for the captives.  However, Isaiah's prophecy also includes a vision of God's judgment, which Jesus  deliberately omits. This omission signals a shift in how God’s mission is understood— from retribution to restoration, from vengeance to grace. 

4. He Prioritized Love Over Legalism – When religious leaders criticized him for healing on  the Sabbath, Jesus responded, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the  Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). His interpretation of scripture was always about compassion over  rigid rule-keeping. 

A Bible That Moves Us Forward 

The Bible tells the story of a growing, unfolding revelation of God. It starts in a world where  justice looks like an eye for an eye (Exodus 21:24), but then it moves forward to Jesus telling us  to love our enemies and forgive without limit (Matthew 5:38-44). It begins with strict purity laws  and nationalistic religion, but then expands into a message of radical inclusion, where all are  welcome in God’s family (Isaiah 56:3-8, Galatians 3:28). This is not a stagnant book—it’s one  that breathes and moves, calling us forward rather than keeping us trapped in the past. 

If the arc of scripture moves toward grace, then our own faith should do the same—embracing  the fullness of God's love for all people, without exception, without conditions, and without fear.