Biblical inerrancy facts for kids

Biblical inerrancy is a belief held by many Christians that the Bible, in its original writings, is completely true and without any mistakes. This means that everything the Bible says, whether about history, science, or faith, is accurate and reliable.

Some people use the words "inerrancy" and "infallibility" to mean the same thing. Infallibility generally means that the Bible cannot fail in its purpose to guide people in faith and life. While these ideas are similar, some scholars see small differences between them.

What Does Inerrancy Mean?

The idea of inerrancy means that the Bible, when it was first written down by its original authors, did not say anything that was untrue. It's like saying the first draft was perfect! This belief is very important to many Evangelical Christians, who see the Bible as God's perfect message to humanity.

The Chicago Statement

In 1978, about 300 Christian scholars and Protestant leaders met in Chicago. They created an important document called the "Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy." This statement explains that the Bible has "infallible divine authority" in everything it talks about. Most Evangelical Christians agree with this statement. However, some other Christian groups, often called Liberal Christians, have different views on how to understand the Bible.

Original Writings vs. Copies

It's important to know that the idea of inerrancy usually applies only to the original writings of the Bible. These original writings are called "autographs." We don't have these exact original documents today. What we have are many copies of these ancient texts.

For example, there are over 5,600 Greek manuscripts that contain parts or all of the New Testament. There are also more than 10,000 Latin manuscripts and hundreds more in other languages. These copies were made over many centuries. The Chicago Statement explains that "inspiration, strictly speaking, applies only to the autographic text of Scripture." This means that the perfect truthfulness is believed to be in the very first writings, not necessarily in every single copy made since then.

Jesus and the Old Testament

Jesus often quoted from the Old Testament during his time on Earth. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew 5:17-20, he speaks about the importance of the Old Testament laws. This shows how much he valued these ancient scriptures. However, it's interesting to note that Judaism, the religion from which Christianity developed, has not always believed in a completely literal interpretation of every word in the Hebrew Bible (which is the Old Testament).