THE BIBLE AND INERRANCY
Since the “Age of Enlightenment” in the 1600’s, an emphasis on scientific inquiry and placing belief on verifiable facts has dominated our society. During this time, everything, including the Bible came under scientific scrutiny. Where scripture and science didn’t agree, lines of conflict were drawn, which continue to this day. The most well-known example was Darwinism vs. Creationism. When understood from a literal perspective, Genesis says the earth is eight to ten thousand years old, while science dates it as billions of years old. On one hand, some declared victory by claiming the Bible to be scientifically true, inerrant and infallible. (Previous generations ascribed inerrant and infallible to God alone.) On the other hand, some claimed the Bible to be completely false.
As a Roman Catholic, infallibility (inerrancy) was used in the context of the papacy. Within certain circles of Protestantism, infallibility usually refers to the Bible. At the time of Jesus, the religious authorities had expanded Moses’ 10 commandments to over 600 Judaic laws, claiming legalism as the way to please God. Although it was humanly impossible to keep all these laws, the religious leaders asserted infallible control by claiming their laws came directly from God. Although he respected Judaic Laws, occasionally Jesus himself broke them, often motivated to do so by compassion. Jesus never allowed religious laws to stand in the way of showing compassion to the outcast. His proclamation that the law is summed up in loving God and your neighbor (Matthew 22:36) shattered the Jewish legalistic system, which ultimately contributed to his crucifixion.
Whether it be loyalty to the Judaic Law, an infallible pope, or an infallible Bible, each of these belief systems indicates a human desire to gain control, have a feeling of security and a guarantee salvation. Ultimately, it is fear based. It’s not easy for humans to worship an invisible God that has so much power over us. It’s only natural to attempt to control and understand such a mysterious Being by worshipping something more concrete, like a Golden Calf.
ELCA Lutheranism views the Bible on the continuum of two opposing views (i.e. either the Bible is scientifically not true and therefore false, or, it is scientifically true and inerrant). Along with other mainstream Christian denominations, Lutherans tend to avoid such “all or nothing” thinking and continue to stand with Luther somewhere in the middle. ELCA Lutherans definitely believe the Bible is inspired by God, yet written, translated, transcribed and handed down for centuries by imperfect humans. Much of the Bible was written in poetic, metaphorical terms to help humans understand what we have no reference for fully understanding. For Jews the Law, for Muslims the Koran, for Catholics the pope and for Protestants the Bible; all are important elements that point to God, but they are not God. Only God is inerrant and infallible and to attribute this to anything else is indeed idolatry.
Luther quoted scripture to back his arguments that loyalty to papal doctrine was wrong when it clearly went against scripture. (Later, the pope was declared infallible, primarily as a response to Luther and other reformers.) However, Luther didn’t treat all scripture equally. He believed in “a canon within a canon”, meaning he felt truth can be found more completely in some parts of the Bible over others, especially the parts that pointed to Christ.
Religion is a very powerful force in the world, but, when misused, it can sow the seeds of hatred, violence and death. Most violence brought about by religious belief systems originates within the camp of fundamentalism where people believe their views to be God’s inerrant and infallible truth. When taken to an extreme, some are willing to die for this and claim martyrdom. But, rather than dieing for God or what they claimed to be God’s cause, they are really dieing for an idol constructed to support their prejudice. During the Synodical conference in Albuquerque in April, one of the speakers stated: “Whenever a person draws a line in the sand and declares people standing on the other side of the line condemned, Jesus will always - always, be found standing with the condemned.”
God is beyond human control: The wind blows where it chooses and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8) On June 4th, we celebrate Pentecost, the eruption of God’s Spirit in our world. God is on the loose! Far from being simply an event 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ is alive NOW and living among us, present in our hearts as we listen, as we assemble on Sundays, and in our actions as we love one another. We may think we have grasped God, but the fact is: God has grasped us! We are creature; God is our creator. We humble ourselves and pray to be swept away in His Spirit.
