Disciples affirm the divine inspiration and authority of Scripture but do not teach technical inerrancy. The denomination's academic institutions engage with historical-critical scholarship, and inerrancy is not a doctrinal commitment of the denomination. Scripture is regarded as the primary witness to God's revelation in Jesus Christ, humanly authored but divinely inspired, trustworthy for matters of faith and life.

The denomination's departure from strict inerrancy represents a significant shift from the Restoration Movement's founding commitment to Scripture alone as an inerrant guide. Contemporary Disciples scholarship understands inspiration as consistent with human limitations in the authors, including historical, cultural, and factual particularity that does not undermine Scripture's theological authority.