Scripture is inerrant in original manuscripts and fully authoritative
Calvary Chapel affirms biblical inerrancy: the Bible, as originally written, is without error in all that it affirms — including matters of history, science as presented, and theology. This is understood as a natural consequence of the Bible's divine inspiration through human authors. The Statement of Faith uses language consistent with the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.
This conviction shapes Calvary Chapel's entire teaching model. Verse-by-verse exposition assumes that every passage is meaningful and authoritative. Pastors are expected to handle the text with the confidence that it is God's reliable Word, even when passages are difficult or culturally challenging.
Key Distinctions
- Inerrancy scope:
- verbal plenary inerrancy — every word of Scripture is inspired and without error in the original autographs
- Hermeneutic approach:
- grammatical-historical — literal meaning in its original context
Scripture References
Sources
- Calvary Chapel Statement of Faith
- Calvary Chapel Distinctives (Chuck Smith)