Bible inerrant in original manuscripts; fully true in all it affirms
The EFCA Statement of Faith (2008) affirms that 'the Bible is God's written Word, unique, full of authority, without error in the original manuscripts.' This is an explicit inerrancy position: the original texts of Scripture contain no error in anything they affirm. This has been a foundational commitment of the EFCA since its founding and was reaffirmed in the 2008 revision.
The EFCA's inerrancy position is aligned with the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978). Inerrancy is understood in qualified but robust terms: it acknowledges that biblical authors used different genres, approximations, and cultural conventions, but insists that in all their affirmations — whether theological, historical, or ethical — the biblical authors communicated truth without error.
Biblical authority and inerrancy are non-negotiable for EFCA membership and ministry. The denomination's pastoral and theological education emphasizes both the trustworthiness of Scripture and the importance of sound hermeneutics — reading Scripture carefully, in context, with attention to genre, language, and historical background — in order to understand and apply the inerrant text faithfully.
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
- EFCA Statement of Faith (2008), Article 4: The Holy Bible; Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978)