Bible is inspired, inerrant, and fully authoritative; no errors in all it affirms
Biblical inerrancy — the teaching that Scripture, in its original manuscripts, contains no error in anything it affirms — is a defining commitment of non-denominational evangelical Christianity. The National Association of Evangelicals' Statement of Faith (1943) affirms 'the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.' Most non-denominational evangelical local church statements mirror this or similar language.
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978), produced by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy and signed by hundreds of evangelical scholars, provides the standard definition that most non-denominational evangelicals operate with, even when they do not explicitly reference it. This statement defines inerrancy in qualified terms: it acknowledges different literary genres, cultural contexts, and authorial purposes, but insists that in all their affirmations the biblical authors conveyed truth.
A minority of non-denominational evangelical churches use the language of 'infallibility' (the Bible is reliable and authoritative in matters of faith and practice) without the stronger claim of 'inerrancy' (no error in any domain). This distinction is present but secondary within the movement; both groups affirm the full trustworthiness of Scripture as God's Word.
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
- National Association of Evangelicals Statement of Faith (1943); Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978)