Bible fully inspired and inerrant in original manuscripts; supreme authority
The AG's SFT affirms that the Bible is 'the inspired Word of God' and 'the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.' The document states that Scripture is 'verbally inspired of God' and 'the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.' This is an inerrancy position: the original manuscripts of Scripture contain no error in anything they affirm.
The AG stands within the evangelical consensus on biblical authority, viewing Scripture as fully trustworthy in its historical, theological, and ethical teachings. Inerrancy does not mean that every passage is to be read in a wooden literalistic way — the AG recognizes different literary genres and the need for responsible hermeneutics — but it does mean that the authors of Scripture, writing under divine inspiration, conveyed truthfully what God intended to communicate.
The AG's high view of Scripture coexists with its openness to Spirit-inspired gifts, including prophecy. Prophetic gifts, however, are always subject to the test of Scripture — they cannot contradict the written Word and are not elevated to canonical status. Scripture remains the fixed and final norm against which all spiritual experience and teaching is measured.
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
- Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, §1: The Scriptures Inspired