I have a friend who recently asked me how I would defend inerrancy of the original biblical manuscripts. Namely, this friend was looking for me to speak to how we can be assured that when God spoke to humans in ages past, those humans got it down on paper right the first time? That's a pretty good question, and my simple response is I don't know. I have posted my response below, in hopes that some of you out there might be able to add to this discussion. Both my friend (who reads this blog) and I would love your input.
...in the end, Christianity is a matter of faith. There is no way to be 100% sure about the question you are asking. I have found, though, that there is really no way to be 100% sure about much of anything in this life. I have a friend who wants to have everything all figured out before he makes any major life decisions, and as a result, he’s a college-educated and very smart and talented guy working in retail, making very little money and generally not doing much with his life. This does not negate the fact that he is a good friend and a great guy (and I'm not trying to say there is anything wrong with working in retail), but it does exemplify that having all one’s ducks in a row before one begins a life journey, commits to a worldview, etc, is neither possible nor a good idea. There is a very real and necessary element of taking a long, hard look at your options, making the best decision you can based on what you know at the time, and then, well, having faith that you made the right call. (That is my own personal definition of wisdom, by the way.)
So what are we to do, then, with the issue of the transmission of God’s word from God to humans? First, I don’t know why there have not been as many questions raised about this as have been raised about subsequent transmission of that word, so I am of no help to you there. I’m sure somebody somewhere has written about this. Maybe Dr. _______ would know. I email him occasionally and always get a quick response. But moving on…
The idea that God spoke to humans in history is unique (especially for present-day Westerners like us) in several ways. Let me expound. First, the very idea that God, if He exists at all, would actually interact with humans in time and space does not bode well with most people’s world view. Second, the question you raise is a historical and not scientific one, which again poses problems. To understand what I mean, let’s look at something Francis Schaeffer called the “fact-value dichotomy”. Simply put, since about 1850 science has defined itself as the study of natural things in a closed system. That is, science repeatedly tests things to confirm or deny hypotheses, and it allows no room for supernatural activity. Science has also claimed “truth” as its own and banished religion, values, etc, into the realm of relativity. You know, “That’s true for you but not for me” type stuff. Given that, how do we Westerners gage the truth of something? That’s right, through science! But wait, science does not allow for God. In addition, God speaking to a person in the past is not a repeatable event, so it cannot be tested scientifically. So, given that science=truth, there is no way to “know” 1) that God spoke to someone in the past, and therefore 2) that the person in question copied it down correctly. Because of the arbitrary restrictions we have placed on knowledge, there is no way for us to verify (or deny, a point that many people miss) the answer to your question. Our worldview, in effect, has bound us rather than made us free.
So to ask your question from a scientific point of view does us no good. Thankfully, there are other ways to look at the issue. I prefer to look at this issue as one part of the whole. That is, the foundation of my faith is made up of many different arguments and ideas. Now, if I were to take the question of original inspiration by itself, it is useful in pondering and working through the issue. If I make this issue the crux that makes or breaks my faith, then of course I will develop serious doubts! But if I research this question, all the while with the other arguments for faith in the back of my mind (things like fulfilled Messianic prophecy, events in my own life that lend credence to biblical teachings, and so on), then even if at the end of the day, I don’t have a good answer, my faith is not likely to waiver due to the preponderance of other evidence.
So to make a long answer longer, I don’t have a good answer for you on your original question. Again, I would suggest emailing Dr. _______ for much better insight than I could give. At the same time, though, there is enough other evidence supporting what I believe that I can live with a little faith in this area. This probably sounds like a total cop-out, but I do not mean it to be. What I do mean is there will always be mysteries, things you have to take on faith. You investigate and question those as best you can, but sometimes you have to live without knowing the answer for a little while. For instance, I’m buying a house. I have an idea of what homeownership is like, but I don’t know and can’t know what it is like short of owning a house. I have to have faith that I can handle the responsibility, that my house won’t be a money pit, etc. But I have done careful financial planning, I have researched basic home repairs, Jessica and I have discussed this a lot, and I am comfortable knowing that we are making the right decision, even if I at the same time I am a little scared that we won’t be able to make it work! But I’m still buying that house.
I hope this somewhat lengthy but probably inadequate response at least will serve to help you out a little.
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How we can be assured that when God spoke to humans in ages past, those humans got it down on paper right the first time?
Maybe a better question is, does it matter if they got it right? Perhaps we spend so much time and effort looking for perfection in our Bibles that we miss the glory and perfection of God! My Bible tells me that even if I did not have it, the creation itself should convince me of God and his nature (Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.") So whether there are errors or not, we are still without excuse. What we know of God is not just based on His word, beccause each person interprets that word in light of their previous experience. I am not sure that our assurance needs to be so much in the inerrancy of the original scribes as it must be in the faith that God, who created this world and whose power holds in together in Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.) If he has the power to hold every atom in its place until the end of time as we know it, then I believe he has the power to have his word recorded and to maintain its integrity so that it is just as alive today as it was when Joe Scribe penned it. Look at all of the obstacles the Bible has to overcome because we seek perfection! Some point to the KJV because that is the one Jesus used (Yes, I jest, but it makes the point). Others swear by the NIV, and decry those foul paraphrases such as the Message or the Living Bible. I find that God's essence is in his Message no matter what form, if we honestly seek Him. And that includes his message in word, nature, a baby's birth, etc. I trust the message because I trust him and know that he has the power to make it right, to keep the essence of his being and nature, and because he would not let such a valuable element of his creation be dropped by someone as clumsy as a mere human.
But, that is just my opinion.
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