The Nature of the Bible

 By Jeffrey Stivason - Posted at Place for Truth:

Christians are people of “the Book.” What is more, Christians believe that this book is essential for all of life. Life can’t be lived without its message. So, we are thankful that God, in due time, inscripturated His Word, that is, the eternal God had them committed to writing “for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world.”[1] To draw the point more fixedly, a professional golfer lives his professional life by The Official Guidebook to the Rules of Golf but they do not affect his marriage or parental skills. The Bible, on the other hand, is a rule for faith and life.

So, it is important for us to ask about the nature of this Book. How does a Christian describe it? There are three terms often used to describe the nature of the Bible. Those words are infallible, inerrant and authoritative. It will be helpful to spend a minute on each. Notice, that the first two words, infallible and inerrant, have in- prefixed which means “not” or “the opposite of.” Thus, the prefix tells us that the Bible is “not” fallible and “not” errant.

Continue here...