Inerrancy or Interpretation? - How Evangelicals Err by Conflation
At the end of this semester I’ll have some more “Semester Highlights.” I have two Greek classes and a systematic theology class I am in right now and they’re shaping up to be pretty exciting, if intense. Until then, maybe I can share a few ‘What’s on my mind’ posts. This is that. Evangelicals are allowing dictionary definitions of theological terms run away from their historical and theological definitions. I think this is evident in several areas, but for now I only want to focus on the doctrine of inerrancy. [1] The most conservative of Evangelicals have begun to conflate an important doctrine, that is, inerrancy, with the hermeutical method they subscribe to—whether they are fully aware of it or not. This does damage within our churches because: 1) It is not orthodox; 2) It gives us a phrase which we too-willingly weaponize and direct toward people with whom we disagree: ‘You deny the inerrancy of Scripture! That’s heresy!’ There is so much division right now, I’d prefer if ...