There are so many people out there claiming mistakes in the bible.  A great deal of Christians shout loudly that the Bible is completely inerrant.  While antagonists laugh at such a claim, they say it proves the Bible is nothing more than a bunch lies and discrepancies.  So who is right?

This will probably be one of my more controversial entries.  Simple answer first… ready for it?  Yes, there is at least one error in the Bible.  This would disqualify it from being inerrant.  However, do not be mistaken.  There are far far less than what many people claim.

This is the error that I know of.  Mark 1:2 (NIV) says this:

It is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”—
“a voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’ “

For those that did not catch it.  “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” is Malachi 3:1, not Isaiah.  I have heard some try to protest and say “well this was common in Greek”.  That is simply false.  I have never seen any example of someone saying a person said this and then quoting something they did not say, even if it was only half.  I might accept that if it was the second half of the quote, but it is the first half.

Some have said that it was not included in the original writing but was added later by scribes.  That’s just a dangerous idea, because then you wind up like Bart Ehrman.  No, we cannot presume a scribal error unless we have evidence of it.  All the manuscripts we have (some dating back to 150 A.D. and earlier) include this quote.  There is just no evidence to support such a claim.

Many will claim that the Bible itself claims to be inerrant, but this is not true.  This idea comes from 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

I’m sure the first question is how can I believe the Bible has an error and also believe that Scripture is “God-breathed”?  Well, I’ll make another statement that might confuse you.  I also believe the Bible is perfect.

Paul does not define the qualities of “God-breathed”.  God breathed the breath of life into us, but we are not inerrant, so why do we assume that because Scripture is God-breathed, that it is inerrant?  I find no reason to make that association.

My second odd statement might bring this question: “How can the Bible be perfect but have an error?”.  Just because something has an error, does not mean it is not perfect.  Perfection is defined by use.  If I have an anvil that has a bolt hole (the holes used to put bolts in to bolt it down) in the wrong place in the base, does that change it from being a perfect example of an anvil?  Does it not still do its task the same as any anvil that had the bolt hole in the expect place?

How can we say a quotation error disqualifies the Bible from being perfect when what it is used for is “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.  How does a minor misquotation change any of those attributes?

I have had this view for more than 10 years and in those 10 years I have studied many more of what people have considered “errors” and I have found them lacking.  The error I mentioned is the only error I have found that did not have a satisfactory answer to it.  How phenomenal that a compilation of books over a 1,500 year time span written over 2000 years ago only has one acknowledged error.  I’d say that ranks in the league of a miracle.

Second, who cares?  As Christians we do not worship the Bible.  The only true inerrant thing in existence is God.  I see no need to elevate the status of the Bible beyond what it is: the book of God meant to teach and instruct about Him.  I do not worship the Bible; it is not my God.  My God is a living entity that hears my prayers and has mercy on me.

For those who claim such small irrelevant errors, I say this.  You are wasting your time.  Christianity stands or falls on the Resurrection.  You can point out errors all day long but until you are able show that Jesus was not resurrected, you will never be able to dent the spreading of God’s word.  If you can’t prove a negative, tough luck.  There is plenty of evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus, so if you have no evidence against it, then I guess you would lose in a court of law.

One more response might be, “if there is one error, how do we know there are not many more?”  Show me.  If you have no evidence for other errors then it is futile waste time wondering if there are.  Aristotle’s philosophy of history is still a very wise statement today.  The benefit of the doubt is to be given until evidence is given to the contrary.  If we doubt everything that we don’t have evidence for all of reality begins to blur.

Take with you this.  Scripture is still God-breathed.  There is no better tool for teaching about God and what is good and righteous.  It is still the most unique book on the planet.  This does not tarnish it in any way.  For those that think it does, they either reject God or they worship the Bible.  Neither is good.

Tags: 2 Timothy, Antagonists, Bart, Bible People, christians, Dangerous Idea, Discrepancies, Discrepencies, Errors In The Bible, Inerrant, Isaiah The Prophet, Man Of God, manuscripts, Mark 1, Mistakes In The Bible, Niv, Righteousness, Scribes, scripture, Second Half, simple answer, Straight Paths