Eternal truth

This last week I spent several hours mulling over and researching the debate over biblical inerrancy. Half of the paper was a critique of Stephen L. Andrew's article on the subject (check it out here) and the second half was my personal, supported theological stance. The debate we were looking at was not whether the Bible is inerrant, but, within the Evangelical Christian realm, to what extent do people believe it is inerrant. It was both tedious and interesting at the same time. In the end, I didn't change my stance much, but did have to consider how important the topic is. Can we have faith in God without His inspired Word? Can we live a daily, godly life without its guidance? Is an inspired, inerrant Bible necessary for witnessing and conversion? It's possible His Word goes hand-in-hand with our actions.

I lean toward it being a necessity. Written scripture has been available and used for thousands of years. The apostles, Jesus, and O.T. writers all referenced other scripture and the law repeatedly. The Bible says that all scripture is useful for convicting, encouraging, and equipping us. And even though God is capable of guiding His people without it, He has clearly chosen to reveal Himself and His will in written form.

I'm also learning that even though a lot of the subjects we discuss in this Theology class don't actually reach to practical living, studying and exploring them has encouraged me and built my faith up.

I pasted my article below.