THE CURRENT battle among evangelicals over the understanding of the inspiration of the Scriptures has become a divisive issue and is most unfortunate. It revolves around the question of whether or not the Bible is inerrant in the autographs. Some claim inerrancy to be the badge of evangelical authenticity. Others hold that to reject inerrancy does not automatically drive one to repudiate other evangelical doctrines. Adventists accept the Bible as the in fallible authority in matters of faith and practice. In so doing we do not accept the position that the Scriptures are "inerrant in the autographs."
Infallibility of the Scriptures, which we fully support, need not be equated with verbal inspiration and strict inerrancy. The Bible is to us a totally trust worthy, infallible revelation of God's will while still reflecting the imperfections of human language and the difference in background and style of its authors. Those who hold these differing views of infallibility are still closer theologically to each other than they are to the neo-orthodox scholars who take the position that the Bible is "full of errors and contradictions."
In view of the controversy now raging we wish to reaffirm our traditional position that "the Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of ... [God's] will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience." We hold that the Bible is fully inspired and is entirely dependable and trust worthy.
Isaiah clearly expresses the problem God faced in communicating with man: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa. 55:8, 9). Thought is expressed in words; thus any written account is merely thoughts put in writing. If God put His thoughts in writing we would find it quite impossible to comprehend them. So the question is Just how did God solve the problem of getting across to the mind of sinful man sufficient information necessary for his salvation?
Another question needs to be added to the first. If we do not subscribe to the concept that the messages submitted by chosen prophets and apostles are the result of mechanical divine dictation, then are we in any way negating the doctrine of inspiration? Can we take the position that the Scriptures are a totally trust worthy, infallible revelation of God's will without subscribing to verbal inspiration and strict inerrancy?
Our answer to these questions is found in the following classical statements taken from Adventist church publications. Though written many years ago, they still set forth clearly and unequivocally the Seventh-day Adventist position on the inspiration of the Scriptures.
J.R.S.
