David Livingston
There is considerable debate these days concerning the inerrancy of Scripture. “Inerrancy” and “infallibility” are essentially the same. Jesus Christ believed the Scripture was infallible, or inerrant. Therefore, anyone who claims to be one of His – under His control – should believe and obey it as He did.
What was His view of Scripture?
Negative Aspects
(An argument from a loud silence.)
Jesus never belittled Scripture (as some modern critics do), nor set it aside (as Jewish leaders had done with their Tradition), nor criticised it (although He criticised those who misused it), nor contradicted it (although He rejected many interpretations of it), nor opposed it (although He sometimes was free with or interpretive of it), nor spoke in any way as “higher” critics do of the Old Testament.
Christ’s Use of Scripture
As L. Gaussen has asserted, “We are not afraid to say it: when we hear the Son of God quote the Scriptures, everything is said, in our view, on their divine inspiration – we need no further testimony. All the declarations of the Bible are, no doubt, equally divine; but this example of the Savior of the world has settled the question for us at once. This proof requires neither long nor learned researches; it is grasped by the hand of a child as powerfully as by that of a doctor. Should any doubt, then, assail your soul, let it behold Him in presence of the Scriptures!”1
1. He knew the Scriptures thoroughly, even to words and verb tenses, He obviously had either memorized vast portions or knew it instinctively (John 7:15)2
2. He believed every word of Scripture. All the prophecies concerning Himself were fulfilled, and He believed beforehand that they would be (Mt. 26:53–56, Lk. 24:25–27, Jn. 5:39–47).
3. He believed the Old Testament was historical fact. This is very clear, even though from the Creation (cf. Gn. 2:24 and Mt. 19:4, 5) onward, much of what He believed has long been under fire by critics as mere fiction.
Some examples of historical facts
Lk. 11:51: Abel was a real individual
Mt. 24:37–39: Noah and the Flood
BSP 1:2 (Spring 1988) p. 16
Jn. 8:56–58: Abraham
Mt. 10:15; 11:23, 24: Sodom and Gomorrah
Jn. 6:31, 49, 58: Manna
Lk. 17:28–32: Lot (and wife!)
Mt. 8:11: Isaac and Jacob (Lk. 13:28)
Jn. 3:14: Serpent
Mt. 12:39–41: Jonah (vs. 42: Sheba)
Mt. 24:15: Daniel and Isaiah
4. He believed books were written by the men whose names they bear. Moses wrote the Pentateuch: Mt. 19:7, 8; Mk. 7:10; 12:26 (“Book of Moses,” the five part Torah); Lk. 5:14; 16:29, 31; 24:27, 44 (Christ’s Canon); Jn. 5:45, 46; 7:19; 1:17 (“the Law [Torah] was given by Moses, Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.”). Isaiah wrote “both” Isaiahs: Mk. 7:6–13, Jn. 12:37–41. Jonah wrote Jonah (Mt. 12:39–41). Daniel wrote Daniel (Mt. 24:15}. And so on. These were not pseudonyms.
5. He believed the Old Testament to have been spoken by God Himself, or written by the Spirit’s inspiration, even though the pen was held by a man: Mt. 22:31, 32, 43; also, Mt. 19:4, 5; Mk. 12:26; Lk. 20:37.
6. He believed it had more power than His miracles: Lk. 16:29, 31.
7. He actually quoted it to overthrow Satan! The Old Testament Scriptures were the arbiter in every dispute: Mt. 4; Lk. 16:29, 31.
8. He quoted Scripture as the basis for His own teaching. His ethics were the same: Mt. 7:12; 19:18, 19; 22:40; Mk. 7:9, 13; 10:19; 12:24, 29–31; Lk. 18:20.
9. He warned against replacing it with something else, or adding or subtracting from it. Jewish leaders had effectually replaced it with their oral tradition: Mt. 15:1–9; 22:29; 5:17 (cf. 5:43, 44); Mk. 7:1–12. (Destroying faith in the Bible as God’s Word will open the door today to a new “Tradition,” and vice-versa.)
10. He will Judge all men on the last day on the basis of His infallible Word committed to writing by fallible men: Jn. 5:22, 27; 12:48; Mt. 25:31; Rom. 2:16.
11. He made provision for the New Testament to be written by sending the Holy Spirit. Take note that He Himself never wrote one word of Scripture, even though He is the very Word of God Himself. He committed the task of all writing of the Word of God to fallible men guided by the infallible Holy Spirit. The apostles’ words had the same authority as Christ’s: Mt. 10:14, 15; Lk. 10:16; Jn. 13:20; 14:22; 15:26, 27; 16:12–14.
12. He not only was not jealous of the attention men paid to the Bible (denounced as “bibliolotry” by some), He reviled them for their ignorance of it: Mt. 22:29; Mk. 12:24.
13. Nor did Jesus worship Scripture (or any icon). He honored it – even though written by men.
The above leaves no room but to conclude that our Lord Jesus Christ considered the canon of Scripture as God’s Word, even though written by the hand of men.
Although some Christian leaders profess to accept Scripture as “God’s Word,” their low view of “inspiration” belies the fact. They believe and teach that Scripture is, to a very significant degree, man’s
BSP 1:2 (Spring 1988) p. 17
word. Many of their statements are in essential disagreement with those of Jesus. From the evidence of their writings, we conclude that some Christian leaders are the opposite of Christ and His regard for the authority, the inspiration and infallibility of Scripture.
Now we come to the most important part.
Jesus Christ Was Subject to Scripture
Jesus obeyed the Word of God, not the word of man. He was subject to it. In some scholars’ view of inspiration, Jesus was subject to an errant, rather casually thrown-together “Word of Man.” On that basis, Jesus would have been subject to the will of man, not the will of God.
However, in all the details of His acts of redemption, Jesus was subject to Scripture as God’s Word. He obeyed it. It was the rule by which He lived. It was His authority. He came to do God’s will, not His own. Note how all His life He did things because they were written – as if God had directly commanded. He fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about Himself. The passages came from all over the Old Testament. We cite here only a very few quoted in the New Testament: Lk. 4:17–21; Mt. 11:10; Mk. 9:12, 13; Lk. 18:31–33; Mt. 26:24, 53–56; Lk. 22:37; 24:44–47.
He Himself is the Word of God. All the words from His lips were the Word of God (John 3.34). If He had desired, He could easily have written a new set of rules, and they would have been the Word of God. But He did not. He followed without question the Word of God already penned by man.
This is the sensible thing for every Christian to do. May all who read this adopt Jesus’ attitude and become completely subject both to Him as Living Word and to the Bible as the infallible, written Word of God.