Inerrancy and Worldview: Modern Challenges to Inerrancy (Part 9)

What is the Bible’s relationship to history? Some scholars might find a whole discussion about inerrancy and history entirely unhelpful. After all, they would say, the Bible doesn’t necessarily have to be historically accurate to be a valuable book. So why all the fuss? I think this is a subject worth considering because the Bible itself does make historical claims. Let’s consider, then, what kinds of historical claims the Bible does make.

The Bible is not a comprehensive history. That’s an important point to make at the outset. There are a number of criticisms, as we’ve discussed in previous posts, that are dismissed once we understand that the Bible is not telling every detail of Israel’s history, Moses’ history, or even the church’s history. But that does not mean that the Bible makes no claims to be telling history. Repeatedly we see throughout the Old Testament that Moses or Samuel are writing about the historic events and details of Israel’s past to covey meaning to the people, to remind them of God’s faithfulness. The historicity is important to the theological agenda. This means that from an authorial intent standpoint veracity is key to proper communication.

As the Bible communicates history it does so with a specific theological agenda. We have discussed that elsewhere too. But that does not negate the need for accuracy and veracity. If the events of the Exodus didn’t really happen then the theological point communicated in Deuteronomy 4 about God’s mightiness is lost. You can’t talk in any serious way about God’s real mightiness if the events evidencing it are fabrication or exaggerated beyond belief. We will see too in the coming days how this applies to the particulars of the opening chapters of Genesis. The Bible makes claims to historical veracity, this is noted particularly in the writings of Luke. We will look in some detail at looks writing in a few weeks and its claims to historical accuracy, but note at the very least today that Luke speaks of eyewitnesses and orderly accounts. He refers to the writings of others, and intends to communicate historically accurate information for the assurance of his reader. The Gospels claim historical veracity. But the Bible as a whole claims more than just to tell us accurate history.

The Bible also claims historical authority. The Word of God is the highest authority a Christian has. It stands alone as certain truth. This is where many scholars, obviously, distance themselves from Christian theology. After all, they would say, even if we conclude that the Bible does make claims to historical accuracy, and does tell us some history, we can’t seriously hold that everything in it is actually true. And of course, if we’re honest we can appreciate their concern. The Bible does make some pretty bold claims in the process of recording God’s activity in history: seas part, donkeys talk, dead people come back to life. And those are just the extreme examples! Beyond that scholars have found also sorts of discrepancies with the record of the Bible and their own understanding of history. In such a case who has the authority? God has established that His Word should be the ultimate standard. That’s not something scholars are comfortable with. It’s often not something I am comfortable with either. But it’s important that as we wrestle with matters of history that those of us who are Christians are submitting to God’s Word. It is the ultimate standard.

The failure of so many people who want to evaluate the historicity of the Biblical accounts is that they put themselves above God’s Word. We become the judge, then. We decide what is accurate and what is not. We have the authority, then, to tell God that He is wrong. Of course that’s not how many scholars and skeptics view their active role. I don’t mean to assert that they are all knowingly being so arrogant, but pride seeps into the heart of all of us and it is especially evident in such bold skepticism. I know it all too well in my own heart, sadly. As we examine the historical claims of the Bible those of us who are followers of Jesus must be willing to submit, ultimately, to God’s Word as the standard of truth. When we do we can begin to make sense of the historical difficulties found in the Scriptures.

The Bible does make real historical claims, claims to both veracity and authority. Though that can be hard to accept, as we do we can begin to work through the historical difficulties more honestly. In the coming weeks I want to look at the history of the Creation accounts, the flood, the gospels, and some select difficulties within the pages of the Scriptures. I hope you’ll join me as we continue working through the historical claims of the Bible.