Can Christian Belief In Biblical Inerrancy Prove That The Bible Is True?

Fundamentalist Christian belief claims that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God.

On the basis of this belief, Fundamentalists and Evangelical Christians claim that they are the only true interpreters of the Bible which means that only those who believe that the Bible is inerrant and infallible can be trusted with Bible authority over Bible interpretation.

Have you ever heard this statement?

 The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.

This favorite motto of Fundamentalist and Evangelical Christians makes it clear. The Bible is true because it is the infallible, inerrant Word of God. And only those who believe the Bible is true can know the truth of the Bible. 

 What Does This Claim Mean For You?

The question then becomes, What kind of power does such a claim hold over you?

Are you being bullied by someone with a Bible who claims to know what you “should” or “should not” do, because “the Bible says it” and the bully believes it?

The real truth is that you can believe what you want about almost anything. But believing doesn’t make anything true.

The significant question that is left out of the dogmatic motto about belief in the Bible concerns proof. How can you or anyone else prove that a belief is true?

 What Is The Difference between Belief And Proof? 

The Bible Authority Question that will set you free from the dogmatic claims of bullies concerns the relationship between belief and proof. 

Can anyone prove that the Bible is true by believing it is true?

By definition, belief is confidence that something is true without sufficient evidence to prove that it is true.

In contrast, proof requires sufficient evidence to establish a thing as true.

In other words, you can believe whatever you choose, but without sufficient evidence, you can’t prove that it is true.

That doesn’t mean that what you believe is untrue. It simply means you don’t have sufficient evidence to prove that it is true.

The Circular Logic Of Biblical Inerrancy

But what about statements about the truth of the Bible based on what “the Bible says.” Isn’t that proof that it is true?

Logicians have several names for this type of claim. They call it “begging the question,” tautology, or circular argument.

The fallacy of a circular argument is to assume in the premise what we are trying to prove in the conclusion.

Do You Have To Prove That An Orange Is An Orange?

A simple tautology is: An orange is an orange.

A tautological argument about an orange would be: An orange is an orange because it is an orange.

This argument hasn’t gone anywhere, except in a circle.

Is The Bible True Because You Believe It Is Inerrant?

How about this statement?

Everything the Bible says is true because the Bible is infallible and inerrant.

This statement doesn’t prove any more than a claim that an orange is an orange because it is an orange.

The “argument” goes in a circle, because it assumes the premise it claims to prove.

You cannot prove that anything “the Bible says is true” by claiming in advance that everything “the Bible says” is true.

It would be the same as suspect in a robbery trial claiming: I didn’t steal the wallet because I’m not a thief.

This kind of self-referential claim is not sufficient in a court of law. There has to be other evidence to prove whether or not a suspect is a thief.

And this kind of self-referential claim is not sufficient to prove that the Bible is true or false.

Bible Authority Over Bible Interpretation

How about the statement that Bible authority over Bible interpretation derives from the authority of the Bible?

This claim about Bible authority is as much a tautological statement as the statement that an orange is an orange.

Belief Not Proof

Here’s the really important point.

Anyone who attempts to bully you about what you “should” or “should not” do, based on claims about what “the Bible says,” is operating from belief rather than proof.

And this is especially true about such illogical statements as:

The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.

This claim actually settles nothing.

Freedom from Bad Bible Bullies begins with the awareness that Fundamentalist and Evangelical Christian belief in an inerrant, infallible Bible is not proof that their claims about the Bible are true.

If you have “Bible Authority Questions” you would like me to consider in future newsletters, please leave a comment. 

For Your Freedom,

Kalinda Rose Stevenson, Ph.D.