When it comes to interpreting the Bible, the word “inerrant” has been misused in such a way that has led people to overlook the message intended by God. The mistreatment of this word has brought about attempts to study the Bible as if it were a book of history, science, or philosophy. The sermon combats these misapplications by reminding its audience of the proper use of God’s word, the importance of its divine message, and its claims concerning its own inerrancy. The sermon resonates with me because it reminds me of the pertinence of God’s word and how important it is to use it with the utmost care. I believe that Mercer’s theological faculty strives to take a stance on inspiration that treats the Bible with this same kind of reverence.
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Some Christians and students of the Bible take a contextualist view of inerrancy by asserting that the text was divinely inspired by God, yet the authors added their own personal style and voice by writing in the context of their own experiences. Others subscribe to the literalist view of inerrancy, which asserts that the Bible is flawless and every single word written was given to the authors by God, leaving no room for personal flair. The inerrancy of the Bible lies in its divine message, but because the Bible was written by human authors, there may be small discrepancies in certain aspects such as chronology. One of the most important things to realize is that the Bible contains philosophy, history, and science, but was never meant to be considered a textbook. Those who critique the Bible on its accuracy in these subjects miss the point of the Bible as a whole. The ultimate purpose of the Bible remains in its divine message, and that is why the small discrepancies it contains do not hinder God’s message in being communicated to the reader. Time is wasted by debating the inerrancy of the Bible chronologically just like it would be by debating the inerrancy of the …show more content…
Mercer’s campus is made up of an expanse of all different religious backgrounds, and the way the message of Christianity is portrayed at Mercer may be the only opportunity these students have to get an impression of it in their entire lives. Rather than promoting a literalist point of view, which welcomes in criticism from naysayers by stating that every single word in the Bible is without error, taking a contextualist stance on inspiration presents Christianity in a welcoming and relatable way without being pushy. At its core, the contextualist view of inspiration deeply connects to how God uses Jesus in our lives; God is perfect in everything He does, yet He chooses to use mere humans to spread His message to the world. He knows that we are imperfect and flawed, but He is still going to communicate His inerrant message through us perfectly in spite of our shortcomings. This impeccably mirrors the Bible because it carries a holy message from God that is wrapped up in human words that contain human errors, yet God’s purpose ultimately wins out over those imperfections. Presenting the Bible to students in a way that shows the imperfection of humans contrasted with the perfection of our God is just another way for God to communicate His
Some Christians and students of the Bible take a contextualist view of inerrancy by asserting that the text was divinely inspired by God, yet the authors added their own personal style and voice by writing in the context of their own experiences. Others subscribe to the literalist view of inerrancy, which asserts that the Bible is flawless and every single word written was given to the authors by God, leaving no room for personal flair. The inerrancy of the Bible lies in its divine message, but because the Bible was written by human authors, there may be small discrepancies in certain aspects such as chronology. One of the most important things to realize is that the Bible contains philosophy, history, and science, but was never meant to be considered a textbook. Those who critique the Bible on its accuracy in these subjects miss the point of the Bible as a whole. The ultimate purpose of the Bible remains in its divine message, and that is why the small discrepancies it contains do not hinder God’s message in being communicated to the reader. Time is wasted by debating the inerrancy of the Bible chronologically just like it would be by debating the inerrancy of the …show more content…
Mercer’s campus is made up of an expanse of all different religious backgrounds, and the way the message of Christianity is portrayed at Mercer may be the only opportunity these students have to get an impression of it in their entire lives. Rather than promoting a literalist point of view, which welcomes in criticism from naysayers by stating that every single word in the Bible is without error, taking a contextualist stance on inspiration presents Christianity in a welcoming and relatable way without being pushy. At its core, the contextualist view of inspiration deeply connects to how God uses Jesus in our lives; God is perfect in everything He does, yet He chooses to use mere humans to spread His message to the world. He knows that we are imperfect and flawed, but He is still going to communicate His inerrant message through us perfectly in spite of our shortcomings. This impeccably mirrors the Bible because it carries a holy message from God that is wrapped up in human words that contain human errors, yet God’s purpose ultimately wins out over those imperfections. Presenting the Bible to students in a way that shows the imperfection of humans contrasted with the perfection of our God is just another way for God to communicate His