Today’s post features Al Mohler on the classic doctrine of biblical inerrancy. It is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Sola scriptura, Scripture alone, was the formal principle of the Reformation, and it’s also the fundamental principle of evangelical Christianity. We’re the people of the Bible. That’s where it all starts. And that’s where it all ends in this life. All that we have revealed in Scripture is given to us by God. The question is, how do we understand that Scripture? Every Word of Scripture is Inspired The classical evangelical doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture comes down to a simple formula: when the Scripture speaks, God speaks. That’s an easy way to understand exactly what we’re seeking to affirm here. This means we can have the confidence that whenever we read the Bible—any text of Scripture—God is speaking. It’s not just Isaiah speaking. It’s not just Mark or Luke speaking. It’s not just the apostle Paul or Ezekiel speaking. It’s God speaking. Even more fundamental than the inerrancy of Scripture is understanding what’s behind it. And that is how God gave us the Bible. This is referred to as a theory or a concept of inspiration: how did inspiration happen? There are different variants held by different people throughout time. But what I’m going to contend for is what evangelicals have long prized: the verbal inspiration of Scripture, which is formally called the verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture. It comes down to this. The Holy Spirit as the Scripture tells us moved “men of old”—that’s … Continue reading When the Bible Speaks, God Speaks