The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy was a statement formulated in 1978 by leading evangelical Christian scholars to defend the doctrine of biblical inerrancy against liberal and modernist movements that began questioning the complete truthfulness and accuracy of the Bible.
The statement was drafted during a three-day summit held in October 1978 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago. It was attended by nearly 300 evangelical leaders, who aimed to clearly state what the Bible teaches about its own truthfulness and to produce a statement that could be used to promote biblical authority and accuracy.
The statement has a 19-article preamble and conclusion, and a 12-article exposition that further expands on the meaning and ramifications of biblical inerrancy. It concludes by affirming that the Bible is inspired, authoritative, and completely true and trustworthy in all that it asserts.
Background and Purpose
By the 1970s, biblical inerrancy was a hotly contested doctrine within evangelicalism. More liberal evangelicals began questioning whether the Bible was completely without error given discoveries from modern biblical criticism, science, and archaeology. This led to concerns among more conservative evangelicals that biblical authority was being seriously undermined.
Several earlier statements had been made affirming biblical inerrancy, including the statements of the 1910–1915 General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church and the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy statement in the 1960s. However, there was a need for a more comprehensive statement to address new challenges to the doctrine.
The purpose of the Chicago Statement was to clearly define what is meant by biblical inerrancy and to address contemporary challenges to the doctrine. The drafters believed that this was urgently necessary given attacks on biblical authority from both inside and outside the church. They sought to produce a nuanced statement that avoided “the twin errors of reductionism and bibliolatry” (CSBI, Preamble). In other words, they wanted to uphold complete biblical truthfulness without falling into worshipping the Bible over God.
Preamble
The preamble to the Chicago Statement makes a number of key affirmations:
– God’s revelation in Scripture is completely true and reliable.
– The Bible is God’s written Word to humanity and is authoritative for our faith and conduct.
– The Holy Spirit superintended the human authors so what they wrote was precisely what God wanted written.
– The Bible is without error or fault in all its teaching.
– Some clear biblical teaching is crucial to the church but various definitions of inerrancy have not always been clear or consistent.
– There is a need to define biblical inerrancy more explicitly and in ways that address modern biblical criticism.
– This statement affirms that the doctrine of inerrancy is historic Christian teaching and is essential to the authority of Scripture.
The preamble makes it clear that signatories believe in a robust view of biblical inerrancy. It sets the stage for the detailed explanation of what is and is not meant by inerrancy that follows.
Articles of Affirmation and Denial
The 19 Articles of Affirmation and Denial form the core theological statement in the Chicago Statement. They cover a range of issues related to biblical authority, truthfulness, interpretation, and inerrancy.
Article I
Article I uses 2 Timothy 3:16 to affirm that the whole Bible is inspired by God and therefore completely true and reliable in all it asserts. Biblical inerrancy applies to the whole of Scripture as it was originally given. Inspiration and inerrancy only apply to the autographic text—the original documents themselves written by or at the dictation of the biblical authors.
Article II
Article II affirms that the Scriptures are inerrant because they were breathed out by God. As a perfect God cannot err, and as inspiration entails God superintending the human authors, the end result is a record of divine truth without any error.
Article III
Article III acknowledges that the Bible reflects different literary styles, and that some parts are more obscure than others. However, it affirms that these do not undermine the truth or trustworthiness of any part of Scripture.
Article IV
Article IV asserts that though the Bible was transmitted down through history, Scripture in its entirety in the original manuscripts and as preserved over time is still completely true and trustworthy. The details of textual transmission do not undermine biblical inerrancy.
Article V
Article V stresses that Scripture is understandable to ordinary people, but biblical interpretation requires careful scholarship and prayerful study. The truth of the Bible is clear to the ordinary reader but its depths and intricacies require diligent study to fully comprehend.
Article VI
Article VI asserts that the Bible clearly communicates God’s will on matters of faith and conduct. Apparent inconsistencies should not be taken at face value but with careful interpretation can be shown to not undermine biblical authority.
Article VII
Article VII states that apparent discrepancies or inconsistencies within Scripture may have plausible reconciliations even if we are presently unable to fully explain them. Therefore, these do not necessarily undermine biblical inerrancy.
Article VIII
Article VIII denies that supposed errors or discrepancies in the Bible are due to the human dimension of Scripture. God inspired the biblical authors in such a way that what was written was exactly what He intended.
Article IX
Article IX stresses that Scripture is completely true in what it affirms, whether doctrines or ethics. However, the truthfulness of the Bible is restricted to what it actually asserts and not human interpretations or applications of Scripture.
Article X
Article X asserts that biblical inerrancy only applies to the original manuscripts. However, the existing manuscript copies accurately preserve the originals, and any variants do not undermine biblical authority and truthfulness.
Article XI
Article XI acknowledges that translations will vary in accuracy. However, the truth of God’s Word is not completely inaccessible but can be sufficiently known through existing translations when used with appropriate interpretive skill.
Article XII
Article XII asserts that Scripture upholds the goodness of God’s original creation. Apparent contradictions between Scripture and science should be interpreted with humility and care on both sides. Scientific theories are not infallible and God’s ways are beyond us (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Article XIII
Article XIII stresses the necessity of interpreting biblical descriptions of reality in terms of the universe as human beings experience it. Scripture was given by God but through the medium of human language within ancient cultural contexts.
Article XIV
Article XIV qualifies biblical inerrancy as being in relation to the intended truth assertions of biblical authors. The Bible is not a scientific or historical textbook in the contemporary sense. Scripture is completely true in what it intends to teach.
Article XV
Article XV denies the validity of undesigned prophetic fulfilments. It also denies that biblical inerrancy can be proven through historical scientific evidence, which is inconclusive. Belief in inerrancy comes from the Spirit’s witness and the biblical testimony.
Article XVI
Article XVI asserts that all interpretations are affected by the assumptions interpreters bring with them. Biblical statements should be interpreted according to the literary genres and forms used by biblical authors, and should aim to discern the authors’ intended meaning.
Article XVII
Article XVII asserts that the Holy Spirit enables right interpretation of Scripture. While believers cannot attain complete understanding, it is possible through the Spirit to correctly discern God’s Word and what He requires of us.
Article XVIII
Article XVIII stresses the importance of interpreting Scripture by Scripture. Apparent discrepancies may be resolved by understanding passages in light of pertinent biblical evidence from other texts.
Article XIX
Article XIX affirms that fallen humans inevitably bring preconceptions and bias in interpreting Scripture. However, it is still possible to rightly discern the Word of God if interpreters are committed to hearing and obeying it.
Exposition
The Exposition expands on the meaning of various aspects of biblical inerrancy expressed in the Articles of Affirmation and Denial.
Article I
Article I emphasizes that inerrancy applies only to the verbal, plenary inspiration of the original manuscripts of Scripture. However, textual variants from copying do not overturn biblical inerrancy or make the truth of God’s Word completely inaccessible.
Article II
Article II asserts that biblical inerrancy extends to any assertions or claims within Scripture, not just spiritual, religious, or redemptive themes. It applies to historical and scientific matters, although their presentation conforms to ordinary language of ancient peoples.
Article III
Article III states that truth claims of the Bible on historical and scientific matters do not necessarily conform to modern technical standards of precision. However, they agree with the phenomena the biblical authors describe. Scripture is true for its assertions within ancient idioms and phenomenological language.
Article IV
Article IV asserts that when attempting to reconcile any apparent conflict between Scripture and science, interpretations of either or both may need correction. Not all scientific claims are firmly established nor have all biblical interpretations settled.
Article V
Article V states that the meaning of biblical passages must be determined from careful consideration of the text and its relationship to the whole of Scripture. Scripture is its own best interpreter, and considers ancient Near Eastern literary forms and devices.
Article VI
Article VI affirms that Scripture upholds the goodness of God’s original creation. While the fall introduced corruption and imperfections, evil does not have an actual existence but is a privation of good.
Article VII
Article VII asserts that Genesis 1-11 is factual history. The universality of the flood likely refers to the whole inhabited world, but allows for lack of precision. Such details do not undermine the historicity of primordial events discussed.
Article VIII
Article VIII states that biblical inerrancy does not demand technically precise, modern standards of scholarship from biblical authors. It allows for imperfection, irregularities, and uniqueness due to human participation in the process of inspiration, within the limits of condescending divine accommodation.
Article IX
Article IX stresses that apparent discrepancies do not necessarily entail real contradictions. Discrepancies may be resolved through further study and discovery. Scripture must be given the benefit of the doubt unless conclusive evidence demonstrates a real error exists.
Article X
Article X states that human finitude implies our interpretation of Scripture, despite best efforts, is never completely free of human error. Therefore, Christians should remain open to refinement and correction as they continue studying the Word of God.
Article XI
Article XI asserts that the Chicago Statement does not exhaust the extent of biblical authority or provide resolution for all interpretive challenges. However, it indicates parameters within which inerrancy functions as churches continue to the study the Bible.
Article XII
Article XII concludes by affirming the usefulness of the Chicago Statement for the church at the present time to help clarify and defend the doctrine of biblical inerrancy against reductionist claims that would undermine biblical authority.
Conclusion
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy was an important evangelical response to challenges over biblical authority arising in the 20th century. It has served as a widely accepted standard articulation of what is meant and not meant by calling the Bible inerrant.
The statement affirms that Scripture is inspired and completely true in all it teaches and asserts. This does not demand technical precision but applies to what the biblical authors intended to assert within the limits of ordinary phenomenological language and literary forms. Apparent discrepancies do not necessarily entail errors but can be resolved with careful textual study.
While allowances are made for lack of modern standards of precision and the inevitability of some uncertainty in interpreting textual discrepancies, overall the Chicago Statement affirms that when rightly interpreted the Bible is completely true and trustworthy in all it affirms. As an authoritative expression of God’s will, Scripture is the rule of faith and conduct for believers.
The framers of the statement believed biblical inerrancy is a crucial doctrine for maintaining biblical authority. They hoped it would stop the erosion of confidence in Scripture they saw occurring in evangelical circles. They aimed to clearly affirm biblical truthfulness while avoiding rationalistic extremes, and upholding the validity of legitimate textual and interpretive analysis. This careful nuance explains why the Chicago Statement continues as an influential benchmark for inerrancy.