Q.
Are there any mistakes in the Bible?
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reasonable are the interpretive gymnastics required to harmonize these contra-
dictions in the name of “perfection.”Jim L. Robinson
A.
Bottom line: We are not justifi ed on the basis of the accuracy of our
biblical interpretations. We are justifi ed by trusting in the grace of
God. In my own observation, when this question comes up the one
defending the scripture is virtually always really defending himself. (e.g., I
believe in grace; but just in case, I want to make sure that I’m 100 percent cor-
rect in my understanding of doctrine.) The nagging question of assurance is
always taunting; what if you’re wrong?
The Bible is not a “fact sheet” about God. It is a witness to human experi-
ences of the presence and action of God. God interacts with people, those peo-
ple recognize and understand (being inspired) the meaning or purpose of that
presence and action, and then they record the experience. In the past, some of
those records were collected and became accepted as “scripture”—the Bible.
Those kinds of experiences—and the record of the same—continue today.
For the most part, scripture emerged out of Eastern worldviews, whereas
we in North America are the products of Greek, or Western, worldviews. The
question of “mistakes” imposes a Western worldview onto a basically Eastern
document, and is, indeed, irrelevant insofar as it relates to experience. Any
perceived contradiction within scripture, or between scripture and experience,
is more a measure of our preconceived, often errant, assumptions (based on
Western logic) than of the content or intent of scripture.Scriptural References
Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20 (four resurrection accounts); Matthew
26:17–19; Mark 14:12–16; Luke 22:7–13; John 19:31; 20:30–31; Romans 16:7Suggested Additional Sources for Reading
- Michael Joseph Brown, What They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to
Biblical Studies (Westminster John Knox Press, 2000). - Bart D. Ehrman, Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in
the Bible (and Why We Don’t Know about Them) (HarperOne, 2010). - Bart D. Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus: The Story behind Who Changed the Bible
and Why (HarperOne, 2007). - David J. Lose, Making Sense of Scripture: Big Questions about the Book of
Faith (Fortress Press, 2009). - Luther Seminary: http://www.EntertheBible.org.