[MPeak]

Here is an article I posted on my blog. I thought it might be do some good here.

During my research into bible translations, I came across the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. It is an evangelical declaration of the doctrines that Christians hold concerning biblical inerrancy. For the record, inerrancy is defined as being exempt from error.

Article X of the Chicago Statement affirms that inspiration applies only to the original autographs and the following exposition states, “God has nowhere promised an inerrant transmission of Scripture,” and that “…no translation is or can be perfect …” It seems a contradiction to say that current copies of scripture are without error when all that Christians possess are imperfect translations. Can an imperfect document claim to be without error? That seems contradictory and seems to require some major intellectual hoops to reconcile.

Now granted, the word "perfect" generally denotes completeness instead of without error. To be imperfect is to never be complete. In that sense, no translation is perfect because as language changes so translations change, thus presenting a never-ending imperfection.

At the same time, what makes a translation "imperfect"? What causes a scholar to look at scripture and declare that there is need for change or improvement? It would seem that there are errors in the translation. Those errors make it imperfect and requiring correction. This completely destroys the doctrine of inerrancy.

Christians continue to affirm both the imperfection of translations and the inerrancy of scripture, contradicting one another. If scripture is inerrant and the translations are imperfect, then the translations are not scripture. And if translations are scripture, then they are imperfect and with error. Inerrant scripture should be considered perfect, without need for correction or improvement.

The point is that Christians deny what doubters openly affirm and there continues to be a deliberate ignorance of the fact that people will not trust mistakes. Liberal scholars who doubt the legitimacy of scripture because it is imperfect have a clearer understanding of the problem than evangelicals. They call scripture imperfect because they believe it is erroneous, containing error.

I believe that the majority of Christians do not trust scripture. They read it and believe it, but they will not trust their daily lives to the very words written under the title of Holy Bible. If it is not perfect then it is not without error and not trustworthy.

For now, I am left with the option of rejecting Christian scholarship and believing that the King James Bible I hold is perfect and without error. It is a matter of faith because the education establishment definitely sees things different.