The Family
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 49, No. 1 – Fall 2006
Managing Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By R.C. Sproul. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2005. 210 pages. Hardcover, $15.99.
Is the Bible truthful? Is it reliable? Is it without error? These are among the most critical questions facing the church and believers today. R.C. Sproul, in his book Scripture Alone, has presented a convincing case for the inerrancy of Scripture and its reliability for believers today.
The book is composed of a collection of his earlier articles written in defense of the inerrancy, infallibility, inspiration, and authority of Scripture. Its appendices include a copy of “The Ligonier Statement” and “The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.” The book is divided into two parts. The first part explains the history of the debate in the church on biblical inerrancy as well as Sproul’s argument for it. The second part is an explanation and commentary on the nineteen articles in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.
Because the book is composed of some of Sproul’s previously written articles on the subject, it tends to be redundant at times. However, Sproul explains in the introduction that his purpose is to assist a new generation in understanding the history of the debate over the Bible and the defense of its truthfulness.
Sproul does an excellent job defining inerrancy and infallibility. He addresses the different beliefs concerning infallibility and also discusses the dangers of limited inerrancy. Sproul concedes that a person’s salvation does not depend on a right interpretation of these terms but does assert that right doctrine does. Moreover, even a belief in “inerrancy is no guarantee of biblical orthodoxy” (35), but Sproul rightly insists that there is a correlation.
One of the strongest discussions in the book is Sproul’s explanation of the problems of limited inerrancy. He explains how a limited view of inerrancy is subjective, artificial, and dangerous. He also notes how some have even justified sin by avoiding or reinterpreting clear biblical teachings.
Sproul admits that there are difficult passages in the Bible and even some “as yet unresolved discrepancies” (161). He allows the possibility that copy errors may exist between the original documents and the versions that we currently have. However, he asserts that “for more than ninety-nine percent of the cases, the original text can be reconstructed to a practical certainty” (147). In addition, Sproul maintains that where difficulties exist, “no essential article of the Christian faith is affected” (148). Moreover, he explains that a great deal of progress has been made recently to resolve many of these questions. It should be understood that archeological discoveries and other efforts are proving fruitful in continuing to shed light on the Scripture and resolve previously-thought irresolvable questions.
A final word that Sproul emphasizes is worthy of note. The Bible is true whether or not a person chooses to believe it. A person accepting it does not make it more true, and his or her failure to believe it does not make it any less true.
Sproul’s work is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning about the history and critical importance of biblical inerrancy. His work should be read, studied, and digested in hopes that the next generation re-learn the lessons from this generation that God’s word is ultimately, reliably, and undeniably true.
