... and the assumption is that Philip is aways right because he has the last word? I don't think so. There is no such thing as a degree of circularity.
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Revision as of 02:15, 24 January 2014
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A precise statement of inerrancy as it is held by many believers is found in the [http://www.bible-researcher.com/chicago1.html Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy]. This statement affirms the divine inspiration of the entire Bible, "down to the very words of the original", but that inspiration also "utilized the distinctive personalities and literary styles of the writers". An important point is that inerrancy is attributed only to the original manuscripts. Mistakes may have been introduced during the copying of the manuscripts, but there are good reasons, also acknowledged by secular scholars, to believe that errors of transmission have been minor. This manifesto specifically applies inerrancy to the whole Bible, not limiting it, as some other positions do, to "spiritual, religious, or redemptive themes" or excluding "assertions in the fields of history and science". Some more specific observations are made in Article XIII:
A precise statement of inerrancy as it is held by many believers is found in the [http://www.bible-researcher.com/chicago1.html Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy]. This statement affirms the divine inspiration of the entire Bible, "down to the very words of the original", but that inspiration also "utilized the distinctive personalities and literary styles of the writers". An important point is that inerrancy is attributed only to the original manuscripts. Mistakes may have been introduced during the copying of the manuscripts, but there are good reasons, also acknowledged by secular scholars, to believe that errors of transmission have been minor. This manifesto specifically applies inerrancy to the whole Bible, not limiting it, as some other positions do, to "spiritual, religious, or redemptive themes" or excluding "assertions in the fields of history and science". Some more specific observations are made in Article XIII:
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{{quote|WE DENY that it is proper to evaluate Scripture according to standards of truth and error that are alien to its usage or purpose. We further deny that inerrancy is negated by Biblical phenomena such as a lack of modern technical precision, irregularities of grammar or spelling, observational descriptions of nature, the reporting of falsehoods, the use of hyperbole and round numbers, the topical arrangement of material, variant selections of material in parallel accounts, or the use of free citations.}} Those holding this position often consider it to be a necessary consequence of the perfect, [[omnipotency|omnipotent]], [[omniscience|omniscient]], and infallible nature of God.{{ref|Dr. John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon, [http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/ATRI-Bible-School/Fall-Bible-School/03%20Biblical%20Inerrancy%20Part%202.pdf ''Biblical Inerrancy—Part 2: The Evidence'']}}{{ref|Eric Lyons, M.Min. and Dave Miller, Ph.D., [http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2541 ''Biblical Inerrancy,''] Apologetics Press}}
There
is
some degree of
[[circular reasoning|
circularity
]]
in this
statement
, as in all world views
, since the Bible is the primary source of the belief that God has these characteristics. There are, however, many arguments and much evidence that can be invoked in testimony to both the existence of God and warrant for the original inerrancy of the Scriptures.<ref>John M. Frame, ''Apologetics to the Glory of God: An Introduction Apologetics to the Glory of God'', pp. 71, 85-86, 126, 213-24, 226, Cp. 4</ref><ref>John M. Frame, ''The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God,'' pp. 353,54, 379</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=UZTQUyy0u2wC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Reasons+We+Believe:+50+Lines+of+Evidence+That+Confirm+the+Christian+Faith&source=bl&ots=CcqqqAtnsE&sig=fN7AxIe6OgjudRjkrASMmPDSgMQ&hl=en&ei=gW53S4KaBtOUtgfRi7yrCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=circular%20%20&f=false Nathan Busenitz, John MacArthur, ''Reasons We Believe: 50 Lines of Evidence That Confirm the Christian Faith]</ref><ref>
+
{{quote|WE DENY that it is proper to evaluate Scripture according to standards of truth and error that are alien to its usage or purpose. We further deny that inerrancy is negated by Biblical phenomena such as a lack of modern technical precision, irregularities of grammar or spelling, observational descriptions of nature, the reporting of falsehoods, the use of hyperbole and round numbers, the topical arrangement of material, variant selections of material in parallel accounts, or the use of free citations.}} Those holding this position often consider it to be a necessary consequence of the perfect, [[omnipotency|omnipotent]], [[omniscience|omniscient]], and infallible nature of God.{{ref|Dr. John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon, [http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/ATRI-Bible-School/Fall-Bible-School/03%20Biblical%20Inerrancy%20Part%202.pdf ''Biblical Inerrancy—Part 2: The Evidence'']}}{{ref|Eric Lyons, M.Min. and Dave Miller, Ph.D., [http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2541 ''Biblical Inerrancy,''] Apologetics Press}}
This
is
a
[[circular reasoning|
circular
]] statement, since the Bible is the primary source of the belief that God has these characteristics
. This is an assumption, as exists in all worldviews
. There are, however, many arguments and much evidence that can be invoked in testimony to both the existence of God and warrant for the original inerrancy of the Scriptures.<ref>John M. Frame, ''Apologetics to the Glory of God: An Introduction Apologetics to the Glory of God'', pp. 71, 85-86, 126, 213-24, 226, Cp. 4</ref><ref>John M. Frame, ''The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God,'' pp. 353,54, 379</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=UZTQUyy0u2wC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Reasons+We+Believe:+50+Lines+of+Evidence+That+Confirm+the+Christian+Faith&source=bl&ots=CcqqqAtnsE&sig=fN7AxIe6OgjudRjkrASMmPDSgMQ&hl=en&ei=gW53S4KaBtOUtgfRi7yrCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=circular%20%20&f=false Nathan Busenitz, John MacArthur, ''Reasons We Believe: 50 Lines of Evidence That Confirm the Christian Faith]</ref><ref>
Paul D. Feinberg, "The meaning of inerrancy," in Inerrancy, ed. Norman Geisler (Zondervan, 1980), pp. 267-304</ref>
Paul D. Feinberg, "The meaning of inerrancy," in Inerrancy, ed. Norman Geisler (Zondervan, 1980), pp. 267-304</ref>