Is it possible to prove the infallibility of the Bible?
Christians claim that the Bible is fully true, without the ability to teach error, and completely trustworthy—that it is infallible. Most say that if some parts of the Bible can be refuted, then the rest must come under doubt. Can the claim of biblical infallibility be proven?The Bible itself says it is infallible, which is why many believe the Bible stands or falls as one. Second Peter 1:9 and 2 Timothy 3:16–17 make claims about the Bible coming from God. If the Word of God comes from God, and God is without error, then His Word must also be without error.
Inductive reasoning can also address the infallibility of the Bible. Ancient manuscripts, archaeology, history, and other fields of study continually support the writings of the Bible. History written by those with no connection with the Hebrew people lines up with what the Old Testament teaches. Archaeology has found proof of places and events spoken of in the Bible.
The Bible is set in literal time. It is not a book of fables or myths, but a book grounded in history. There are verifiable facts about nations, geography, and the like in the Bible, which have proven true.
Technically, the claims of biblical infallibility and inerrancy apply only to the original autographs. But the study and discovery of multitudes of ancient biblical manuscripts show us that what we have today has been accurately copied and preserved from the sacred texts of yore. Any of the few inconsistencies found are minor flaws in translation or copying that have no meaningful bearing on the stories, theology, history, or accounts written.
The Dead Sea Scrolls, written nearly 2,000 years ago and only discovered in 1946, prove an amazing accuracy and consistency of copying and translation of the Hebrew texts.
The New Testament is supported by more than 5,000 manuscripts and manuscript fragments from the original Greek. The oldest come from one generation removed from the original copies. No other ancient writing has been as scrutinized nor found as accurate as the New Testament. Read more about this in our articles: "The Dead Sea Scrolls – What are they and why do they matter?" and "Does the original Bible exist today?"
We can see that external sources prove the Bible claims as accurate, the ancient manuscripts demonstrate the modern translations are accurate copies of the near-original texts, and the Bible itself claims it is without error. So, infallible? There is no other conclusion.
What does it mean for the Bible to be infallible? What is biblical infallibility?
How is the Bible inspired? What does it mean for the Bible to be inspired?
What proof do we have for the inspiration of the Bible?
Does the translation process affect the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Bible?
What is meant by the sufficiency of Scripture? How is the Bible sufficient?
Truth about the Bible
