Though inerrancy does have a major consequence on one’s sanctification, the Committee is not contending that belief in inerrancy makes a perfect Christian. The Committee “gladly acknowledges that many who deny the inerrancy of Scripture do not display the consequences of this denial in the rest of their belief and behavior.” Moreover, they are equally conscious that those “who confess this doctrine often deny it in life” by failing to bring thoughts and deeds into true subjection to the Word.
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (CSBI) was issued in 1978 by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy (ICBI). In the introduction, the Committee defined the Statement as consisting of three parts: a summary statement, Articles of Affirmation and Denial, and an accompanying Exposition. However, the Introduction to all three of these parts is instructive for the person who would know what the ICBI had in mind for their Statement.
An Historical Perspective
The Introduction is five short paragraphs, each with a very clear point. The first paragraph is a simple reminder that “the authority of Scripture is a key issue for the Christian Church in this and every age. For those who would like to explore this theme it would be helpful to consult the title edited by John Hannah, Inerrancy and the Church published in 1984. However, in this first paragraph the committee tips its hand. This is not merely an academic endeavor. Inerrancy is a matter of discipleship because the reality of discipleship is seen in “humbly and faithfully obeying God’s written Word.”
A Fresh Reminder
In the second paragraph the ICBI recognizes that in the present moment there is a great need to affirm “this inerrancy of Scripture afresh.” They go on to say, “We see it as our timely, duty to make this affirmation in the face of current lapses from the truth of inerrancy among our fellow Christians…” If I may take liberty at this point, the reason why Place for Truth is running this series is because we believe that the church over fifty years later needs a fresh reminder.