Tag Archives for " christianity "

The Christianity I Dont Believe In

Abortion , Christian Apologetics , Current Events , Doctrine , Polemics , The Bible

 

Christianity is a beautiful and elegant belief system - here's some examples of how it gets mistaken...,

Earlier I wrote a post indicating the Christianity I believe in – here now is a discussion of what I DON’T believe.  The point of this exercise is to help me think things through, as well as help clarify for those with struggles on debatable points, and also for those who love to pin these type of beliefs on us Christians, the Truth notwithstanding.

Santa Claus God God is the Prime Mover; the Creator; the source of all Logic and Reason and Purpose (logos) and Love.  He is the original relationship (all creation seems to be driven by relationship – with Love being at the apex).  He is Spirit – to be worshiped, honored, and contemplated as such and in Spirit.  He is identified as masculine in most of the Bible because the writers (and for the most part – us too) were a Patriarchal society – so masculinity indicates authority.  When we realize what He is, and that we are His creation, it seems silly that we put demands on Him, much less expectations.  Some like to think of Him as our Santa Claus – or our servant out there waiting to do our bidding if we just ask, or ask in the right manner.  Surely He desires the best for us all, and He has selected His Church to execute His will on this earth, but we are the creation, not the task-master.  So – if a prayer goes unanswered to my ‘liking’, it is not some sort of a proof against a God who should show His ‘love’ to me by answering my prayers, it is a careful warning to me to make sure I am aligned to the will of God.  

Christianity Is Anti-Intellectual There’s a lot of other writings in this site that discuss why I truly believe that Christianity is the only belief system (view of life and the world) that makes any sense at all.  In summary, it seems to me that Grace is the ONLY hope for the world.  And, I must exhibit this as much as I can, like Jesus did and like God expects me to, in order to represent Him.  Also, NONE of the other belief systems make any sense to me, indeed they seem to be only partial answers from our limited intellect to answer the great questions of existence, meaning, and purpose. Now not all Christians believe the same things, and none of us have totally thought everything through, nor do we have answers to everything.  But this certainly does not prove anti-intellectualism.  I am as interested in knowledge, logic, reason, the pursuit of Truth, and the scientific method as anyone.  So please don’t begin a discussion with me about the ignorance of my faith, unless you are prepared to speak to yours.  And if you’re a Christian, please consider thinking through with me (or others) the deep deep meaning of the Gospel and its ramifications, and help us all present the Truth to those who are looking for it.  

Christianity is Racist, Sexist, Homophobic, Whatever Else… This one should be pretty clear – we are ALL made in the image of God, and equal in His eyes.  We should treat each other as such.  Now – some want to try and paint the Bible as condoning slavery – it simply addressed it as a cultural issue.  Not only was slavery different in those days from what we generally think of it these days (as racist, or less than human), the Bible was clear that the slaves of that day should be treated fairly, and that they are Children of God.  In fact, and entire epistle speaks to the treatment of slaves as equals. The treatment of women is virtually the same.  Women are indeed equal in God’s eyes as man.  Indeed I’ve seen MANY women smarter than men!  When men properly address women as equals, they cherish them as themselves!  This is a deep deep statement, and not often practiced, even in supposedly enlightened secular circles. I’ve never quite understood why people would want to identify with their sexuality, or their sin.  And, a person’s dealing with their sin is a matter for them to address with God, although the issue of identifying with it places issue with leadership in the Church, as it does with any other clearly identified sin.  Nevertheless, all people are God’s Children, and deserve to be treated with respect in that manner. Hopefully these items are thought provoking, not just provoking.  I truly have no desire to offend anyone, or to be labeled a heretic (HA!).  Please let me know what you think – let’s reason together.  

Here are some links to other relevant information

The Christianity I Believe

Grace and Peace to you all!

 

Harry Potter and Sacraments

Christian Apologetics , Current Events

Is the world represented by Harry Potter developed from Christian roots?  David Nielson at The Evangelical Outpost desribes some 'history' in his post   Evangelicals And The Sacramental World Of Harry Potter

There's an odd thought.  Here's the authors main point:

 As long as we remember that we cannot actually do “magic” (even in a sacramentalized form), then we are free to appreciate the magical symbolism for the deep Christian themes that it expresses

Not sure what I think about this post

What do you think?

Grace and Peace

Mike

Independent Collaborations for the Bible

Christian Apologetics , The Bible

 
Are There Any Independent Verifications of the Bible?

YES!  There are MANY 'Secular' (non-religious) Sources

The existence of extra-Biblical documentations only helps to confirm the validity of the Bible, and provides incentive for the serious consideration of the Bible's messages.  

"Secular" Collaborating Information

 

Regarding

Artifact

Date

Significance

Further Info

Dating of the Bible Documents

War Of The Jews / Antiquities Of The Jews  Flavius Josephus

77 or 78 A.D / 93 A.D.

Describes the horrendous torture and slaughter of the Jews by the Romans in 70 A.D.  Every historical writing after this period discusses this event.  The gospels are silent, however, providing rational circumstantial evidence that they were written prior to 70 A.D.  

 

Confirming the Execution of John the Baptist

Antiquities Of The Jews  Flavius Josephus; Book 18, Chapter 5.

93 A.D.

Describes that "John, that was called the Baptist", was murdered by Herod.

 

Confirming Existence and Importance of Jesus

Antiquities Of The Jews  Flavius Josephus; Book 18, Chapter 3.  There is much controversy over the validity of this passage, whether is was entirely written by Josephus or added manipulated by Christians.

93 A.D.

"Now, there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, -a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.  He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles.  He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principled men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again on the third day, as the divine prophet had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him' ant the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."

 

Confirming Death of Jesus, and the Persecution of Christians

Tacitus – A Roman Historian (60 – 120 A.D.)

 

Refers to fact that "Chrestus…was executed at the hands of the procurator Pontius Pilot in the reign of Tiberius."  Also mentions that Nero put many of his followers to death

Chalmers; Evidences of the Christian Revelation

Tacitus; Annales xv.44

Documents of the Christian Church

Confirming Persecution of Christians

Suetonius – A Roman Historian (TBD)

 

Refers to Jews who were 'continually making disturbances at the instigation of Crestus' were expelled by Claudius from Rome.

 

Confirming Death of Jesus, and the resulting Darkness That Fell Over The Land

Julius Africanus

221 A.D.

Refers to a work by Thallus, who wrote in ~52 A.D. mentions the crucifixion of Jesus.  Thallus describes the event as a solar eclipse, but Africanus disputes this, since the moon was full at the time of the Passover.  (Thallus' work has been lost, but its significance is confirmed by the mentioning by Africanus.

The New Testament Documents – Are They Reliable?  113

Confirms Existence and Execution of Jesus

The 'Mishnah', which is part of the Jewish Talmud.

 

"On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu (of Nazareth)."  This confirmation comes from a Jewish source (non-Christian), which was a record of events sanctioned by the Jewish Sanhedrin.

Habermas; Ancient Evidence For the Life Of Jesus, Pg 98

 

Online Bible Resources

Christian Apologetics , The Bible

            

Online Bible Resources: 

 

Bible Gateway – Provides a nice search feature with many translations and lots of additional information.

 

NET Bible – The New English Translation

 

Bible Crosswalk – Another nice search feature with many versions online, includes Strong's numbers!

 

Parallel Comparison – From the folks at Crosswalk – compare texts of two different translations!

 

Bible History.com – TONS of Bible information, history, maps, geography, timelines, etc etc etc

 

 

Public Domain Dictionaries:

 

Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology – From the folks at Crosswalk – one of the finest Dictionaries in use today!

 

Public Domain Commentaries: 

 

Crosswalk Commentaries – Many public domain commentaries, including Scofield's notes and Wesley's notes!

 

Public Domain Concordances: 

 

Crosswalk Concordances – Many public domain concordances, including Nave's and Strong's.

  

Bible Study Software: 

 

E-Sword.net – A nice, basic system with many resources and a good search engine.  FREE!

 

Gramcord.org – A nice tool to work with original languages, many versions and reference materials

 

Logos – The cream of the crop (high end)!  $150 – $600.

  

Greek / Hebrew Information: 

 

Lexicon– From UnboundBible.org, enter a word and determine the Greek or Hebrew meaning/equivalent

 

Foreign Language Versions: 

 

Text available in MANY different languages, provided from the Bible Gateway folks

Biblical Contradictions

Christian Apologetics , The Bible

 

But Aren't There a Lot of Contradictions in the Bible?
 
Contradictions are NOT the same things as Interpretation Issues…

 

 

One particularly favorite game of a skeptic is to find alleged discrepancies within the Bible, under the assumption that the existence of these discrepancies invalidate the claim of Divine inspiration – after all, if the Bible were truly inspired, then it would be perfect and have no contradictions or discrepancies – right?  In addition to this game, the issue can be of serious importance to a seeker who sees the difficulties, perceives intellectual issues and needs resolution in order to continue serious contemplation of Christianity.  It can be a significant stumbling block when not properly understood. 

Causes of the Perception of Discrepancy – All of the seeming contradictions can, when properly analyzed and understood and not just taken 'at the surface', become resolved.  Most are examples of mistaken assumptions by the reader, or of insufficient knowledge about ancient linguistic syntax or cultural interpretation, or simply a misunderstood perspective of the writers intent. 

The following are examples of some of these most common types of misunderstandings, and their resolutions:

 

Perceived Contradiction

Reference

Reference

Resolution

Judas' Death

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left.  Then he went away and hanged himself.  Matthew 27:5

With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out….they called that field…the field of blood.  Acts 1:18,19b,d

Both can be true, and not contradictory.  Judas may have hung himself alone, and then fallen headlong onto the field, etc.  One reference can simply be telling more details of the story than another.  An example of the requirement of a proper perspective for interpretation.

Jesus' Period Of Death

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heard of the earth.  Matthew 12:40

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week…he has risen.  Matthew 28:1a,6b

In Jewish custom, any part of a day is considered part of a full day.  We see this confirmed in Esther chapters 4&5, where 'on the third day' is equivalent to 'after three days'.  And, even now in Jewish custom, the new 'day' begins at sundown of the previous day.    An example of the requirement for cultural understanding for proper interpretation.

Jesus Curses The Fig Tree

He said to it, 'May you never bear fruit again!'  Immediately the tree withered.  Matthew 21:19

Then He said to the tree, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again.'  In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.  Mark 11:14,20

Clearly a matter of timing.  The issue is in the implications however.  In Matthew, we assume that the object lesson on faith happened immediately afterwards, but we are not told this directly.  Mark may be more descriptive in the chronology of events, while Matthew was describing the event in whole, with breaks in time eliminated to round out the point.  An example of the requirement for proper syntax (structure) understanding for correct interpretation.


We can clearly see that things that appear at first glance to be difficulties, are not, yet need to be properly understood.  One minor lesson from this is that the Bible is to be studied, not 'glanced'.  When you come across a perceived difficulty, don't just simply write the Bible off as errant and therefore not inspired – delve into the facts of the context and pursue proper understanding.  In other words, give the Bible the benefit of the doubt!

Finally, when one considers the fact that the Bible has survived incredible persecution (from the abolition of Rome in A.D. 303 where scores of Christians were killed, and a massive 'book burning' of all Bibles that could be found occurred – yet just 10 short years after this Christianity was accepted as the 'official' religion of the Roman Empire, to Voltaire and Thomas Paine's vain predictions in the 18th century that the Bible will soon be forgotten) is evidence of seemingly supernatural intervention.  

Clearly, these supposed 'contradictions' and 'difficulties' have been worked through for a VAST amount of people for thousands of years.  The Bible is clearly meant to be taken seriously.

Biblical Archaeological Evidences

Christian Apologetics , The Bible

 
Are There Any Biblical Archeological Evidences?
 
YES!  There are MANY!


As with the independent collaborations, archaeological evidences discovered confirming items and events in the Bible serve to provide reason to consider the Bible and its teachings seriously.  It has been remarked that NO archaeological evidence has been discovered that disproves anything mentioned in the Bible!

 

 

Independent Collaborating Information

 

Regarding

Verse

Confirming Artifact

Significance

Reference / Further Info

Roman Census Order

Luke 2:1,3  "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world….everyone went to his own town to register.

A census order from 104 A.D., requiring all to return to their homes to be counted was found in Egypt

Confirms that census' were a function of the Roman government.  An earlier census (dated ~6A.D.) was also found, although the dating is in dispute.

Jesus: The Evidence; Ian Wilson; pg 47

Quirinius (a ruler)

Luke 2:2 "(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was the governor of Syria.)"

An inscription describing Quirinius as a person of authority in Syria was found in Antioch

Confirms a historical aspect of Luke's Gospel

The Bible As History; Werner Keller; pg. 323

King David

2 Samuel 5:4.  'David was thirty years old when he became King, and he reigned forty years.'

A basalt stone monument dated ~900 B.C., discovered in Galilee, describes 'The House Of David' and 'The King Of Israel'

Until this find in 1993, a record of King David has never been found outside of the Bible, leading many scholars to improperly believe that David was a fictitious character.

Is The Bible True?; Jeffery Sheler; pg. 59

Nazareth, the Town In Which Jesus Was Raised

Luke 4:16a. 'He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up…'

Many farming community relics, dated to the first century A.D., discovered in the precise location Nazareth was supposed to be.

Until this find in the 1950's by Belarmino Begatti, no evidence of Nazareth was found, leading skeptical scholars to believe that the town was a Biblical fantasy.

The Archaeology Of The New Testament

Capernaum, a Town Which Jesus Visited

Luke 7:1b,3.  'Jesus entered Capernaum…The Centurion head of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant…"This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue."'

Captain Charles Wilson (1866) confirmed the location of the town.  Virgilio Corbo (1974) discovered a synagogue there, dated to the early first century .

Skeptics, once again requiring archaeological proof before they will believe anything, were again confounded at the discovery of this city.  Corbo believes that we are justified in believing that this synagogue was the very one built by the Centurion mentioned by Matthew, Mark and Luke.

The Archaeology Of The New Testament pg 99

A House In Capernaum, Where Peter and Andrew Lived, and Where Jesus Visited

Luke 4:38.  'Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon.' 

The oldest Christian church yet discovered, attested by documentation dated ~350 A.D. describing a pilgrimage to the 'house of the first of the apostles [where] a church was made…Here the Lord cured the paralytic.' 

Also described in 570 A.D. as a basilica that preserved the house of Peter.

The Archaeology Of The New Testament pg

 

How Did We Get the Bible

Christian Apologetics , The Bible

 
Who Decided What Would Be In The Bible?
How did the Bible get 'canonized'?
 

The 'canon' is a term that refers to the ‘standard,’ or ‘rule.’  The early church fathers, in an effort to preserve the integrity of the ancient writings and the doctrines of the Church, 'canonized' the books that were recognized as 'inspired' by God.  When the writings were ‘canonized,’ this simply means that the church accepted them as the ‘official’ documents that were prescribed by God.  It is important to realize that they were not simply ‘appointed’ as official, but that they had been recognized for some time by the majority of the Church at the time as the inspired word of God and used as such.  The canon simply documents this recognition.  


The Old Testament was known (essentially) as three 'books', the Law (Genesis to Deuteronomy), the Prophets (Joshua through 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the 12 'minor' prophets), and the Writings (the remainder of the OT books.)  These books were confirmed by Christ and the early Church fathers as they referred to them with comments such as 'It is written' or 'God says…'.  The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls included every book of the Old Testament except Esther, indicating an acceptance of them as scripture from the first Century A.D.

Generically, the New Testament canon includes those writings which were most universally accepted by the majority of the early church.  The most controversial (those which were adhered to by a few sects, but not a majority) were eventually culled out of the official 'list'.  Several books, including Revelation, James, Jude, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, were included by the end of the second century.  

Four key questions were considered by the Council Of Carthage (397 A.D.) that declared the official canon of the New Testament church:  

1) Is the writing Apostolic?  If an Apostle either was credited with authorship, or with direct influence (as with Mark and Luke) the canonicity was generally assumed.  This is not a rigid requirement; for example, the book of Hebrews' authorship is still under question.

2)  Is the writing Orthodox?  If the writings conform with the early understandings of the faith, and do not obviously contradict another accepted canonical writing, it is generally accepted.

3)  Is the writing universal?  Writings that seem specific to a certain group, and apparently not intended for the Church as a whole were generally not considered to be appropriate to a canon of the Universal Church.  

4)  Has the writing had influence over the Church over time?  The proven ability for the writing to provide guidance, sustenance and inspiration for the Church is expected.  

Understanding these requirements show that the writings were not simply 'chosen', but proven to be inspired by their 'intrinsic authority and constant usage.'  (Adapted from Zondervan's Handbook To The Bible.)

What About The 'Apocrypha'?

Even after the official canonization, there was some debate going on.  In ~385 A.D., the ancient Church father Jerome developed a version of the Bible that included the books of the Apocrypha, although he later disavowed them as canonical, in his 'Vulgate' Bible.  In 1545 the Council of Trent declared the Vulgate Bible the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church.  The protestant movement sided with Jerome, who by then had separated the Apocrypha from the remainder.  

How Do We Know The Bible Is Inspired?

Christian Apologetics , The Bible

      
 How Do We Know The Bible Is Inspired?
 

The claim of inspiration is really quite outrageous.  A visual that comes to mind is God dictating, and a 'scribe' writing down word for word what God intended to be revealed to the world through time.  This image, while intriguing yet silly at the same time, is not exactly what happened.  Make no mistake, the writers wrote what God wanted them to write:

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.  For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."  2 Peter 1:20-21

Inspiration involves two actors:  God and man.  This is not to say that the men were inspired, similar to the way Mozart wrote 'inspirational' music, but rather that God utilized men to produce an inspired product.  The concept of 'inspiration' is described by J. I. Packer thusly:

 "Scripture is not only man's word – the fruit of human thought, premeditation, and art – but also and equally God's word, spoken through man's lips or written with man's pen.  In other words, Scripture has a double authorship, and man is only the secondary author; the primary author, through whose initiative, prompting, and enlightenment, and under whose superintendence each human writer did his work, is God the Holy Spirit."  

J. I Packer; "The Inspiration of the Bible"; The Origin Of The Bible; Philip Wesley Comfort editor (pg 30)

 Some retort that the claim of inspiration can only be attributed to the Old Testament Scriptures, since they were the 'Scripture' of Jesus' time.  But we must understand the attitude of the Apostles and the Early Church.  Peter, in remarks referring to the letters of Paul, attribute to them an origin that is from God, and offers a warning in their misuse:

…just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.  He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters.  His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction."  2 Peter 3:15b-16

The inspiration of the Scriptures is evident in several ways:

1)  The Miraculous Design.  As we learned earlier, the Bible is a very complex collection of writings.  It was not written by one person, but over 40, from 3 different continents, in three languages!  All of these writings were accomplished over a period of over 1500 years!  When one considers the unity of purpose, the continuity of the content and the fulfilled prophecy (both described in more detail below), the Bible stands legions above any other so-called 'sacred text'.  It cannot be considered the invention of one man, or of a conspiracy of men.  The first writers had no idea what would be written later.  The later writers had nothing to gain from making up any stories.  The Bible's incredible preservation through the years, proven by the discovery of thousands and thousands of manuscripts and fragments, all displaying the virtual perfection of transmission, would be expected of any book that the Creator would provide for us to be the carrier of His message.

2)  The Continuity Of The Content.  The Bible focuses on one subject:  The establishment of God's authority, and the redemption of man.  This can be thought of as God's message to us, to bring us back together with Him.  The Old Testament begins the drama and describes the 'fall' of man, and describes our need (but utter lack of ability to accomplish on our own) for redemption.  The holiness of God is presented, which is contrasted to the utter failure of mankind to qualify for joining with God.  The long history of mankind's failing struggle to make peace is proof that we need supernatural intervention for our redemption.  The New Testament describes the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of a redeemer. 

3)  Fulfilled Prophecy.  God has told us that fulfilled prophecy is one way that we will know something is from Him. 

You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?'  The Bible tells us:  "If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken…"  Deuteronomy 18:21-22a

The Bible itself is replete with evidence of confirmed prophecy (over 600!).  Consider these two famous examples: 

 

 

Prophecy

Fulfillment

[The Lord] says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid."  Isaiah 44:28

When the prophet spoke these words, both the temple and Jerusalem were intact and strong.  'Cyrus' was an unknown entity to them at the time.  100 years later, in 586 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed both.  In 537 B.C., King Cyrus of Persia decreed that the Jews be released to rebuild (a stone cylinder was found confirming Cyrus' decree!)

"I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves.  They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock.  Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets…  Ezekiel 26:3b-5a

In ~550 B.C. when this prophecy was written, Tyre was one of the most powerful sea ports in the world.  In 332 B.C., Alexander the Great began a siege of the island city (that was inhabited due to the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, also as prophesied).  Today, the ancient mainland of Tyre remains flat as a rock, used by fishermen to dry nets!

 

Another amazing example is the prophecy concerning the Jewish people:

 

 

Prophecy

Fulfillment

…if you do not obey the Lord you God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees…all these curses will come upon you and overtake you…the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other.   Deuteronomy 28:15bc, 64a

The history of the Jewish people is most unique.  There have been many races of people who have held positions of power and influence in the world, but none share such amazing changes of fortunes as the Jews.  Their history (Biblical AND extra-Biblical) show them both as conquerors and then slaves.  The small portion of the world they currently occupy remains a focal point of world concern.  What other race of people can you recall that has been dispersed, yet retained their heritage?  World history has always referred to Jewish people as Jews, whether they were Polish Jews, Russian Jews, German Jews, etc.  They uniquely maintained their culture despite being disbursed, as the Bible predicted in Deuteronomy.  For a long time, the prediction of Ezekiel was embarrassing, and seemed impossible.  NO ONE could have predicted that a World War would focus on this race, and result in their gathering together again in their homeland!

"I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." Matthew 24:2b  "The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you…they will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."  Luke 19:43a, 44b

I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries…I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.  Ezekiel 36:19a, 24

 
4)  A 'Super Natural" Message.  The Bible is unique in its message, in addition to the content described above.  In no means does its message benefit any man or institution, as one might expect from a man-made document (indeed, this is one acid test for the other so-called 'sacred texts'.  With a universal 'religious' nature, a natural means of manipulation would be to tap into this nature, and purport to have an answer for the masses, especially one that the particular 'human' writer can fulfill, for a 'price'!)  But the Bible is different!  It does not describe how mankind can redeem itself, as does Buddhism or Naturalism, or many other 'religions'.  The Bible is unique in the message that God is indeed looking for us – and has provided a means to reach him that we cannot achieve ourselves!  There is nothing to be paid, or practiced, only a trust in Him and His grace is required!  Again, this message is unique among all 'religions' that promise a 'peace' that can be earned upon this earth, by human means. 

So is the Bible 'Infallible'?  Is it 'perfect', inerrant, exactly the way that God intended it to be, even in our newest translations?  Christian orthodoxy maintains that the Scriptures were inerrant in the original.  What exactly does this mean?

Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him." 

     Proverbs 30:5

Wayne Gruden, author of Systematic Theology: An Introduction To Biblical Doctrine, defines inerrancy thusly:  

The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact.  There are several key messages that need to be understood about inerrancy.  1) The Bible must be interpreted as it was intended.  We should read allegory as allegory, statement of fact as statement of fact, description as description, etc etc.  When we say that we take the Bible 'literally', we mean that we interpret what it says as it was intended to be interpreted.  For example, when Jesus says "I am the vine and you are the branches", we do not interpret the Bible as saying that Christ has transformed Himself into a plant and expects us to as well!  (While painfully obvious, that example is a good reminder to those who claim to 'woodenly' take Scripture literally, to the detriment on what was meant in the writing!)  2)  Perspective of original authorship must be allowed.  To claim that a portion of Matthew's gospel conflicts with say, Mark's gospel because they may have documented an instance in a manner that appears contradictory.  We must remember that it is the intent of the passage that meant to be brought across.  Most of the so-called 'errors' of the Bible can be attributed to improper interpretation, or of a mistaken (more on interpretation of the Bible later.)   3)  Orthodoxy does not insist that the modern 'translations' are inerrant.  Does this mean that they are 'wrong'?  What it means is that the Bible is meant to be studied seriously, to determine the intent of the Creator is His originals.  A cursory reading of the Bible is likely to lead to errant interpretation.  When studying the Bible, with the intent of truly determining God's word and will, we must make a diligent effort of pursuit, and work to understand the intent, syntax, context, and history of the passages and translations (more on translations of the Bible later.)

Finally, regarding the inspiration and the Bible, we must remember God's edict to us to follow when considering the Bible, and His purpose of giving it to us:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  2 Timothy 3:14-16