Everyday I get an e-mail from dictionary.com with a new word of the day. You can subscribe for free by clicking here.
Today, the word of the day is "errant."
errant \AIR-uhnt\, adjective: 1. Wandering; roving, especially in search of adventure. 2. Deviating from an appointed course; straying. 3. Straying from the proper standards (as of truth or propriety). 4. Moving aimlessly or irregularly; as, an errant breeze.
It struck me when I read these definitions that the Bible is not errant! It doesn't wander about. It doesn't deviate from its appointed course. It is not aimless or irregular. And I don't think it strays from "the proper standards," either. According to the standards of its time, it was recorded faithfully.
On the other hand, the Bible is not inerrant. At least I don't believe so. "Inerrant" means something totally different. It means it contains no errors. According to modern standards, I believe the Bible is probably full of errors. That is to say that it does not provide "direct quotes" the way a modern newspaper does. It does not provide modern scientific explanations for how events happened.
So here's my story and I'm sticking to it: The Bible is not errant, but it is also not inerrant. What a strange language we have!
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Definitions courtesy of Dictionary.com
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