Biblical infallibility

==Neighboring concepts ==
=== {{anchor|Infallibility and inerrancy}}Infallibility and inerrancy ===

Some theologians and denominations equate "[[biblical inerrancy|inerrancy]]" and "infallibility"; others do not.<ref>McKim, DK, ''Westminster dictionary of theological terms'', Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.</ref> For example, Davis suggests: "The Bible is inerrant if and only if it makes no false or misleading statements on any topic whatsoever. The Bible is infallible if and only if it makes no false or misleading statements on any matter of faith and practice."<ref>Stephen T. Davis, ''The Debate about the Bible: Inerrancy versus Infallibility'' (Westminster Press, 1977), p. 23.</ref> 
In this sense it is seen as distinct from [[biblical inerrancy]].

There is a widespread confusion among Evangelical and Christian fundamentalist circles that biblical infallibility means that ''the Bible cannot contain errors'' while inerrancy implies that ''the Bible contains no errors''.{{cn|date=April 2024}} However, the concept of infallibility has no relation to errors, but the impossibility of failure.

The confusion between the terms is consistent. Old Testament scholar John Walton uses the term inerrancy in the sense that the "Scripture is not to be understood as making scientific affirmations, particularly in the realms of cosmology, anatomy, and physiology";<ref>Walton, John (2015) The Lost World of Adam and Eve. Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015. p.20</ref> however, this definition actually refers to infallibility rather than inerrancy. Using non-theological dictionary definitions, Frame (2002) insists that ''infallibility'' is a stronger term than ''inerrancy''. {{"'}}Inerrant' means there are no errors; 'infallible' means there ''can be'' no errors." Yet he agrees that "modern theologians insist on redefining that word also, so that it actually says less than 'inerrancy.{{'"}}<ref>Frame, John M. "Is the Bible Inerrant?" IIIM Magazine Online,Volume 4, Number 19, May 13 to May 20, 2002 [http://reformedperspectives.org/files/reformedperspectives/theology/TH.Frame.inerrancy.html]</ref>

Some [[Christian denomination|denominations]] that teach infallibility hold that the historical or scientific details, which may be irrelevant to matters of faith and Christian practice, may contain errors.<ref name="inerrancy">{{cite book
|last=Geisler & Nix
|publisher=[[Moody Press]], Chicago
|year=1986
|title=A General Introduction to the Bible
|isbn= 0-8024-2916-5
}}</ref> This contrasts with the doctrine of [[biblical inerrancy]], which holds that the scientific, geographic, and historic details of the scriptural texts in their original manuscripts are completely true and without error, though the scientific claims of scripture must be interpreted in the light of the [[phenomenology of religion|phenomenological]] nature of the biblical narratives.<ref name="inerrancy" /> The [[Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy]] uses the term in this sense, saying, "Infallibility and inerrancy may be distinguished but not separated."<ref>[[Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy]], Article XI</ref> And "We deny that Biblical infallibility and inerrancy are limited to spiritual, religious, or Redemptive themes, exclusive of assertions in the fields of history and science. We further deny that scientific hypotheses about earth history may properly be used to overturn the teaching of Scripture on Creation and the Flood."<ref>[[Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy]], Article XII</ref>