Infallibility

What it means

To call Scripture infallible is to say it cannot fail: it will never lead God's people astray. The Reformation confessions use the word this way, speaking of "the infallible truth and divine authority" of the Bible and of Scripture as "the infallible rule" of faith and obedience. In that historic sense, infallibility and inerrancy go together. A book that cannot mislead is a book that does not err.

In the last century the word came to be used in a narrower sense as well. Some say the Bible is infallible in its purpose, meaning it reliably brings people to salvation, while allowing that it may contain errors in matters of history or science. Both uses appear in church statements of faith, so the same word can describe quite different convictions.

When you read that a church believes the Bible is "infallible," it is worth asking which sense is meant. A statement that says "infallible and inerrant," or that echoes the historic confessions, is affirming full truthfulness. A statement that says "infallible" while carefully avoiding "inerrant" may be describing the narrower view this site calls limited inerrancy.

In Scripture

• Proverbs 30:5

  Proverbs 30:5

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  Every word of God is flawless, and he is a shield to those who trust him.

• Isaiah 40:8

  Isaiah 40:8

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  The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

• John 17:17

  John 17:17

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  Jesus prays that his people be sanctified by the truth, and says God's word is truth.

• Psalm 119:160

  Psalm 119:160

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  The whole of God's word is truth, and all his righteous judgments endure forever.