Scripture
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof…" — 2 Tim 3:16
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."Psalm 119:105
The Christian claim about Scripture is extraordinary: that the 66 books of the Bible are uniquely and divinely inspired — "breathed out by God" (2 Timothy 3:16). This is the doctrine of biblical inspiration and inerrancy.
What Inspiration Means
Inspiration does not mean God dictated every word mechanically. Rather, the Holy Spirit superintended human authors — using their personalities, writing styles, and historical contexts — to produce exactly what God intended. The result is both fully human and fully divine in authorship.
Inerrancy
Inerrancy holds that Scripture, in its original manuscripts, is without error in all that it affirms. This includes matters of faith, practice, history, and science (when properly interpreted). Apparent contradictions resolve under careful study of genre, context, and original language.
The Canon
How do we know which books belong? The church recognized — rather than determined — the canon based on apostolic authorship or connection, widespread use, and consistency with established doctrine. The 27 New Testament books were universally recognized by 367 AD.
Manuscript Evidence
No other ancient document comes close to the New Testament in manuscript evidence: over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, thousands more in other languages, with the earliest fragments dating to within decades of the originals. Classical works like Caesar's Gallic Wars survive in fewer than 10 manuscripts.