I vividly recall one sermon by a leading pastor of our little evangelical denomination in which he gave an example of the gospels contradicting themselves. Nobody blinked. The contradiction didn’t touch on the gospel or salvation.
So according to Olson's views, the Bible is infallible but not inerrant. In other words, the Bible does have errors in it (though Olson doesn't list any) but in regard to salvation, the Bible is full of authority. The Bible is assumed to be wrong, I guess, in regard to history, science, perhaps some miracles, etc. I am not sure where Olson would draw the line. Is the Bible only truthful when it speaks of God or His nature? Is the Bible only true when it speaks about salvation? Where do we draw the line and who decides what are errors? Theologians? Scientists? Church councils?
I ask the same question again and again regarding this issue and inerrancy. If we can't trust Genesis 1-11, how can we trust the Gospels? If the Gospels are in contradiction (as Olson states with approval that this man stated while preaching in the 1960's) then how can we trust that they got the story of Jesus correct? Perhaps they made it up? Perhaps the resurrection is not true? And again, who decides this? Who makes the decision that the Gospels are wrong? This man who was speaking? Roger Olson? And if this is the case, who decides what is right about the Bible?
If the Bible is infallible then it logically follows that it is inerrant. If God wrote the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17) then could He not safeguard His Word as well? If we believe that God is sovereign over the nations, that whatever God desires to do, He does (Psalm 115:3) and that He is infinite in His understanding and wisdom (Psalm 147:5 NASB) then could not this sovereign God protect His Word from error? Or is He so weak and so chained by human free will that He cannot protect His Word? I believe that the the overwhelming teaching of Scripture is that the Bible is true (John 17:17) and that if Jesus affirmed the full inspiration of the Scriptures then we should as well (Matthew 5:17-18; John 10:35). I am thankful that God is sovereign and He is more than able to guard His Word from error knowing that His Word would reveal His salvation through His Son (John 20:31; 2 Timothy 3:15; James 1:21).
While I think that Olson would affirm the above, he would still allow for errors which still begs the question of who decides then what is truthful and what is not.
