Thursday, December 9, 2021

Inerrancy and the Incarnational Model in Both Gnostic and Orthodox Frameworks

Some errantists like to argue that the Bible is comparable to the incarnation. In that regard, the Bible takes on a true humanity while also being fully divine. I think most Christians would agree with this idea. However, errantists have assumed that in order to take upon an incarnational model, one must assume that true humanity means fallen humanity, the errors of humanity. This is actually not the orthodox view of the incarnation because it isn't the biblical view. Jesus was like us in all things, except without sin (Heb 4:15). He is the spotless/unblemished lamb. 

So I would submit to you that the incarnational model of errantists is actually Gnostic rather than orthodox and apostolic. It assumes that true humanity, humanity in its very ontology, is corrupt and in error. Jesus would have to be corrupt and in error as well. He could not be unblemished or without sin if He is fully human. In this regard, the divine only hovers above and around the humanity but never would join with it, as it is corrupt. It uses the humanity but never unifies with it.

Hence, this is more of the adoptionist model of incarnation applied to Scripture. Scripture is a corrupted book with human speculations, sinful and wicked ideas, and erroneous theology and ethics but God somehow comes around it, never agreeing with it or joining with that erroneous human element but using it in the way the divine presence/Christ used the corrupt man Jesus to save. 

Errantism in this sense, then, is actually a product of gnosticism applied to Scripture. The apostolic and orthodox view of incarnation applied would mean that the divine message is in full and complete unity and agreement with the human message. This does not imply that the human message must be omniscient, as even Jesus' humanity is not omniscient. Instead, it implies that the divine keeps the human from an erroneous message being communicated because of its lack of omniscience. 

This means that a human author can believe that the earth is not round, for instance, but that misinformation is not an obstacle to, and indeed even used as part of the language for the divine to communicate its inerrant message through, it.

This simply suggests that, since liberalism, the religion of the Enlightenment, is essentially gnostic, that errantism of this sort is liberalism, and liberalism, as gnostic, is itself heresy according to the apostles. Ergo, errantism of this sort is heresy according to the apostles. 

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