What Is Biblical Infallibility?

Infallibility and inerrancy are closely related but slightly different doctrines about Scripture. Inerrancy focuses on the truthfulness of the Bible — it contains no errors. Infallibility focuses on the reliability of the Bible — it cannot fail or mislead. The two doctrines support each other: because Scripture is inerrant, it is infallible; because it is infallible, we trust its inerrant teaching. The classic verse is Isaiah 55:11: 'So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.' God's Word cannot fail in its mission. Jesus declared, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away' (Matthew 24:35). Psalm 19:7-9 lists the perfections of Scripture: perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, and righteous altogether. Such a Word cannot lead astray. Infallibility means we can trust Scripture entirely as our guide in matters of faith and practice. It will accomplish the regeneration of those whom God calls (1 Peter 1:23), the sanctification of those who hear (John 17:17), and the comfort of those who suffer (Romans 15:4). Some theologians have tried to drive a wedge, claiming the Bible is infallible (reliable for salvation) but not inerrant (it may contain factual mistakes in history or science). This compromise actually undermines infallibility, because a Bible that errs in what it says about earthly matters cannot be trusted in what it says about heavenly matters (John 3:12). True infallibility rests on full inerrancy. The Bible is what it claims to be: a Word that will not fail, from a God who cannot lie.