The Infallibility of Scripture

God cannot lie. He is perfectly truthful, unchanging in character, and faithful in every word (Num. 23:19; Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18). Because God is true, His Word is true. And because His Word is true, it cannot fail. This is the doctrine of infallibility: the conviction that Scripture, as the Word of God, is incapable of error in all it affirms.

Psalm 119 celebrates this repeatedly: “Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true” (v. 142). “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” (v. 160). Scripture is not partly true, nor occasionally true—it is wholly true, because it comes from the God who is wholly true.

Jesus confirmed this in His high-priestly prayer, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Bible is not simply accurate or reliable; it is truth itself—true in nature, in content, and in effect.

To call Scripture infallible is to confess that it cannot mislead, deceive, or fail. It is not merely free from error, but unable to err, because its ultimate author is God Himself. The prophets spoke as they were carried along by the Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). The apostles wrote what God breathed out (2 Tim. 3:16). As Augustine put it, “None of the authors of Scripture has erred in writing.” The church has consistently recognized this, confessing that the Word shares in the very trustworthiness of the God who speaks.

This doctrine anchors the believer’s confidence when opening the Bible. We don’t read Scripture wondering which parts can be trusted. We read knowing that all Scripture affirms is trustworthy. Every promise will stand. Every command is good. Every doctrine is sure. As Proverbs 30:5 declares, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

Infallibility means that Scripture always speaks with the full truthfulness of God Himself. It cannot mislead, deceive, or fail. To trust the Word is to trust the God who gave it; to doubt the Word is to doubt His character. God’s Word is steady, sure, and unfailing.

Verses for Further Reflection

• Numbers 23:19
• Psalm 119:160
• John 17:17
• Proverbs 30:5
• 2 Peter 1:21

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