Bible Inerrancy -- Two

[Snow]

Bible Inerrancy -- Salvation:

Issue:

If the Bible is inspired by God and inerrant, then the criteria by for going to Heaven or Hell would be clear and unambiguous.

Option 1: The Bible is inerrant. God inspired authors of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures to accurately describe a the precise criteria that determines a person’s fate after death.

Option 2: The Bible is not inerrant. Various authors would disagree about whether a person’s fate in the afterlife was due to good and bad works, or specific beliefs, or on the basis of a religious ritual, on the basis of other criteria, or by some combination.

What the Bible Shows:

In ancient Old Testament: The writers state that everyone goes to the same place after death: Sheo, where they are to be isolated from God. It does not matter whether one had led a good or an evil life while on earth.

More modern OT Scriptures (such as Daniel): People who followed the Mosaic Law and been kind to their fellow humans would enjoy rewards after death. Evil people would be punished. So we expect individuals guilty of great evil or genocide go to Hell. And if a person had led a life of self-sacrifice and service to others, they are to go to Heaven.

Paul taught that those who believed in Christ's and his resurrection would go to Heaven.

The Synoptic gospels: The authors of Matthew, Mark and Luke taught that salvation is based on a person's good and bad works.

John: The author(s) of the gospel of John taught that the criteria was based on belief: those who believed that Jesus is the Son of God would go to Heaven.

Numerous other locations in the Christian Scriptures described how one is saved by baptism.

Outcome:

Different Bible authors have wildly different ideas about what a person must do in order to go to Heaven. There is no consistency on whether it is due to baptism, good works, faith or some combination. On this topic, the prospects for Bible inerrancy.... are not good. (rel tol)