Is inerrancy compatible with inspired fiction?

I am making good progress on the hermeneutics textbook which I am writing—Issues in Interpretation. I have four more chapters to finish. They are:

• How to Obtain Objectivity in Interpretation
• Covenant Theology vs. Dispensational Theology
• Progressive Dispensationalism
• The New Apostolic Reformation

A friend of mine recently wrote an excellent paper on Replacement Theology. That was one of the chapters that I wanted to include in this textbook. His paper also covered two other topics that I wanted in the book. So, he agreed to write three chapters for me.

I really believe that the subject of Bible interpretation is an extremely important topic facing the church today. Even our conservative seminaries and Bible colleges are teaching some pretty strange things about Bible interpretation.

Craig Blomberg of Denver Seminary wrote a book titled Can We Still Believe the Bible? His conclusion is that we can still believe the Bible, if we learn to distinguish between inspired fiction and inspired history. What is inspired fiction? According to a number of seminary professors the authors of the Bible simply made up stories such as Jonah and the Great Fish in order to illustrate certain theological points they were trying to make.

In his commentary on Matthew, seminary professor Robert Gundry wrote, “Don’t assume that narratives in the Bible are actual history!” In other words, Bible narratives include inspired fiction.

Michael Licona, Professor of Theology at Houston Baptist University, suggests that the account of Old Testament saints being raised from the dead at Jesus’ crucifixion should not be understood as historical fact—it was simply inspired fiction.

Now you would fully expect to find such teaching at liberal seminaries. But these are conservative schools. And these men all claim to believe in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. Let’s not forget that what is being taught in our seminaries today is what will be preached in our churches tomorrow. We really need more people addressing these issues. And on a personal note, I really do appreciate your prayers for this writing project.

In Christ,

Bob

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God Uses the Weak

For when I am weak, then am I strong.
(2 Cor 12:10b)

“God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him.”
-Hudson Taylor, missionary to China