Topic > The Bible is without error, and therefore true - 869

Augustine claims that the Bible is without error, and therefore true, which helps to build the believer's faith. However, teachers who possess this knowledge must present the information eloquently, so that believers can also be edified with the discourse. Without proper teaching and learning, believers may assume a relative interpretation of the Word and “quote the Scriptures according to his understanding or preference” (Augustine, 105). For believers to fully absorb the truth, the contemporary Church must equip ministers with the skills and teach Christians proper hermeneutics to accurately read the Word.I. Biblical Analysis Augustine begins by stating that Scripture is free from error. The Scriptures are a foundation for understanding faith and God's love. It serves as a guide for the believer's faith, so it cannot be wrong. Augustine incorporates 2 Cor. 5:7 to support his point; believers “walk by faith, not by sight.” By reading the Word, believers learn about God's love and trust that everything He wrote in the Bible is true. But if due to an error the authority of Scripture falters, faith also falters, which leads to the decline of love (Augustine, 28). However, it almost seems as if Augustine is accentuating his argument without sufficient support. He seems to assume that his readers already recognize that Scripture is error-free. Those who do not believe so are misled by their own interpretation because the Scriptures do not lie (Augustine, 27). There needs to be stronger biblical support to argue that Scripture is without error. Jesus himself states that "heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Mt 24.35) and "not the small... half of the paper... of the Scriptures which other than that of the writer is misled ” (Augustine 27) Furthermore, Augustine makes an important notion that if believers are not equipped with the right faith, then their sight will be replaced by the visible reality and hope will be replaced by the real happiness we can obtain (Augustine 28). Therefore, correct interpretation of Scripture is critical. Many believers are taught to read the Word and make relative interpretations. They are taught to ask questions such as "what does this passage mean to me?" life?" When they do this, they remove the Word from context, which increases the likelihood of misinterpretations. Therefore, the contemporary church needs to open hermeneutic courses so that Christians learn to read the Word from God's point of view and learn Its meaning. can be applied to their lives.