Tag Archives | authority

Map of Coherence

By on in Theology

This table is a comprehensive doctrinal comparison chart that systematically evaluates a wide range of Christian theological themes according to their creedal affirmation, doctrinal tier, alignment with Scripture, key supporting verses, and a concise explanatory detail for each. It includes foundational doctrines such as the Trinity, Incarnation, Resurrection, and Justification, alongside more controversial topics like Papal Infallibility, Purgatory, Sacramental Efficacy, and Marian dogmas. Each entry is assessed through the lens of Scripture’s authorial intent, with references categorized as Affirms, Rejects, or Requires Contextual Analysis. The creedal columns reference their affirmation in the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian creeds, while the tier classification helps distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary matters of theological importance.

Introduction

This table is designed to aid readers, teachers, and theological students in discerning the clarity, coherence, and theological grounding of various doctrinal claims as measured by their correspondence to Scripture and the historical confessions of the Church. It is particularly useful for evaluating the degree to which teachings—especially those contested between Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant traditions—maintain fidelity to the biblical witness. The inclusion of explanatory notes offers interpretive insight into the theological and practical implications of each doctrine, helping readers understand not only what the Church has historically taught but also how those teachings stand when examined in light of Scripture’s testimony. In sum, this table serves as both a diagnostic and educational resource for those seeking to grow in doctrinal understanding, spiritual maturity, and alignment with the teachings handed down through the apostles and preserved in the canon of Scripture.

Spirit & Truth

According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit is the divine Person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8), and it is through His power that the soul is drawn to repentance and faith. While Scripture is the clear and inspired foundation of all truth (2 Tim 3:16-17), the Spirit is not confined to written text alone; He works dynamically through the Church’s corporate life, including people, tradition, and liturgical expression, to lead believers into deeper holiness and communion with God. As seen in Acts 2:42, the early Christians devoted themselves not only to “the apostles’ teaching,” but also to “the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers”—practices which were deeply communal and rhythmically structured. This shows that the Spirit can and does move within ordered, historical expressions of worship and fellowship, drawing hearts to repentance and shaping them through patterns of faithfulness.

Tradition, when properly subordinate to Christ and aligned with the apostolic gospel, becomes a vessel through which the Spirit preserves and transmits the truths of God across generations. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians, “stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter” (2 Thess 2:15). Here, both oral and written instruction are presented as valid conduits of divine truth, passed on through the Church’s memory and practice. The Spirit, who indwells the Church (1 Cor 3:16), is able to guard the apostolic deposit through faithful teachers, creeds, catechisms, and councils that maintain continuity with biblical teaching. While tradition must never override Scripture, it often provides the scaffolding for the faithful interpretation of Scripture and the preservation of doctrinal clarity, shaping hearts toward sanctification and communion with the Triune God.

Furthermore, liturgy and historical continuity provide a sacred context for worship and spiritual formation, allowing believers to participate in rhythms of grace where the Spirit works over time. In Hebrews 12:28–29, the Church is called to offer to God “acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,” implying form and spiritual posture that is shaped by covenant history. When liturgical forms are grounded in Scripture, they become means by which the Spirit fosters humility, repentance, and worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Through the repetition of ancient prayers, the celebration of the sacraments, and the participation in creedal confession, the believer is catechized into the gospel story. The Spirit uses these tools not merely as aesthetic or cultural expressions, but as spiritually formative practices that deepen our union with Christ (1 Cor 10:16–17), sanctify the soul, and bring about a life of obedient faith empowered by divine grace.

Framework & Grid

This doctrinal comparison table is a structured theological reference designed to assess a wide range of Christian teachings in light of their scriptural foundation, historical affirmation, and theological significance. Its primary purpose is to equip readers with a clear, comparative framework for evaluating core and contested doctrines—particularly those that distinguish Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. Each row addresses a specific doctrinal theme and includes five key categories: (1) Creedal Affirmation, indicating whether the doctrine is explicitly upheld in the Apostles’, Nicene, or Athanasian Creeds; (2) Doctrinal Necessity, classifying the issue as primary, secondary, or tertiary in terms of its necessity for faith and ecclesial unity; (3) Scriptural Fidelity, summarizing whether Scripture affirms, rejects, or requires contextual analysis for that doctrine; (4) Scriptural References, listing representative passages relevant to the issue; and (5) Explanatory Comments, offering a concise theological summary to clarify the issue’s meaning and implications. This table aims to support faithful discernment, doctrinal clarity, and responsible theological engagement grounded in the authority of Scripture and the confession of the historic Church.

Table of Topics

Doctrinal Theme	Creedal Affirmation	Ecumenical Council	Doctrinal Necessity	Scriptural Fidelity	Scriptural References	Explanatory Comments
Trinity	Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian	Nicaea I (325 AD), Constantinople I	Primary	Affirmed	Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14	Clearly affirmed by the biblical text with direct or repeated scriptural testimony.
Incarnation of Christ	Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian	Chalcedon (451 AD), Ephesus (431 AD)	Primary	Affirmed	John 1:14; Phil 2:6–8	Clearly affirmed by the biblical text with direct or repeated scriptural testimony.
Death and Resurrection of Christ	Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian	Nicaea I (325 AD), Constantinople I	Primary	Affirmed	1 Cor 15:3–4; Acts 2:23–24	Clearly affirmed by the biblical text with direct or repeated scriptural testimony.
Second Coming & Judgment	Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian	Constantinople I	Primary	Affirmed	Acts 17:31; Rev 20:11–15	Clearly affirmed by the biblical text with direct or repeated scriptural testimony.
Forgiveness of Sins	Apostles’, Nicene	Constantinople I	Primary	Affirmed	Luke 24:47; Acts 10:43	Clearly affirmed by the biblical text with direct or repeated scriptural testimony.
Virgin Birth	Apostles’, Nicene	Constantinople I	Primary	Affirmed	Isa 7:14; Luke 1:34–35	Clearly affirmed by the biblical text with direct or repeated scriptural testimony.
Bodily Resurrection of the Dead	Apostles’, Nicene	Constantinople I	Primary	Affirmed	John 5:28–29; 1 Cor 15	Clearly affirmed by the biblical text with direct or repeated scriptural testimony.
Baptism (As sign or sacrament)	Nicene (As sign of faith)	Nicaea I (325 AD), Constantinople I, Ephesus (431 AD, Spain), Chalcedon (451AD), Carthage (418 AD), Orange (529 AD), Lateran Council IV (1215 AD), Florence (1439), Trent (1545-1563)	Primary	Affirmed	Acts 2:38; 1 Pet 3:21	Clearly affirmed by the biblical text with direct or repeated scriptural testimony.
Mode of Baptism (Immersion, Pouring, Sprinkling)	Absent	Nicaea I (325 AD), Constantinople I, Elvira (305 AD, Spain), Carthage (418 AD), Ravenna (1311–1312 AD) Lateran Council V, Didache (70–100 AD)	Secondary	Affirmed	Immersion: Burial and Resurrection Matt 3:16, John 3:23, Acts 8:38-39, Rom 6:3-4 Pouring (Affusion): Valid in patristic contexts. Acts 2:17, Acts 10:44-48, Titus 3:5-6, Didache 7 Sprinkling (Aspersion): Used in cases of necessity. Ezek 36:25, Heb 10:22, Heb 12:24	The New Testament does not explicitly prescribe a singular mode of baptism—immersion, pouring, or sprinkling —but different traditions interpret several passages as supporting one mode or another.
Church (One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic)	Nicene		Secondary	Affirmed	Eph 4:4–6; 1 Tim 3:15	Clearly affirmed by the biblical text with direct or repeated scriptural testimony.
Justification (Faith Alone vs. Faith & Works)	Absent		Primary	Affirmed	Rom 3:28; James 2:24	Scripture affirms justification by faith, but must be understood with James.
Purgatory	Absent		Secondary	Absent	Luke 16:26; Heb 9:27	No post-mortem purgation described; Heb 9:27 states judgment follows death.
Perpetual Virginity of Mary	Absent		Tertiary	Contradicts	Matt 1:25; Mark 6:3	Matt 1:25 and Mark 6:3 indicate normal marital relations and siblings.
Immaculate Conception of Mary	Absent	Later dogma (1854)	Tertiary	Contradicts	Rom 3:23; Luke 1:47	No Scripture suggests Mary was exempt from original sin (Rom 3:23; Luke 1:47).
Assumption of Mary	Absent	Later dogma (1950)	Tertiary	Absent	Absent	No biblical text records or implies Mary’s bodily assumption into heaven.
Women’s Ordination	Absent		Secondary	Rejected	1 Tim 2:12; 1 Cor 14:34–35; 1 Tim 3:1–2	Scripture explicitly restricts authoritative teaching and pastoral office to qualified men; no precedent for female presbyters or bishops in apostolic witness.
Authority Scripture vs. Scripture & Tradition)	Implied	Condemned by the Council of Orange (529 AD)	Primary & Secondary	Affirmed & Rejected	Mark 7:6–13; 2 Tim 3:16	Scripture affirms its own authority; tradition not to exceed it.
Union with Christ (Theosis vs. Imputation)	Absent		Secondary	Affirmed	John 17:21–23; 2 Pet 1:4	Scripture teaches participation in Christ, but without metaphysical speculation.
Total Depravity	Absent	Not Addressed	Secondary	Affirmed	Rom 3:10–12; Eph 2:1; John 6:44	Human nature is fully corrupted by sin, rendering the will incapable of turning to God without divine regeneration. (Post-Reformation)
Unconditional Election	Absent	Not Addressed	Secondary	Affirmed	Eph 1:4–5; Rom 9:11–16; John 15:16	God elects individuals to salvation not based on foreseen faith but solely on His sovereign will and grace. (Post-Reformation)
Limited Atonement	Absent	Not Addressed	Secondary	Affirmed	John 10:14–15; Eph 5:25; Matt 1:21	Christ’s atonement is effectual and intended specifically for the elect, securing their salvation. (Post-Reformation)
Irresistible Grace	Absent	Not Addressed	Secondary	Affirmed	John 6:37; Rom 8:30; Acts 13:48	God’s call to the elect is effectual; His grace overcomes resistance and brings the sinner to faith. (Post-Reformation)
Perseverance of the Saints	Absent	Not Addressed	Secondary	Affirmed	Phil 1:6; John 10:28–29; Rom 8:38–39	Those truly born of God will persevere in faith and holiness to the end, sustained by God’s power. (Post-Reformation)
Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS)	Absent		Secondary	Affirmed	John 10:28–29; Rom 8:38–39; Phil 1:6	While not historically creedal, OSAS reflects the biblical promise that true believers, once justified, will be preserved by God’s power to the end. Distinct from antinomianism, it requires fruit-bearing faith and sanctification (John 15:1–6). (Modern Evangelical Formulation)
Infralapsarianism	Absent		Tertiary	Affirmed	Rom 8:29–30; Eph 1:4–5; 2 Tim 1:9	God’s decree to elect follows His decree to permit the Fall. This view emphasizes God’s mercy without denying His sovereignty. (Post-Reformation Scholasticism)
Supralapsarianism	Absent		Tertiary	Affirmed	Rom 9:11–23; Eph 1:4–11; Isa 46:10	God’s decree to elect or reprobate logically precedes His decree to permit the Fall, emphasizing His ultimate sovereignty and purpose. (Post-Reformation Scholasticism)
Prevenient Grace	Absent	Condemned by Council of Orange (529 AD)	Secondary	Affirmed & Rejected	John 1:9; Titus 2:11; Acts 7:51	Common in Wesleyan-Arminian theology, it teaches grace that enables all to respond to the gospel. Not affirmed in Reformed traditions due to lack of effectual power in regeneration. (Arminian Theology)
Sacraments (Definition and Number)	Absent		Secondary	Affirmed & Rejected	Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor 11:23–26	Sacramental grace affirmed; a number of sacraments and operations vary.
Eucharist (Real Presence, Transubstantiation, Memorial)	Absent		Secondary	Affirmed & Absent	Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor 11:24–25	Christ’s presence affirmed, but not defined metaphysically.
Eucharistic Adoration	Absent		Secondary	Rejected	John 4:23–24; Heb 9:24	Adoration is due to God, not to elements.
Papal Infallibility	Absent		Secondary	Rejected	Absent	Inconsistent with Acts 15 and Gal 2:11, where Peter is corrected by Paul.
Filioque Clause	Western only		Secondary	Absent	John 15:26	Absent in John 15:26; Spirit proceeds from the Father—not stated from “Father and Son.”
Scholasticism vs. Mysticism	Absent		Secondary	Affirmed & Rejected	1 Cor 2:6–16; Eph 3:18–19	Both present in Scripture; emphasis and balance vary across traditions.
Confession and Absolution	Absent		Secondary	Affirmed	John 20:23; James 5:16	Forgiveness mediated through confession and prayer, not ecclesiastical absolution.
Habitual and Besetting Sin	Absent		Secondary	Affirmed	Heb 12:1; Rom 6:12–14; 1 John 3:6–10	Scripture warns against ongoing, unrepentant sin while acknowledging the believer’s struggle against indwelling sin. Persistent sin without repentance is incompatible with regeneration and sanctification. True believers fight sin by the Spirit’s power (Rom 8:13).
Icons and Veneration of Saints	Absent		Tertiary	Rejected	Ex 20:4–5; Rev 19:10	Image veneration forbidden; worship belongs to God alone.
Monasticism and Asceticism	Absent		Tertiary	Affirmed	Matt 19:21; 1 Tim 4:8	Monastic withdrawal not mandated by Scripture.
Canon of Scripture (Apocrypha / Deuterocanon)	Absent		Secondary	Affirmed	2 Tim 3:16–17; Rom 3:2	Scripture affirmed canon; Apocrypha not treated as equal by Christ or apostles.
Original Sin and Inherited Guilt	Absent		Primary & Secondary	Rejected	Rom 5:12–19; Ps 51:5	Scripture teaches both inherited sin and guilt, especially in Pauline theology.
Merit and Condign Merit	Absent		Secondary	Affirmed	Rom 3:27–28; Eph 2:8–9	Merit is ruled out as a basis for salvation in favor of grace and faith.
Imputed vs. Infused Righteousness	Absent		Primary & Secondary	Rejected	Rom 4:5; Gal 2:16	Justification is described as imputed righteousness through faith, not infused qualities.
Sacramental Efficacy (Ex Opere Operato)	Absent	Not addressed in any early council	Secondary	Rejected	Gal 3:2–5; Heb 11:6	Sacramental grace is mediated by faith, not automatically conferred through ritual alone.
Mary as Mediatrix / Co-Redemptrix	Absent		Tertiary	Rejected	1 Tim 2:5	Christ is the sole mediator; additional mediation contradicts Scripture.
Apostolic Succession and Valid Sacraments	Implied (Nicene, Acts)	Affirmed – Council of Ephesus (431), although not universally defined	Secondary	Affirmed	Acts 1:20–26; 2 Tim 2:2	Apostolic teaching affirmed, but succession not required for valid sacraments.
Visible & Invisible Church	Absent		Secondary	Rejected	Rom 2:28–29; Heb 12:22–24	True church includes all regenerate; not merely visible institution.
Role of Monasticism in Sanctification	Absent		Tertiary	Rejected	1 Cor 7:24; Col 2:20–23	Monastic discipline is commendable but not a requirement for godliness.
Invocation of Saints / Intercession of the Dead	Absent		Secondary	Rejected	Deut 18:10–12; 1 Tim 2:5	Communicating with the dead is forbidden and Christ alone intercedes.
Development of Doctrine	Absent		Secondary	Rejected	Gal 1:8–9; Rev 22:18–19	Doctrinal additions warned against in strong terms (Gal 1:8–9; Rev 22:18–19).
Church-State Relations	Absent		Secondary	Rejected	Matt 22:21; Rom 13:1–7	Obedience to rulers affirmed; not church-state fusion.
Indulgences	Absent		Secondary	Rejected	Rom 3:24; Heb 9:27	No biblical support for reducing post-sin punishment via indulgences.
Sacrifice of the Mass	Absent		Secondary	Rejected	Heb 10:10–14	Christ’s sacrifice was once for all; not to be repeated.

The Articles of Inerrancy

By on in Theology

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy – 1978

Preface

The authority of Scripture is a key issue for the Christian Church in this and every age. Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to show the reality of their discipleship by humbly and faithfully obeying God’s written Word. To stray from Scripture in faith or conduct is disloyalty to our Master. Recognition of the total truth and trustworthiness of Holy Scripture is essential to a full grasp and adequate confession of its authority.

The following Statement affirms this inerrancy of Scripture afresh, making clear our understanding of it and warning against its denial. We are persuaded that to deny it is to set aside the witness of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit and to refuse that submission to the claims of God’s own Word which marks true Christian faith. We see it as our timely duty to make this affirmation in the face of current lapses from the truth of inerrancy among our fellow Christians and misunderstanding of this doctrine in the world at large.

This Statement consists of three parts: a Summary Statement, Articles of Affirmation and Denial, and an accompanying Exposition*. It has been prepared in the course of a three- day consultation in Chicago. Those who have signed the Summary Statement and the Articles wish to affirm their own conviction as to the inerrancy of Scripture and to encourage and challenge one another and all Christians to growing appreciation and understanding of this doctrine. We acknowledge the limitations of a document prepared in a brief, intensive conference and do not propose that this Statement be given creedal weight. Yet we rejoice in the deepening of our own convictions through our discussions together, and we pray that the Statement we have signed may be used to the glory of our God toward a new reformation of the Church in its faith, life, and mission.

We offer this Statement in a spirit, not of contention, but of humility and love, which we purpose by God’s grace to maintain in any future dialogue arising out of what we have said. We gladly acknowledge that many who deny the inerrancy of Scripture do not display the consequences of this denial in the rest of their belief and behavior, and we are conscious that we who confess this doctrine often deny it in life by failing to bring our thoughts and deeds, our traditions and habits, into true subjection to the divine Word.

We invite response to this statement from any who see reason to amend its affirmations about Scripture by the light of Scripture itself, under whose infallible authority we stand as we speak. We claim no personal infallibility for the witness we bear, and for any help which enables us to strengthen this testimony to God’s Word we shall be grateful.

A Short Statement

God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God’s witness to Himself.

Holy Scripture, being God’s own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it affirms, obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises.

The Holy Spirit, Scripture’s divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.

Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God’s acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God’s saving grace in individual lives.

The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible’s own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.

Articles of Affirmation and Denial

Article I

We affirm that the Holy Scriptures are to be received as the authoritative Word of God.

We deny that the Scriptures receive their authority from the Church, tradition, or any other human source.

Article II

We affirm that the Scriptures are the supreme written norm by which God binds the conscience, and that the authority of the Church is subordinate to that of Scripture.

We deny that Church creeds, councils, or declarations have authority greater than or equal to the authority of the Bible.

Article III

We affirm that the written Word in its entirety is revelation given by God.

We deny that the Bible is merely a witness to revelation, or only becomes revelation in encounter, or depends on the responses of men for its validity.

Article IV

We affirm that God who made mankind in His image has used language as a means of revelation.

We deny that human language is so limited by our creatureliness that it is rendered inadequate as a vehicle for divine revelation. We further deny that the corruption of human culture and language through sin has thwarted God’s work of inspiration.

Article V

We affirm that God’ s revelation in the Holy Scriptures was progressive.

We deny that later revelation, which may fulfill earlier revelation, ever corrects or contradicts it. We further deny that any normative revelation has been given since the completion of the New Testament writings.

Article VI

We affirm that the whole of Scripture and all its parts, down to the very words of the original, were given by divine inspiration.

We deny that the inspiration of Scripture can rightly be affirmed of the whole without the parts, or of some parts but not the whole.

Article VII

We affirm that inspiration was the work in which God by His Spirit, through human writers, gave us His Word. The origin of Scripture is divine. The mode of divine inspiration remains largely a mystery to us.

We deny that inspiration can be reduced to human insight, or to heightened states of consciousness of any kind.

Article VIII

We affirm that God in His Work of inspiration utilized the distinctive personalities and literary styles of the writers whom He had chosen and prepared.

We deny that God, in causing these writers to use the very words that He chose, overrode their personalities.

Article IX

We affirm that inspiration, though not conferring omniscience, guaranteed true and trustworthy utterance on all matters of which the Biblical authors were moved to speak and write.

We deny that the finitude or fallenness of these writers, by necessity or otherwise, introduced distortion or falsehood into God’s Word.

Article X

We affirm that inspiration, strictly speaking, applies only to the autographic text of Scripture, which in the providence of God can be ascertained from available manuscripts with great accuracy. We further affirm that copies and translations of Scripture are the Word of God to the extent that they faithfully represent the original.

We deny that any essential element of the Christian faith is affected by the absence of the autographs. We further deny that this absence renders the assertion of Biblical inerrancy invalid or irrelevant.

Article XI

We affirm that Scripture, having been given by divine inspiration, is infallible, so that, far from misleading us, it is true and reliable in all the matters it addresses.

We deny that it is possible for the Bible to be at the same time infallible and errant in its assertions. Infallibility and inerrancy may be distinguished, but not separated.

Article XII

We affirm that Scripture in its entirety is inerrant, being free from all falsehood, fraud, or deceit.

We deny that Biblical infallibility and inerrancy are limited to spiritual, religious, or redemptive themes, exclusive of assertions in the fields of history and science. We further deny that scientific hypotheses about earth history may properly be used to overturn the teaching of Scripture on creation and the flood.

Article XIII

We affirm the propriety of using inerrancy as a theological term with reference to the complete truthfulness of Scripture.

We deny that it is proper to evaluate Scripture according to standards of truth and error that are alien to its usage or purpose. We further deny that inerrancy is negated by Biblical phenomena such as a lack of modern technical precision, irregularities of

grammar or spelling, observational descriptions of nature, the reporting of falsehoods, the use of hyperbole and round numbers, the topical arrangement of material, variant selections of material in parallel accounts, or the use of free citations.

Article XIV

We affirm the unity and internal consistency of Scripture.

We deny that alleged errors and discrepancies that have not yet been resolved vitiate the truth claims of the Bible.

Article XV

We affirm that the doctrine of inerrancy is grounded in the teaching of the Bible about inspiration.

We deny that Jesus’ teaching about Scripture may be dismissed by appeals to accommodation or to any natural limitation of His humanity.

Article XVI

We affirm that the doctrine of inerrancy has been integral to the Church’s faith throughout its history.

We deny that inerrancy is a doctrine invented by Scholastic Protestantism, or is a reactionary position postulated in response to negative higher criticism.

Article XVII

We affirm that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the Scriptures, assuring believers of the truthfulness of God’s written Word.

We deny that this witness of the Holy Spirit operates in isolation from or against Scripture.

Article XVIII

We affirm that the text of Scripture is to be interpreted by grammatico-historicaI exegesis, taking account of its literary forms and devices, and that Scripture is to interpret Scripture.

We deny the legitimacy of any treatment of the text or quest for sources lying behind it that leads to relativizing, dehistoricizing, or discounting its teaching, or rejecting its claims to authorship.

Article XIX

We affirm that a confession of the full authority, infallibility, and inerrancy of Scripture is vital to a sound understanding of the whole of the Christian faith. We further affirm that such confession should lead to increasing conformity to the image of Christ.

We deny that such confession is necessary for salvation. However, we further deny that inerrancy can be rejected without grave consequences both to the individual and to the Church.