The Battle for the Bible was written by Dr Harold Lindsell in 1976, a book that he is now best known for. He was an evangelical Christian author and scholar who was concerned about the widespread change of position with respect to the infallibility of the Bible in many evangelical denominations, Christian colleges, theological seminaries, publishing houses and learned societies. These institutions and the individuals involved, who historically committed to an infallible Scripture, were starting to embrace and propagate the view that the Bible has errors in it. With the highest regard for biblical inerrancy, Dr Lindsell sets out in this book to bring this important theological issue to the attention of evangelical lay people so that those who favour biblical inerrancy will make it known in every way possible and exert all the pressure they can to see that the churches and institutions they have an interest in remain committed to this fundamental belief.

The book opens with a discussion of two types of revelation: natural and special. Natural revelation refers to God’s witness to man through His creation as highlighted in Psalm 19:1. However, Dr Lindsell argues that natural revelation has its limitations. When sin entered the human race, it ceased to be a clear revelation of God. We know for a fact that many can observe and feel natural revelation, be in awe of it and yet refuse to acknowledge that God exists and that He is the creator of all things. As such, he emphasizes that special revelation made through the Bible is almost always necessary for men to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. God has disclosed Himself by means of special revelation in three different ways: through theophanies, direct communication and miracles. This special revelation is redemptive in nature and has come down to us in written form.

Central to Dr Lindsell's argument is the doctrine of inspiration, which asserts that Scripture is divinely authored. This idea of inspiration is taught in Scripture, itself, just as the deity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement, the bodily resurrection of Christ from the dead, and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit are also taught in Scripture. He cites 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20-21 as key biblical affirmations of this doctrine. Inspiration involves the Holy Spirit working in the hearts and minds of chosen writers, ensuring that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, free from error in its original manuscripts. He contends that if any part of Scripture contains errors, the entire concept of inspiration is undermined; thus, the Bible must be seen as infallible throughout.

Across church history, the doctrine of biblical inerrancy was never an acute issue until the nineteen and twentieth centuries. The church through the ages has consistently believed that the entire Bible is the infallible Word of God. It is important to note that Jesus’ attitude towards Scripture clearly supports the doctrine of infallibility. In Matthew 5:17-18, as Jesus was teaching the Beatitudes to His disciples and the multitudes on a mountainside, He asserted that He had not come to destroy the law but to fulfil it and until heaven and earth shall pass away, not a single jot or tittle shall pass from the law, until all is fulfilled. According to Dr Lindsell, “if Jesus taught biblical inerrancy, either He knew inerrancy to be true or He knew it to be false but catered to the ignorance of His hearers. Or, He was limited and held to something that was not true but He did not know it. Whichever way anyone goes with regard to his Christology, certain conclusions follow inevitably. For example, if Jesus knew that the Scripture is not inerrant and yet taught that it is, He was guilty of deception. Thus He was a sinner rather than a sinless being. If He was a man of His times and in ignorance thought inerrancy to be true, then He was in no sense omniscient… The third alternative is the only one that holds water. Christ taught that Scripture is inerrant because He knew it to be so.”

While it is not the purpose of the book to debunk each issue raised by critics of biblical inerrancy, Dr Lindsell does highlight some of the alleged errors in Scripture that have been addressed by biblical scholars so that believers in inerrancy can know that they have a strong case, not a weak one. He reinforces the point that God’s great adversary is Satan who seeks to frustrate the work of God through any possible means and is actively clouding the minds of men through sin. Even as hundreds of criticisms of Scripture have been shown to be unfounded, those who refuse to believe in inerrancy never seem to be satisfied. These critics continue to object to biblical inerrancy until every single objection is answered to their satisfaction.

Dr Lindsell also warns of the dangers that arise when biblical inerrancy is abandoned. He identifies apostasy as a severe consequence, using several examples of notable denominations, churches and seminaries that have strayed from this foundational belief, ultimately leading to a denial of other essential Christian doctrines. The drift away from orthodoxy often begins gradually and by the time people become aware of the theological aberration, it would be too late to steer the ship back on the right course. Fuller Theological Seminary (“Fuller”) itself was founded in 1947 to address the need for a highly academic theological institution based upon an infallible Scripture. Dr Lindsell, a founding faculty member, quotes the original creedal position of Fuller on Scripture, which unqualifiedly stated “biblical inerrancy.” Today, Fuller itself has abandoned its commitment to biblical inerrancy due to its obsession with the notion of intellectual and academic respectability. 

In conclusion, The Battle for the Bible is both a defence of biblical inerrancy and a warning against the consequences of straying from this fundamental belief. Dr Lindsell's work invites readers to reflect on the implications of their theological commitments and encourages Christians to uphold the doctrine of biblical inerrancy in an increasingly sceptical world. While we do not expect a time in history when the whole professing church will believe in biblical inerrancy, God calls His people to faithful service based upon an unwavering adherence to His Word until all has been fulfilled. I end with a quote from Dr Lindsell, “When Jesus Christ comes, faith shall turn to sight and what we do not know now we shall know then. And when all of the mysteries of Scripture have been unlocked, we shall see what we have always believed – that the written Word of God is free from all error, and all parts of it in some fashion or another bear witness to the incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ the Righteous Branch, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

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