The Bible is not inerrant simply because it says that it is

This is similar to the previous argument regarding prophecies. Here is a sample claim on this subject that I received from a creationist:

> Jesus spoke of the Torah (which is Genesis through
> Deuteronomy), the Psalms, and the Prophets as truth.
> It is a contradiction to say he used myth as truth.

Where did Jesus speak of these things?

He spoke of them in the Bible.

So the argument is effectively, this: “The Bible should be considered to be inerrant because if you consider it to be inerrant, then it says that it is inerrant!”

The problem with this argument should be apparent. If I was to state in one chapter of a book that the entire book was inerrant, would that claim in any way actually make the book inerrant?

Of course not!

Moreover most religious books make similar claims. The holy book of Islam, the Koran (or Quran), is considered to be “perfect in every syllable” because the book says that it is. (Moslems insist that Muhammad was told what to write in the Koran by the Angel Gabriel.)

The argument is silly on its face. But it persists in the creationist community.