I think we can agree that the Gospel message as presented in Holy Scriptures is both infallible and inerrant in presentation?
To elaborate on my prior post/statement: My problem with biblical inerrantism, such as it is, is that it makes the truth and reliability of the Gospel to be dependent on there being no internal inconsistencies on any point, no matter how tiny, in the biblical texts--nothing in regard to small details, or mathematical, historical, or naturalistic details. Such that if, at any point, even at the tiniest of details if the Bible has any inconsistency then it demands the Gospel itself be rendered false, the truth of Christ thrown out, and therefore shipwrecking our faith in its entirety. I have a problem with that.
I believe that the divine and sacred truths of Holy Scripture, in the communication of God's Law and Gospel, in the declaration and truth of Jesus Christ and presenting Christ our Lord to us in its confession, reception, and proclamation are very much unfailing and without error. There is no error as pertains to Jesus Christ, to God's holy commandments, and to the promises of our salvation. When we read or hear the sacred word of Holy Scripture we can therefore be confident that we are hearing God's word, we are hearing the Word, Jesus Christ Himself, and that through this word and Word our faith in Him is built up, strengthened, nourished, sustained, etc, as the Apostle writes that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17); both in the preached word of the Gospel, in the Gospel as contained in the written words of Scripture, and in the Sacraments, etc there is indeed true and real faith by the power of the Holy Spirit Himself to affect our salvation.
To this end I do not believe the popular and common doctrine of inerrancy as taught in the modern day is beneficial to the holding fast to the truth of the Gospel, but is a source and cause of putting stumbling blocks and pitfalls, of placing a yolk upon the Faithful, that is more likely to cause the shipwrecking of faith than preserve and persevere the faith. If someone has been raised to believe in such inerrancy and, believing certain things about the Bible which ultimately are not true, or that the things they've been told about Scripture do not ultimately mesh and have basis in reality, the result is an abandonment of faith in Christ; because upon building a house on a foundation of sand any wave or wind can cause it to collapse. Our faith must be built upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and His Gospel, and Scripture serving to prop up, strengthen, and support that; rather than building our faith upon a particular view of the Bible which may not ultimately have strength at all.
If I have built my faith upon a foundation of biblical inerrancy and I come across where in Scripture we see in one place it says David led an army of one particular size, and in another place it says David led an army of a different size then we have an inconsistency that can shipwreck the faith--even though such a detail is so remarkably unimportant and irrelevant to the truths of God or to our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Does such a detail change the fact that Christ was born, that He lived, that He suffered under Pontius Pilate, died, was buried, and that on the third day rose from the dead in victory over sin, death, hell, and the devil? Absolutely not. Does it change the fact that Christ has told us, "Love one another" or "Love your enemy as yourself" No, it doesn't change it at all. Christ is still Lord regardless of how many men David led into one particular battle at one particular time. Christ is still Lord regardless of whether He gave His Sermon on a mount (Matthew 5:1) or on a plain (Luke 6:17).
-CryptoLutheran
