KNUCKLE,
I do remember studying something along those lines before. I think they explained it differently but don't really remember.
As every one here on the BT forum knows,the bible is inerrant,the perfect Word of God.There are no mistakes to be found within it's pages,so when we come across statements that seem to be inaccurate,that stick out,you can believe that there is a reason and significance that was planned by the book's inspirer---God.
This is a bit off the thread but which "inerrant bible" are you talking about? I think Ray has said something like 'none of them is right' and I agree. There are plenty of mistakes to be found and some have not yet been found IMO. You make a statement at the end of the quote which is all important I think. You say, "the book's inspirer---God." God did inspire it but He didn't write it...men inspired by Him did. Then, men who weren't inspired...or sometimes not Spirit baptized (just theologically smart with fancy degrees) then recopied and retranslated and reinterpreted the handed down written copies...wrong. And it's been downhill from there.
Even Jeremiah told the people, who were believing they had a flawless written law, that they were deceived.
[RSV,NAS] JER 8:8 "How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us'? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.
[NIV] JER 8:8 "'How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?
[YLT] JER 8:8 How do ye say, We {are} wise, And the law of Jehovah {is} with us? Surely, lo, falsely it hath wrought, The false pen of scribes.
[KJV] JER 8:8 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.
There were many denominations of Jews (thousands of yrs. ago) having differing doctrinal beliefs and their scribes would translate the original and tweak it so it better fit their doctrinal slants. Just like today,but instead of Baptists and Pentecostals ect they had the Masoretics the Deuteronomists and the Yawehists ect. As you look at the above translations, of the same verse, you can plainly see that they're all saying basically the same thing:
>:( The scribes twisted the law as it was written, and copied it into a lie. ???
So the bible itself settles the issue of "inerrancy" for me. I hope that doesn't offend you Knuckle, but I do hope this gives you something to ponder for a bit. For me I trust in one thing only...and when Mary pulled the covers on the crib to show the Word of God to the wisemen...she didn't say, "LOOK...A BOOK!" My trust is in the babe and not the book. ;D