History Makers: R.C. Sproul

Stephen Nichols (SN): We have the opportunity to talk with a history-maker about the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. The statement was based on the Ligonier Statement, which was written primarily by Dr. Sproul in 1973. Dr. Sproul has joined us. Dr. Sproul, you played an extensive and a pivotal role in the Chicago Statement—why did you do it?

R.C. Sproul (RC): Obviously the issue of the authority of the Bible was such a pressing issue at that time, as it still is today, and always has been. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Dutch philosopher and theologian Abraham Kuyper made the comment that biblical criticism had become biblical vandalism. There was an all-out assault against the trustworthiness of sacred Scripture, so this was a burning question within seminaries and churches. So we first had the conference in 1973, gathering scholars from all around to defend biblical inerrancy.

Then Harold Lindsell came out with his book The Battle for the Bible. At that time, he was the head editor of Christianity Today. I knew him, and I wrote to him. I asked, "Why don't you call a summit meeting of scholars from all over the world and from all different Christian denominations to address this issue of the authority of sacred Scripture?" He said he didn't think it was appropriate to use his position for that, but he suggested that I do it.

So very shortly after that, I was with some men in California at an apologetics conference. We discussed this, and collectively decided that we should gather a council drawn from all different denominations and scholars from around the world in order to address the question of the inerrancy of Scripture. Those involved included people such as Francis Schaeffer, J.I. Packer, Roger Nicole, A. Wetherell Johnson, James Montgomery Boice, John Gerstner, and Norman Geisler. This group ended up making up the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy. Then the council produced materials defending Scripture, and we called the summit meeting of more than two hundred scholars in Chicago to address the issue.

One of the members of the council had been asked in advance to write a series of affirmations and denials on inerrancy. Unfortunately, he was prevented from accomplishing that task before the conference convened. Therefore, we did not have this document. At midnight the night before the general session, the council pressed me into service and asked me to write these affirmations and denials—and so I did. I went to a room, sat down at midnight, and worked until 3 or 4 in the morning writing the affirmations and denials for the Chicago Statement.

The next day we took it to all two hundred-plus attendees and had everyone suggest additions, subtractions, improvements, and other basic editorial changes. We then had an editorial committee take all of that input and polish and refine the final draft and the final statement. Then we brought the statement before the whole group, which publicly affirmed it.

SN: It is fascinating to think that you could get that many evangelical scholars in one room and get them to agree on something so extensive theologically.

RC: Oh, it was not easy. When you get down to the fine points there were many disagreements.

SN: I'm sure there were. Well, I'm glad you did it. I'm glad for those couple hours early in the morning in that hotel room. That was a statement that sustained a generation and now beyond. And it is a crucial statement that reminds us of the authority of Scripture, which is crucial to the identity of the church.