Readings in the Tiqqune Sopherim: Insights for the Doctrine of Biblical Inspiration in African Evangelicalism

Many evangelical Christians consider the inspiration of the Bible to be central to their doctrine, but they have a misconception of this crucial principle. As a result, almost everything that proceeds from this principle also wavers in a questionable way. This is the case with evangelical Christianity in Africa, which derives its authority from the works of Western theological scholars. This is especially so in Nigeria where there are some trends in the evangelical movement that challenge the understanding of biblical inspiration. In this study, first, through the study of the tiqqune soferim (TS), the so-called ‘Corrections of the Scribes’, the point of the active involvement of humans in the biblical writing and inspiration process is being advanced. Secondly, it is argued that the definition and theory of biblical inspiration by evangelicals in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (CSBI), which argues for the verbal plenary theory, suggests at best a dictation view of the Bible that is at odds with the findings of the TS. Furthermore, it is argued that the foundation laid by evangelicals through their definition and theorisation of biblical inspiration has had an impact on African evangelical understanding of the inspiration of the Bible. On a scholarly level, this has manifested itself in the development of African Biblical Studies, which within its framework does not take care to provide a theoretical basis for its understanding of the Bible, such as defining what they believe to be the correct theory of inspiration, thus encouraging the development of a dictatorial view of inspiration. This is even more evident in the faith practice of evangelicals in churches, where the norm for the hermeneutical principle is ‘The Bible Says’, which is the ultimate definition of a dictatorial view of the Bible and contradicts the insights gained from the scribal emendations. As a result of these lapses, this study recommends, among other things, a revision of Article X of the CSBI, which is one of the bases for holding to biblical inerrancy, and further proposes an alternative theory of biblical inspiration to compensate for the lack of emphasis on human involvement in the theory of verbal plenary inspiration.