Conflicting statements in the bible

[Statler Waldorf]

I grew up and worked at a Southern Baptist, which are pretty conservative Christians. The way we were taught was that the Bible is inerrant in the original language, while all else is translation error. Some of their evidence for infallibility (this is pulled from two systematic theologies that I own) is a Bible verse (2 Tim. 3:16-17), which I think doesn't matter, since Paul was referring to the Old Testament, since the NT letters and Gospels hadn't been canonized.

You are right about the original texts being what Christians believe are infallible. However, you’re incorrect about the New Testament not being viewed as scripture by the Apostles; it was viewed as scripture long before canonization; canonization was just affirmation of what was already believed to be scripture.

As for any numbers or facts that were wrong, they were dismissed because they didn't effect the doctrine of Christianity at all. It wouldn't effect Christian beliefs if someone killed 300 or 800 men. The number is irrelevant to the faith, so ignore the error, and trust God. Any doubt is left to faith, not reason.

Conservative Christians do not hold this view.

I always thought that if one thing wasn't right in the Bible, then all else in it was open to questioning. Either the Bible is infallible with absolutely no errors in it at all, or I don't believe it.

Yup.