Failure Quote by R.C. Sproul
““Infallibility has to do with the question of ability or potential; that which is infallible is said to be unable to make mistakes or to err. By contrast, that which is inerrant is that which, in fact, does not err. Theoretically, something may be fallible and at the same time inerrant. That is, it is possible for someone who errs to not err. However, the reverse is not true. If someone is infallible, that means he cannot err, and if he cannot err, then he does not err. If he does err, that proves that he is capable of erring and therefore is not infallible. Thus, to assert that something is infallible yet at the same time errant is to distort the meaning of infallible and/or errant, or to be in a state of confusion””
About This Quote
Source Book: Systematic Theology, R.C. Sproul, 1992
Infallibility means the inability to make mistakes, while inerrancy means not making mistakes in practice; the two are not interchangeable.
In simple terms: Infallibility = never err; inerrancy = does not err.
Key Takeaway
Distinguish absolute impossibility from actual performance.
Themes
philosophy
logic
theology
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
explanatory
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- ethical decision making
- legal standards
- personal self‑assessment
Key Concepts
modal logic
epistemology
semantic precision
Questions to Reflect On
- Can something be truly infallible?
- How does recognizing fallibility affect confidence?
A Different Perspective
Infallibility is an ideal rarely attainable in reality.
