Wonhyo wrote:My questions for those who believe the Bible is inerrant are:
Okay, but realize that inerrancy and infallibility are not the same thing. Inerrancy means that the original autographs of the Bible were God-breathed and free from error (though it's possible for errors to have crept into later copies, and in fact, that has happened many, many times). Infallible means that the Bible cannot fail to accomplish what it is meant to accomplish, namely, to teach us the way of salvation. They are related concepts, but not interchangeable.
1. If the Bible is infallible, what about the passages within the Bible that contradict each other?
It depends on the passage, but generally, they were written for different audiences and different purposes.
2. If the Bible is infallible, which version/translation, of the many available, is the most infallible?
Most versions are infallible in that they can teach you salvation. If you meant to ask about inerrancy, only the original autographs (which we don't have) are inerrant; all other copies and translations have at least some errors, though arguably not on major theology. As far as English versions go, I'd rate the ESV and the NKJV among the worst English translations, not counting niche translations by alternative Christian sects like the New World Translation. (Then again, the ESV is pretty much the NWT for Calvinist complementarians, which is partially what makes it so bad.)
3. Could the Bible have been written by some inspired people without necessarily being totally inerrant?
An inerrantist would say no, that God only could have inspired perfect texts in the original autographs.
4. If the Bible is infallible, is it okay for a Christian to believe in an old-earth as opposed to a young-earth?
Absolutely.
5. If the Bible is infallible, could some of its stories have been metaphorical instead of literal?
Some of its stories are
definitely metaphorical. Take the conflicting creation accounts in Genesis 1-2, where the order of creation is different. It's not that the Hebrews were stupid and didn't know that their Scriptures contradicted. It's that they didn't care, because those texts were never meant to teach a literal creation order (or the age of the earth, for that matter). Instead the texts were meant to convey deep spiritual truths about God's sovereignty, sin, strife, redemption, pain, temptation, fallen humanity, and much more.