Augustine, Jerome, and Martin Luther

Augustine, Jerome, and Martin Luther all affirmed biblical infallibility, but their understanding centered on the original manuscripts (autographs), not copies or translations.

Augustine and Jerome’s Position

Augustine established a foundational principle in his correspondence with Jerome: only Scripture itself should be considered inerrant[1]. This distinction was crucial—Augustine recognized that while the original writings were divinely inspired and without error, subsequent human efforts to reproduce or translate them could introduce mistakes. Augustine maintained that “the evangelists are free from all falsehood, both from that which proceeds from deliberate deceit, and that which is the result of forgetfulness,”[2] yet he acknowledged that copyists might introduce errors through negligence rather than intentional deception.

Luther’s Perspective

Luther affirmed that God Himself authored Scripture, which is divine wisdom rather than human composition, and declared that “the Word must stand, for God cannot lie; and heaven and earth must go to ruins before the most insignificant letter or tittle of His Word remains unfulfilled.”[1] Importantly, while Luther viewed the canon’s boundaries as an open question, he accepted writings he considered canonical as the inspired and absolutely authoritative Word of God[3].

The Critical Distinction: Autographs vs. Apographs

All three theologians maintained a crucial theological boundary: inerrancy and infallibility do not extend to copies or translations of Scripture, but rather are restricted to the original manuscripts[1]. While the autographs were completely errorless, God did not continue miraculous preservation through copying; instead, He providentially preserved His word through Jewish transcription methods and the sheer number of New Testament copies[4].

This position directly contradicts modern KJV-only claims. These ancient theologians would reject the notion that any single translation—whether the King James Version or any other—possesses the infallibility they attributed solely to the original autographs.

[1] R. C. Sproul, What Is Reformed Theology?: Understanding the Basics (Baker, 2016). [See here, here, here, here.]
[2] D. A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge, Scripture and Truth (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992), 255.
[3] Carl F. H. Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999), 4:375.
[4] Alan Cairns, in Dictionary of Theological Terms (Belfast; Greenville, SC: Ambassador Emerald International, 2002), 232.