WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?
The Bible is the written Word of God. It was recorded by men of God who were inspired and anointed by the Holy Spirit.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness….”
(II Timothy 3:16)
“For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
(II Peter 1:21)
The Bible is the inspired Word of God. In the Old Testament it began with the writings of Moses. Moses wrote about 1500 years before Christ. The Old Testament closes with the prophet Malachi about 455 years before Christ. The New Testament was written after the death of Jesus Christ. Much of the New Testament has to do with His death, burial and His resurrection. The New Testament begins with the life of Christ and ends with the book of Revelation. The Apostle John wrote the Revelation while imprisoned on the island of Patmos for his faith. The Holy Spirit did not dictate the writing but He did inspire the words used. The Holy Spirit worked within the vocabulary of each writer to select the words used so the scripture would maintain their integrity. The Holy Spirit moved men to write, therefore they are God breathed. God used men to express His wisdom and heart to the people.
The Bible is amazingly accurate and its consistency is astounding when we realize that it was given to at least 33 identified men and many others whose names are not known over a period of nearly 1600 years. The Bible is a collection of 66 books but the thematic flow and internal consistency reflect clearly that there is one supreme author.
The Bible has been attacked over the centuries and Satan has tried repeatedly to destroy or to dilute its message, but to no avail. Every single year it is still the best selling book in the world and has been translated into more than 1200 languages.
The central theme of the whole Bible is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament gives the background and historical setting for the coming of Christ, the Messiah, and the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old.
The Bible gives us clear direction in how to relate and respond to God as well as to one another. The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew. The New Testament was written mostly in Greek.
In the year of our Lord 1607 A. D. a group of 54 language scholars began to translate the Word of God into the English language of that day. They were commissioned by James, the King of England. Their work was complete in 1610 and the King James Version of the Bible was published in 1611 A. D. It is a widely respected and used translation and is known as the “authorized version.” It is good to understand that while the Bible is perfect in its original writing, every translation has some flaws. But most of them are honest and reasonably accurate.
As Christians, we believe in the Bible. As our God is perfect, He is able to create and preserve those writings which we need to have as “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths.” (Psalms 119:105)
Every condition of man’s heart and life is expressed and illustrated in the Bible, and there is an answer to every human need in its pages. For the Christian the Bible is the final court of appeal for doctrine. Just as we need to feed our bodies to grow strong and healthy, we need to feed our spirit daily with the Scriptures. It is God’s Holy Word, the Bible! |
