Q: Isn’t the Bible written by men?
The Bible we have today consists of 66 books. There are 39 in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament. The 66 books we know today are called “canon”, which means “reed”. Since people used reeds as measuring rods, “canon” means “a criterion or standard.”
The 39 books of the Old Testament were compiled around the 5th century B.C. and the Jews accepted them as canon around 100 A.D. The apostles wrote the New Testament in the time of the early church to preserve Jesus’ words and deeds. Their writings were made into manuscripts, and the saints read them during every worship service. The compilation of those writings is the New Testament.
Some people question the authenticity of the Bible, which was written over a period of 1,600 years. There are over 40 authors from diverse backgrounds, like David who was a king, and Amos who was a shepherd. Despite that, the 66 books of the Bible do not contradict each other, but have a consistent message. By human efforts, this would be impossible. But it is because the Bible was not written by men’s wisdom but by the Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets as they wrote. Since there is one Spirit, there is one author who is God. That is how the Bible maintains a consistent message.
“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”
