The Bible: Who Wrote it?

When you read this book–the Bible–what exactly are you reading? Are you really looking at something that has been created by God, inspired by God, and given to men? Or are you merely reading something that was created by human thinking, by human invention?

It's important to understand and answer this question. If the Bible is written by God, then we have a tremendous treasure here because we have insight into the very mind of God. The Bible for us would become a rule of moral authority and spiritual revelation. Through the Bible we can know how the world started, what is the true condition of man, what happens after death–even understand what God is really like.

On the other hand, if the Bible is the work of human thinking only, then it is merely literature–something written by well-meaning, intelligent prophets, wise men–something that can give us understanding as far as religion is concerned, but nothing more.

Who wrote the Bible? We're going to try to answer that question today, because if God didn't write the Bible, then Christianity is just another religion–something that has no more power than any other religion.

So stay with us as we deal with this difficult question on today's edition of Bible Talk.

The Big Question

Are we ready to study today? We have a good lesson ready for you. We're going to answer probably the question that people ask me the most when I begin to study with them or talk to them about the Bible. One question comes up sooner or later:

Who wrote the Bible?

Is it just a holy book–a book on religion? Is it a book written by very wise men? Is that all it is–just a wise book of sayings? Handy to have around, like a screwdriver–you should always have a screwdriver around the house; well, you should have a Bible. A lot of good sayings; it gives you a hand when you have a tough time.

Is that what the Bible is? Or is it written by God?

Start With the Book Itself

We could consult the experts. We could ask theologians. We could look in the encyclopedia. But I think the best place to begin our search is in the book itself.

Let's look in the book first. If we want to find out who wrote it, let's look inside the book and ask the book the question:

"Bible, who wrote you?"

Is there any information in here that gives us an idea as to its author?

Three Witnesses: Moses, Peter, and Paul

The way I'm going to do this today is a little different. I'm going to ask three people–three characters in the Bible–this question: Moses, Peter, and Paul.

If they could be alive today, wouldn't it be nice if we could interview them? If we could ask them, "Who wrote this book?"

Moses' Answer

Let's go to Exodus–a book that Moses wrote. If any passage comes close to describing what Moses would answer, Exodus chapter 24 would answer this for us.

Take out your Bibles in the Old Testament. I ask our people at home to take out your Bibles as well. Open to Exodus chapter 24. We know who Moses was. He was a great Jewish leader. He lived about 1,500 years before Jesus Christ–roughly 3,500 years ago. He led the Jewish people out of captivity in Egypt, where they had been for about four centuries. In Exodus 24:3-4, it says:

³Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” ⁴Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

- Exodus 24:3-4

Notice this: the people never question that God was talking to them. They were sure. Verse 4 says:

Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

- Exodus 24:4

So Moses understood in his own mind that what he was writing down were the words given to him by God.

An interesting note of history is that Moses was the first person who actually began to record the holy scriptures. Before then, communication between God and man was handed down orally, from generation to generation. Moses was the first one to begin recording the communication between God and man.

Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. So Moses would say: "I didn't write this stuff. God gave it to me. I just wrote what I was told."

Peter's Answer

Let's move up in history. That was 3,500 years ago. Let's come into a more modern age–only 2,000 years ago, the time of Jesus–and talk to Peter.

We know who Peter was: an apostle chosen by Jesus. He saw Jesus, heard him, talked to him, lived with him, witnessed the miracles. Later, Peter helped preach the gospel and establish the church in Jerusalem. So Peter comes in, sits down, and we ask him: "Peter, who wrote the Bible?" Peter was very direct. In II Peter 1:20, he says:

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,

- II Peter 1:20

The word "prophecy" in the Bible doesn't only mean speaking about the future. It also means whenever someone speaks in the name of God.

Peter is saying: nobody ever speaking or writing down God's words claimed it was his own idea. Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, Moses–none of them ever said, "Today I think I'm going to write down something godly, something smart, something divine." Never happened. Then in verse 21, he says:

for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

- II Peter 1:21

That word "moved" is interesting–it's a picture word. It means to be moved along as if by a wind. Like a sailship: it can turn, but it needs wind to move. Without the wind, it can't move.

Peter's point: men were moved by the Holy Spirit and wrote the things from God.

He gives an illustration: a writer can write with different colored pencils–green, red–and the writing will have a different look, but the author is the same. In the same way, God used different people with different styles and characteristics, but the ideas came from the author–and the author was God.

Paul's Answer

Now let's move to Paul–another apostle of Jesus, selected after Jesus rose from the dead. Paul wrote many letters. In II Timothy 3:16, Paul says:

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

- II Timothy 3:16

"Inspired" in Greek means "God-breathed." That's the actual translation: God-breathed. Paul is saying: God wrote the Bible. It is his breath. The Bible is as close to God as your breath is to you.

So if we look at major characters–real people who lived and wrote–Moses, Peter, and Paul all taught that the Bible was the word of God. This is what they believed, what they taught, what they wrote, and what the Bible says about them.

When we come back, we're going to look at some good reasons why we should believe what they wrote.

Why Believe Them?

We've only chosen three witnesses. We could bring out many more, but now we have to answer another question–a logical question.

Some people say: "Big deal. Moses said God spoke to him. Peter said it. I'm not impressed. What stops me from writing a book–'The Bible According to Mazz'–and saying God spoke to me?"

What stops you? Nothing stops us. There's no law against that. So what makes us believe these people?

Reason 1: Fulfilled Prophecy

First of all: fulfilled prophecy.

Prophecy is when someone says in the future something is going to happen, and then years or centuries later, the thing that was predicted happens exactly the way it was described. In the Bible there are literally hundreds of times when someone said something was going to happen–and centuries later it came to pass.

Jeremiah 25:11

Jeremiah said the Jewish people would serve the king of Babylon for 70 years. A few years later, the Babylonians came, destroyed the country, and took many of the people away for 70 years. Jeremiah died before the captivity ended–so he didn't make it up afterward.

Isaiah 53

Isaiah describes what the Messiah would suffer, how he would die, and why he would die. He says the Messiah was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. He also says the Messiah would be with a rich man in his death–buried in a rich man's grave. This was written centuries before Jesus.

The Bible is the only book that contains fulfilled prophecy that can be verified historically. There was also a system in those days to separate real prophets from fakes: if what you said didn't come true, they killed you. The Bible has no room for 60% or 80% accuracy–100% accuracy in prophecy, or nothing.

Reason 2: Eyewitness Testimony

Another reason: eyewitness.

Jesus' life didn't happen in a vacuum. Real people wrote about real events.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote about what they saw. They were there when the bread was divided among 5,000. They were there when Lazarus was raised. They were in the boat in the storm when Jesus said, "Be calm," and the sea became calm.

We don't appreciate that miracle unless we imagine being in a storm like that–winds around 80 mph–and someone commands the storm to stop, and it stops instantly. They wrote what they saw, and we have their witness. And 2,000 years doesn't change truth. What's true is true.

Reason 3: No One Disproved Them

Another reason: no one was able to disprove what they wrote while they lived.

There was no big trial proving they were liars. They didn't find the body. If the Romans and Jewish officials had found the body, they could have shut down Christianity immediately. But they didn't. And the men who wrote about what they saw died because of what they wrote.

People don't die for a lie. If they were lying, when they were about to be killed, they could have backed out. But they didn't.

Reason 4: Many Witnesses, Not One

Another reason: their witness is so spread out.

Modern claims often depend on one person alone–somebody in a cave, alone in the forest, finding a magic book, seeing a vision, and we have to take his word for it. But with the Bible you don't have one or two–or even ten.

You have 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You have 12 men who saw, touched, ate with, talked to Jesus, and wrote down what they saw. One person can have a delusion, but not 12 all at once. And nobody "squealed." Nobody let the cat out of the bag.

Reason 5: The Bible's Impact on the World

Finally: the Bible's impact on the world.

No other group of philosophies, theologies, or human ideas has had a greater impact on the world for good than the Bible.

Some people say war comes from Christianity and the Bible, but that's not true. Men who do not obey the Bible are the ones who make war. Jesus said, "Love your enemies." Disciples of the one who said "Love your enemies" do not create war–people who do not obey the Bible create war. The impact of the Bible for good encourages belief.

Summary

So I believe the Bible is God's word:

• because of fulfilled prophecy
• because no one ever proved the writers were liars
• because the book continues to do what it says it does: transform lives

When we come back, I'm going to tell you how you can make up your own mind about this book.

Closing

That's it for our program today. I'd like to summarize some of the ideas we talked about. I personally believe the Bible was written by God for a variety of reasons:

First, fulfilled prophecy–hundreds of prophecies made in the Old Testament were fulfilled in the Old or New Testament.

Another reason is the eyewitness testimony of the apostles. They lived during the time of Jesus and recorded his ministry, miracles, death, burial, and resurrection. I believe their witness because no one was able to prove that they were lying or making up a story while they lived.

Even Jesus himself said the Bible was God's word.

Finally, I believe the Bible is inspired because of its great impact on the world. Nothing in the history of man has had a greater impact for good in our society.

The best way to decide for yourself if this book is inspired is to begin reading it, and I encourage you to do that. That's all for this week. I hope you'll be with us next week for another edition of Bible Talk.