By that, i mean why did god inspire authors to write documents which make up a compilation we call the holy bible. What matters far more than does god exist is did he write the bible. I visited a church where the pastor preached an inspired sermon. One of them is moses, he wrote the book of genesis. An overview of the jewish state and its many accomplishments and challenges.
Accordingly, we shall let god, the holy spirit, tell us why it was given unto man 1 cor. Others see these writings as merely fanciful tales or historical curiosities. Man couldnt create himself, so god did but then he gave them the ability to reproduce, so they did. The bible is one of the oldest books in history, and many believe it to be the word of god himself. I know it says his word will last forever but taking that into our own hands seems like the story from the bible lol of when moses struck the rock when god told him to speak to the rock, in which he was greatly punished. Including the writers current knowledge and biases. We have all heard that the bible is the word of god but what if it were actually the work of satan. Using the writers own writing styles and personalities, god shows us who he is and.
This is because we trust that god, our good creator and king, the ultimate authority for all things, has written this book. Some of the authors wrote one book, some wrote several. Moses wrote the bible book of genesis, but everything he recorded took place long before his birth. We are not hostile to the word of god, but rather, we are submissive. So it shall be on the day when you cross the jordan to the land which the lord your god gives you.
Hebrews is teaching that, when we are born again, god gives us a new heart and a new spirit, and the result is that the law of god written in scripture is no longer offensive to us. Some parts begin with such phrases as the words of nehemiah, the vision of isaiah, and the. They were inspired by means of god s holy spirit to write the bible, please read 2 timothy 3. Jul 11, 2012 god inspired the writers of the bible, but author it, god did not. More than 400 times, the bible attributes words to god. In other words, it is god spreaking to you when you read the bible. Below is a list of the possible writers of all 66 books of the bible. Genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers, and deuteronomy. The same spirit also helps the church to understand the bible as god meant it to be understood. The books of the bible were written at different times by different authors over a period of approximately 1,500 years. But moses was only one of some 40 people whom god used to write the bible.
See who wrote the bible, how its reportive style is backed by archeology and. The bible was written over a span of 1500 years, by 40 writers. In other words, without god having truly written the bible, you cannot trust in anything it says. Yes, the lord used human instrumentality to bring forth his own word. If jesus could read and write, then why didnt he leave behind anything for humanity. History of the bible who wrote the bible why its reliable. In the heart of every story we find truth about god. About the best that can be said for that notion is that if god really did write the bible through a millenniumlong sequence of various authors. Unlike other religious writings, the bible reads as a factual news account of real events, places, people, and dialogue. Who wrote the bible a letter from god who wrote the bible is a question that is undoubtedly asked by many who are familiar with the impact this book has made on people around the world. If that is not so, then christianity is blithering nonsense. What profit would these conspirators gain by such a.
But god had hidden it so that no one may discover it. This is because the authors were all inspired by gods holy spirit. It was written by humans and reflects the time and place of the writers and to the people it was written. Most of them we know, but there are anonymous writers too. The doctrine of the inspiration of scripture essentially teaches that god superintended the human authors of the bible so that their individual styles were preserved but the end result was precisely what god wanted. Here is a valuable resource that validates the bible s claim to divine authority.
I have a question that i would genuinely like to know if there is an answer. God used men to write his word the bible the time for. The bible not only inspires us, it explains life and god to us. Christians consider the bible to be the word of god. That would have to be the greatest conspiracy ever. That god did not directly inspire the writers of the bible. Patheos explore the worlds faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality. Obviously, even the most brilliant poet or novelist cannot hope to write something that will affect readers for millennia, yet the bible has done and continues to do so. Who wrote the bible is a question that is undoubtedly asked by many who are familiar with the impact this book has made on people around the world. God, who created us all, desires a relationship with us. It does not answer all the questions we might have. The tablets were god s work, and the writing was god s writing engraved on the tablets. So, it is also accurate to say that inspired men of god wrote the bible. Is the bible the inspired word of god, or was it simply written by men.
He was passionate about living for god, and his relationship with god was not questionable. In the heart of every story we find truth about god this is because the authors were all inspired by god s holy spirit. The bible as a whole makes no claim for divine authorship. When it comes to the bible, you have to decide whether or not you believe that god wrote the bible and people helped, or that we wrote the bible and god helped, sometimes. But if youre talking about what jews believe, there are as many viewpoints about this question as there are jews. They were inspired by means of gods holy spirit to write the bible, please read 2 timothy 3. God didnt write the bible, people did, and it was also. The bible gives guidance in our journey through life to eternity, as well as leads us to a relationship with the god. The men who wrote the most books are paul or 14, moses 5 and john 5. Apr 19, 2008 the answer is that god did not write the bible.
The bible clearly says in several places that god did indeed write the ten commandments himself. God used moses to write the first five books of the bible. Did god write the ten commandments with his own hand, or did moses write them. The clearest verse in regards to this is found in ex 31. No other book has withstood the test of time like this book, which claims to be the very word of god. In the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth. God wrote the bible through 40 writers, possibly fewer or more depending on how one views the authorship identification in respective books e. As the story goes, king abgar wrote first to jesus requesting a miracle.
Jan 02, 2020 so, it is also accurate to say that inspired men of god wrote the bible. In fact, he described it as god s word to his hearers see matthew 22. Yet nowhere does the broader bible suggest that it was all written by god and in no way is this belief necessary to live as an observant jew. The author spends the first half of his work outlining several reasons he believes we should conclude that god wrote the bible. But the bible is often clear about who penned its contents. The bible gives guidance in our journey through life to eternity, as well as leads us to a relationship with the god of the universe. In particular portions of the bible, god is seen as its author. It could have been revealed to him directly by god, or knowledge of some of the events may have been passed down orally from one generation to the next.
The traditional jewish position is that the torah is all divine in origin. Our opinion as to the bible s purpose is not valid or sufficient isa. The bible is an amazing book, recorded by around 40 men over about 1,500 years. Dec 06, 2018 about the best that can be said for that notion is that if god really did write the bible through a millenniumlong sequence of various authors, he was certainly doing it the hard way. Therefore i am writing to you and ask you to visit me and cure my illness.
About the best that can be said for that notion is that if god really did write the bible through a millenniumlong sequence of various authors, he was certainly doing it the hard way. I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what i will answer concerning my complaint. Thus, the bible is god s message communicated by men as they were moved by god. How did the people who wrote the bible know what to say. The oxford companion to the bible states that philo of alexandria 20 bce to 40 ce proposed what might be termed the mantic theory of the inspiration of the scriptures, in which the human author becomes possessed by god and loses consciousness of self, surrendering to the divine spirit and its communicatory powers. The bible doesnt say what he wrote in the sanddustground it just clearly states that he did write on the ground. Quran was sent down via his messenger gabriel to prophet muhammad pubh. Did the holy spirit inspire the writers of the bible. Many people are told that we cant be sure who wrote the bible. Well, more accurately, the bible is a unique collection of books. God did this because he wants his book to be written by real people. In this study, we shall seek to answer that question. One of the most widespread errors in interpretation is thinking the bible was written primarily as a rule book for our 21 st century american lives.
Mar 03, 2014 executive director chad entinger shares about the bible. Although many passages are quoted in god s name, the five books of moses genesis through deuteronomy never assert that their entire content is divine. God did not simply give dictation to the human authors of scripture. Could men have conspired to write a book that has deceived millions down through the ages. For some, the sixtysix books of the bible are holy scripture.
These bible writers wrote as they were inspired by the holy spirit see 2 timothy 3. The bible is powerful, and god can use it to speak to anyone. God, of course, once gave a book to man 2, written with his own divine hands, which was the two tablets of the ten commandments. You see it in the movie, novels, your young life, your adult life, even in music. Though the bible had about forty authors during the 1,500 years it took to write, it was god himself who inspired, or instructed, those people to write what they wrote. Everything you trust in concerning the lord jesus christ and all that is associated with him lies on the foundation of biblical inspiration. After 2,500 years, the bible remains the mostread book of all time. And when i heard all those things about you, i considered that you are either god himself who has come down from heaven to act like this, or that you are the son of god doing such things. Moses wrote the pentateuch, or the torah the first five books of the bible. Obviously there are a few passages in the bible that purport to be the direct spoken words of god, but who actually put pen to paper to write the.
It was written by humans and reflects the time and place of the writers and to the people it was written to. One may write to inform, entertain, oppose, expose, persuade or to preserve facts. As for the actual historical evidence regarding who wrote the bible, thats a longer story. Write would mean using a penpencilink to scribe something on a surface to be read later. Throughout the bible, it is obvious that god is being quoted. Or is that just a collection of legends, myths and fables. Did you know that the bible is made up of 66 different books. When the lord finished speaking to moses on mount sinai, he gave moses the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of god. Daniel, peter, paul, jonah, isaiah, solomon and david. Moses is credited for the first five books of the old testament. Holy books have a reach that goes far beyond what virtually all works of literature can ever accomplish.
The writers of the bible wrote not according to their own will or whim, but only as they were moved, or controlled, by the spirit of god. All scripture is breathed out by god says 2 timothy 3. Although many passages are quoted in gods name, the five books of moses genesis through. Yet god s universal message is present from genesis to revelation. Did god write the ten commandments with his own hand, or did. Wikimedia commons a depiction of paul the apostle writing his epistles. It is a historical book that is backed by archeology, and. Sep 19, 2019 because everyone and i mean everyone knows good vs evil.
Here is a valuable resource that validates the bible. The texts are not inerrant, but were written by authors with a high degree of religious insight. The singular message, the scarlet thread of truth that binds each of the books together as one, the witness of jesus of nazareth, and the witness of the holy spirit all converge to. As christians, we maintain that the standard for understanding and evaluating all truth is the bible. The answer is we simply do not know why jesus did not write any texts setting down his teachings, or give us any firsthand knowledge of his innermost thoughts. When i was a child my sunday school teachers used to say that god whispered the words of the bible, and someone wrote them down. The jewish bible, the tanach, attributes authorship of some of its sections to god. We are no longer hostile to it like paul says in romans 8. There is one central message consistently carried by all 40 writers of the bible. Man couldnt flood the world, so god did but man could build a boat, so man did. Oct 15, 2017 obviously there are a few passages in the bible that purport to be the direct spoken words of god, but who actually put pen to paper to write the 66 books of the bible.
They writers of the bible are either instructed by god or inspired by the holy spirit the holy spirit. Meaning, god inspired the writers to write what they did. Moses was the first person to write portions of scripture while john, the disciple of jesus, was the last. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
These prophetic messages were then gathered together, under gods leading, in the book we call the bible. My jewish learning is a notforprofit and relies on your help. Of course, god could have spoken directly or immediately, but he chose to do so immediately that is, through human agents. Christians bet the farm that the creator of the universe wrote the bible. Genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers, and deuteronomy which are called the pentetuch. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. God speaks to us between these binds, and theres a line or passage for everyone, no matter your background or even religion. Hayden begins by examining the bibles impact on a diverse group of individuals lives.
If god did not write the bible, then you would have nothing to believe in, to rely on. Our spiritual teachers and leaders, however, should pay attention to these questions. Evidence indicates that the bible, in the form we have it, is a human document, but that does not mean it is not sacred. Thus, over a period of 1,600 years from moses time on, some 40 men shared in writing the harmonious record of the bible. James and jude were halfbrothers of jesus who initially did. Aug 12, 2011 when asking, why was the bible written. Set aside what religious tradition says, and discover who wrote the bible according to the scholars who have examined the actual evidence. Obviously there are a few passages in the bible that purport to be the direct spoken words of god, but who actually put pen to paper to write the 66 books of the bible. Thus, there is no need for jesus to write any scripture. Though they recognize that god used various people to pen. The bible was written by a wide range of people from various places and at different times. Scripture is not a matter of mans own interpretation. Their personalities, perspectives, and writing styles are all discernable in the textas are the unique situations and circumstances of those to whom they were writing. Historians and archaeologists have repeatedly confirmed its authenticity.
In fact, he described it as gods word to his hearers see matthew 22. Jan 17, 20 god used many people to write the bible. Executive director chad entinger shares about the bible. Audio download options can anyone know who really wrote the bible. Their personalities, perspectives, and writing styles are all. Any other answer is pure conjecture and we can all have fun with what could, should, might, and perhaps but the plain fact is we do not know. Sure, some generic answer can be proposed, such as to tell a story or to tell us about god but these do not fit all the books, and even if they did, are so unhelpful, they qualify as a nonanswer. God inspired the writers of the bible, but author it, god did not. When one claims that god was not inspiring the human authors of the bible, that person is claiming to be omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. But that is not to say that it took 1,500 years to write the bible, only that it took that long for the complete canon of scripture to be penned as god progressively revealed his word. In judaism, debating the details is just as important as faith. What did jesus write in the sand the finger of god.
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