Transcript

Who Wrote the Bible; God or Humans?

Have you ever wondered where the Bible came from and how the Bible can claim to be God's word while being written by humans? Well, stick around because we're going to answer those questions.

Before the Bible Existed

In the beginning of the Bible, people didn't have the Bible, so God spoke directly to humans -- leading them, guiding them, and helping them in various stages of life. God spoke to Abraham, urging him to embark on a journey to a new home with the promise of abundant land and countless descendants. Similarly, God revealed Himself to Moses through a burning bush, equipping him with the words to confront the cruel Pharaoh. Yet, as the story of the Bible went on, God stopped directly communicating with His people. But that didn't mean that the faithful could no longer benefit from His instruction, guidance, and warning. Instead, through the mouths and pens of prophets and apostles, God continued to speak — and this is what the Bible calls "inspiration." 

What 'Inspiration' Means

The Biblical meaning of inspiration is not the same as we see it today. The prophets and apostles were certainly not 'inspired' in the same way as modern musicians and artists. The Scriptures themselves were not merely influenced by God — they originated from Him.

Paul told his fellow believer and friend Timothy that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." These five words "given by inspiration of God' are one Greek word — Theopneustos. When something is 'theopneustos,' it is breathed out, like how we breathe air out of our mouths when we speak. So if God had a message to share with his people, He spoke or breathed out the word, and certain individuals, prophets, and apostles would convey that message to the people. But right away, we see a potential problem. We know that humans are finite and fallible beings, so how would God's people have known if anything had been added, omitted, or influenced by the prophet's bias?

The Problem with Inspiration Then

The Bible talks about tests to see whether or not someone was actually speaking the inspired word of God. The first test was simple — if what the prophet said didn't come true, that message wasn't God-breathed — it wasn't God's word. Yet even then, a false prophet could run into some luck with a prophecy or two. The second test was equally simple. If the prophet said something that was misleading or inconsistent with what God had spoken in the past, the people would quickly know that the prophet was false.

The Problem with Inspiration Now

But this STILL doesn't help us thousands of years later as we try to wrap our heads around the appearance that men just wrote the words we have in the Bible. As we read the Bible, we see different personality types and writing styles. For instance, the Gospel of John reflects the author's appreciation for Jesus' profound teachings, while the Gospel of Mark appears more hurried, focusing on narrating Jesus' actions. Both accounts present the same story, yet each possesses its distinct personality and style. How can these varied expressions be attributed to the work of God and not separate individuals?

It's here that we need to make a decision. If every word is truly given by God, as 2 Timothy says, He must have used distinct authors and writing styles for a reason. If we were to explain their differences by arguing that the author just felt like saying or writing something in a certain way, we would limit the Bible to the author's own words, expressions, linguistic ability, and knowledge. To do so is to say that the ideas we read in the Bible are from God, but the words are limited by man.

The Solution

Instead, the words, expressions, and styles are the choice of God and deliberate. That God ordained and oversaw the personalities, circumstances, and styles of the authors to bring his word to life. Any personality we see in the text is thereby the design of God, and the words may or may not reflect the exact way the author wanted to say it. Inspiration has to be, in some form, outside the will of man. Otherwise, it cannot be God-breathed.

The Beauty of Inspiration

The Bible is a unique book written by 40 individuals from diverse backgrounds and situations in life. But despite this variety, the message of the Bible is consistent throughout every page. The only logical conclusion is to accept the Bible for what it claims—that every word is breathed by God. In doing so, we open ourselves to the profound wisdom it offers, enabling us to explore the remarkable plan that God has for the earth.