Bible Basics

Where did the Bible come from?

By Pastor Ben Berger

"For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).

Is the Bible the word of God or the word of men? Certainly men wrote the words of the Bible. But, were they writing their own thoughts and ideas or were they writing on behalf of God? The answer to the question is critical. If men were only writing their own thoughts and ideas, the Bible holds no more authority than any other book. Then there is no truth, only opinion. On the other hand, if men wrote God's ideas and his exact words, then the Bible is TRUTH. Then we are obligated to take the Bible at its word or to reject God. So, the answer is?

The Bible itself claims to be the word of God. Peter said that men spoke from God. Paul simply stated, "All Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16). Is there proof or evidence to back up such a claim? Let's take a look at how the original audiences received the messages of men such as Moses, the prophets, the apostles and Paul.

How did anyone know that what these men said came from God? Two ways. One, the messages were true. Two, God's power often accompanied the messages. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. When Moses first addressed the people, God gave him the ability to perform miracles to prove that he was speaking for God. He turned his staff into a snake and water from the Nile into blood. Later, when God asked Moses to give his Law to the people of Israel, he himself said, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you" (Exodus 19:9).

Later prophets would have to rely on the truth of their message. The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed war and exile for Israel while another prophet, Hananiah, proclaimed peace. The people preferred peace and thus listened to Hananiah. But, Jeremiah said, "the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true" (Jeremiah 28:9). Not much later, Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were carried off into exile. Jeremiah's prophecy came true. As a result, the people recognized him as a man who spoke for God.

The disciples of Christ spoke from personal experience. They walked and talked and lived with Jesus for three years. Jesus taught them personally. They simply reported what they saw and heard as eyewitnesses. Peter said, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2 Peter 1:16). After he left, Jesus not only gave these apostles the command to preach his Word, he also gave them the ability to do miracles to back up their message.

How did these men know God's word? God himself gave it to them through the work of the Holy Spirit. Peter said that they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Paul said that all Scripture is God-breathed. This is the teaching of Verbal Inspiration. It's not inspiration in the sense of, "Oh, that song really inspired me." Inspire means to "breathe-into." God breathed into these men the very thoughts and words he wanted them to write. Over the years the Christian Church, or believers, acknowledged that the prophecies and writings of these men were the words of God. These prophecies and writings then became the Bible.

How can I know that the Bible is God's word? First of all, your faith is evidence that the Bible is God's word. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13). God's word creates faith in your heart. When you hear it, you believe. That's evidence that the Bible is actually God's word. Second, God invites you to test it. Jesus himself said, "If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own" (John 7:17). Some didn't even believe that Jesus spoke God's word. "Test it," he said. Do God's will and see if he doesn't bless you. Are you willing to try?

Why did God give the Bible in the first place? John answers that question, "But these are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31). Jesus is the central character of the Bible; everything points to him. God wants all people to know who he is and what he's done for them. God wants all people to recognize their sin and need for a Savior. God wants all people to know that he sent his only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins.

In the end, it takes faith to believe that the Bible is God's word. No one can present enough "facts" to help the human mind understand how men could write the thoughts, ideas and words of God. Ironically, faith to believe the Bible comes from the Bible itself. "Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is the word of God"(Romans 10:17). That same faith offers you new life, forgiveness of sins and salvation. I believe it because God said it.