The Bible began with the writings of Moses, 1513 B.C.E. In these are preserved God’s commandments and precepts to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as the regulations of the Law covenant. What is called the Pentateuch includes the five books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Job, apparently also written by Moses, fills in history after the death of Joseph (1657 B.C.E.) and before Moses proved himself to be an integrity-keeping servant of God, a time when there was “no one like [Job] in the earth.” (Job 1:8; 2:3) Moses also wrote Psalm 90 and, possibly, 91.
Like Moses, the priestly class were used by God both to preserve these written commandments and to teach them to the people. When the Ark was brought into Solomon’s temple (1027 B.C.E.), nearly 500 years after Moses began writing the Pentateuch, the two stone tablets were still in the Ark (1Ki 8:9), and 385 years after that, when “the very book of the law” was found in the house of Jehovah during Josiah’s 18th year (642 B.C.E.), the same high regard for it was still shown. (2Ki 22:3, 8-20) Similarly, there was “great rejoicing” when, after the return from Babylonian exile, Ezra read from the book of the Law during an eight-day assembly.—Ne 8:5-18.
He also had a hand in this work after the exiled Jews were resettled in Judah. He was certainly qualified for the work, being one of the inspired Bible writers, a priest, and also “a skilled copyist in the law of Moses.” (Ezr 7:1-11) Only the books of Nehemiah and Malachi remained to be added. The canon of the Hebrew Scriptures, therefore, was well fixed by the end of the fifth century B.C.E., containing the same writings that we have today.
Following Moses’ death, the writings of Joshua, Samuel, Gad, and Nathan (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel) were added. Kings David and Solomon also made contributions to the growing canon of Holy Writings. Then came the prophets from Jonah to Malachi, each contributing to the Bible canon, each endowed with miraculous prophetic ability from God, each in turn meeting the requirements of true prophets as outlined by Jehovah, namely, they spoke in the name of Jehovah, their prophecy came true, and they turned the people toward God. (De 13:1-3; 18:20-22)
The writing as well as the collecting of the 27 books comprising the canon of the Christian Greek Scriptures was similar to that of the Hebrew Scriptures. Christ “gave gifts in men,” yes, “he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelizers, some as shepherds and teachers.” (Eph 4:8, 11-13) With God’s holy spirit on them they set forth sound doctrine for the Christian congregation and, “by way of a reminder,” repeated many things already written in the Scriptures.—2Pe 1:12, 13; 3:1; Ro 15:15.
Outside the Scriptures themselves there is evidence that, as early as 90-100 C.E., at least ten of Paul’s letters were collected together. It is certain that at an early date Christians were gathering together the inspired Christian writings.
2006-10-23 05:34:01
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answer #1
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answered by hollymichal 6
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The 73 books of the Holy Bible were finalized once and for all time by the bishops of the Holy Catholic Church, gathered in Council at Carthage, North Africa, in the year 397, after having done much preliminary work at another Council at Hippo in 394. The only way anyone has of knowing what is divinely inspired Scripture and what is not, is the infallible decisions of this Catholic Church Council, which were subsequently approved by the Pope, as all decisions of Church Councils are.
This is why it is so patently ridiculous to suggest that the teachings of the Catholic Church conflict with the Bible. The bishops of the Catholic Church obviously did not admit anything into their book that conflicted in any way with the divinely inspired teachings of their own Church, the Church Christ Hilself founded. Of course the teachings of Christ's Church may very well conflict with your personal interpretations of the Bible, but so what? Your interpretations also conflict with those of the next Protestant church down the street. This is simply a reflection of your inability to interpret early Catholic writings accurately. The Bible tells us that the Church Christ founded is "the pillar and foundation of truth". Any structure removed from its pillars and foundation is sure to become warped and weakened, and will eventually start to disintegrate. The truth is no exception.
2006-10-23 02:17:58
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answer #2
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answered by PaulCyp 7
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First of all it is 66 books not chapters. The Bible is a collection of Books not a book in of itself.
Secondly I believe the official aggregate came 313 by a group of spiritual leaders under the direction of Constantine. There was no one person to do it.
2006-10-23 00:40:07
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answer #3
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answered by Help 3
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I am a Muslim/former Christian. I have seen two documentaries on The History Channel entitled "Banned From The Bible". According to the Christian scholars/college professors who were interviewed, they all agreed that there were books from The Bible that were rejected for inclusion in the Bible Canon, such as "The Life of Adam and Eve", "Book of Jubilees", "The Book of Enoch", "Testament of Solomon", and "Acts of Paul and Thecla". Years ago, I was looking up a passage from The Old Testament regarding Solomon's wives (1 Kings 11:3). I found something which I thought was confusing. In my mother's Catholic (Douay-Rheims) Bible, there were four books in The Old Testament all entitled "Kings". It wasn't the same thing in The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures given to me by a Jehovah's Witness. In this Bible, it read 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. Those first two books in The Catholic Bible were really 1 and 2 Samuel; the other two books, 1 and 2 Kings. Personally, I found it puzzling why Christians, as a faith community, didn't have one standard, authoritative version of The Bible. As for contradictions, I'm convinced that the 21st chapter of Genesis has them.
2016-05-22 00:45:02
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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Fidel Castro
2006-10-23 00:38:48
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answer #5
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answered by Bran McMuffin 5
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The way you asked that, I bet you know.
Anyway, I bet it was during the dark ages sometime when the Bible, as we see it today, was organized.
Of course, the catholic add-ons was removed as the Protestant Revolution was under way.
2006-10-23 00:39:35
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answer #6
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answered by rangedog 7
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king constantine ,about 365 A D,
2006-10-23 00:48:56
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answer #7
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answered by Weldon 5
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King James, That is why KJV King James version.
2006-10-23 00:39:18
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answer #8
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answered by lilbaton 3
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