Who wrote the Bible?

Answer 1

Our Lord founded a Church (Matthew 16:18-19), not a book, which was to be the pillar and ground of Truth (1 Timothy 3:15). We can know what this Church teaches by looking not only at Sacred Scripture, but into History and by reading what the earliest Christians have written, what those who've sat on the Chair of Peter have spoken consistently with Scripture and Tradition, and what they've solemnly defined. To believe that the Bible is our only source of Christian Truth is unbiblical and illogical.

During the Reformation, primarily for doctrinal reasons, Protestants removed seven books from the Old Testament: 1 and 2 Maccabees, Sirach, Wisdom, Baruch, Tobit, and Judith, and parts of two others, Daniel and Esther. They did so even though these books had been regarded as canonical since the beginning of Church history.

When examining the question of what books were originally included in the Old Testament canon, it is important to note that some of the books of the Bible have been known by more than one name. Sirach is also known as Ecclesiasticus, 1 and 2 Chronicles as 1 and 2 Paralipomenon, Ezra and Nehemiah as 1 and 2 Esdras, and 1 and 2 Samuel with 1 and 2 Kings as 1, 2, 3, and 4 Kings—that is, 1 and 2 Samuel are named 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Kings are named 3 and 4 Kings. The history and use of these designations is explained more fully in Scripture reference works.


"To get the full flavor of an herb, it must be pressed between the fingers, so it is the same with the Scriptures; the more familiar they become, the more they reveal their hidden treasures and yield their indescribable riches."-- St. John Chrysostom, A.D. 347-407



The Process of Lectio Divina
A VERY ANCIENT art, practiced at one time by all Christians, is the technique known as lectio divina - a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible, the Word of God, to become a means of union with God. This ancient practice has been kept alive in the Christian monastic tradition. Together with the Liturgy and daily manual labor, time set aside in a special way for lectio divina enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Within this rhythm we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationships to God, and to accept the embrace that God is continuously extending to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

Lectio - reading/listening
THE ART of lectio divina begins with cultivating the ability to listen deeply. When we read the Scriptures we should try to imitate the prophet Elijah. We should allow ourselves to become women and men who are able to listen for the still, small voice of God (I Kings 19:12); the "faint murmuring sound" which is God's word for us, God's voice touching our hearts. This gentle listening is an "attunement" to the presence of God in that special part of God's creation which is the Scriptures.

THE CRY of the prophets to ancient Israel was the joy-filled command to "Listen!" "Sh'ma Israel: Hear, O Israel!" In lectio divina we, too, heed that command and turn to the Scriptures, knowing that we must "hear" - listen- to the voice of God, which often speaks very softly. In order to hear someone speaking softly we must learn to be silent. We must learn to love silence. If we are constantly speaking or if we are surrounded with noise, we cannot hear gentle sounds. The practice of lectio divina, therefore, requires that we first quiet down in order to hear God's word to us. This is the first step of lectio divina, appropriately called lectio - reading.

THE READING or listening which is the first step in lectio divina is very different from the speed reading which modern Christians apply to newspapers, books and even to the Bible. Lectio is reverential listening; listening both in a spirit of silence and of awe. We are listening for the still, small voice of God that will speak to us personally - not loudly, but intimately. In lectio we read slowly, attentively, gently listening to hear a word or phrase that is God's word for us this day.

Meditation
ONCE WE have found a word or a passage in the Scriptures which speaks to us in a personal way, we must take it in and "ruminate" on it. The image of the ruminant animal quietly chewing its cud was used in antiquity as a symbol of the Christian pondering the Word of God. Christians have always seen a scriptural invitation to lectio divina in the example of the Virgin Mary "pondering in her heart" what she saw and heard of Christ (Luke 2:19). For us today these images are a reminder that we must take in the word - that is, memorize it - and while gently repeating it to ourselves, allow it to interact with our thoughts, our hopes, our memories, our desires. This is the second step or stage in lectio divina - meditation. Through meditation we allow God's word to become His word for us, a word that touches us and affects us at our deepest levels.

Prayer
THE THIRD step in lectio divina is prayer: prayer understood both as dialogue with God, that is, as loving conversation with the One who has invited us into an embrace; and as consecration, prayer as the priestly offering to God of those parts of ourselves that we have not previously believed God wants. In this consecration-prayer we allow the word that we have taken in and on which we are pondering to touch and change our deepest selves. Just as a priest consecrates the elements of bread and wine at the Eucharist, God invites us in lectio divina to hold up our most difficult and pain-filled experiences, and to gently recite over them the healing word or phrase God has given us in our lectio and meditation. In this prayer, this consecration-prayer, we allow our real selves to be touched and changed by the Word of God.

Contemplation
FINALLY, WE simply rest in the presence of the One who has used the Scripture word as a means of inviting us to accept a transforming embrace. No one who has ever been in love needs to be reminded that there are moments in loving relationships when words are unnecessary. It is the same in our relationship with God. Wordless, quiet rest in the presence of the One who loves us has a name in the Christian tradition - contemplation. Once again we practice silence, letting go of our own words; this time simply enjoying the experience of being in the presence of God.




"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." -- St. Jerome, A.D. 340-420

Answer 2

Dear Friend

Christians believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God, it was written by many different people over many years but as the bible says:

2 Timothy 3:16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

2 Peter 1:21
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.

God gave the authors the word and they wrote them verbatum And the result is the most hisorically perfect harmonius book ever given, but this should not be suprising as it is from God !!

God Bless

Answer 3

The books of the Bible were written by dozens of writers over a period of about 1,500 years.

All Scripture is inspired (lit., God-breathed). i.e., the Bible came from God through the men who wrote it (see 2 Peter 1:21).

God superintended these human authors so that, using their individual personalities, they composed and recorded without error God's Word to man. Christ attested to the fact that inspiration extends to the very words. In the same verse, Paul quoted Deuteronomy and Luke as Scripture. (1 Tim. 5:18). Peter declared Paul's epistles to be Scripture. (2 Peter 3:16).

Inspiration does not involve mechanical dictation but the accurate recording of God's words. Inspiration does not extend beyond the original manuscripts, though the texts we possess today have been transmitted with high accuracy. Scripture is useful for teaching, reproof (rebuking those in sin), correction of those in error, and training in righteousness.

Answer 4

The bible was actully written by many people. A number of the old testament stories were actually oral traditions that were passed down for centuries before they were ever written down and assembled in to the modern day bible. The Bible is a collection of works that were canonized at the Council of Nicea. There were many other Christian texts that were not included...they are typically called the Apocrypha.

Answer 5

The bible was written by 40 men, over a period of 1,500 years. How could a group of guys, who most have never even met each other, write 66 books? (The amount of books in the bible) without contradictions? By the Holy Spirit.

Answer 6

God used several prophets and other people to write the Bible. These people were inspired by God with the words so really God wrote the Bible. But if you're looking for people there were people like Moses, Isaiah, Paul.

Answer 7

according to Islam, firstly bible sent by god through jesus, but after jesus left the world, his corrupted followers start to distort the content and lead to corrupted contents.

Nowaday, if you analyze the contents, you will find some parts are from god, some from Jesus and some are NOT from god or Jesus(who are they!!)

That is why the more u read bible, the more u are confused!!
when I say corrupted, I dont mean to offend the christians, I just have to say it.

Answer 8

Ancient prophets through the commandment of Heavenly Father.

Answer 9

Many different people. Kings, shepherds, prophets, fishermen, tax-collectors, doctors....

All under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Answer 10

About forty different people, over the course of 1500 years, on three different continents, in three languages.

I'm afraid your question isn't specific enough for me to give you a more specific answer.

Answer 11

men through the inspiration of God.