The writing of the Bible was directed and inspired by God. It contains 66 books which were written by about 40 different men over a period of approximately 2,000 years. Man alone could not have written such a book because it would have been impossible to keep the same uninterrupted story throughout the centuries that it took to complete it. Each period of time paved the way for the next one. The parts of each story fit perfectly together with the rest. All the prophecies were fulfilled just as they were predicted. We learn that God fulfilled every promise He made to man in ages past. By this, we know that He will keep the ones He has made concerning our future. The central message of the entire Bible is, " God's great love for man, seen through Christ."
The Old Testament was called Moses and the Prophets, identifying who wrote the books. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, which was the language of the people at that time. Scribes carefully copied each letter by hand, allowing no mistakes. The Scriptures were preserved on long scrolls, made from animal skins and from papyrus plants. The Jews handled them with great care to keep the truth from being changed or being destroyed by enemies. Many scrolls were placed in pottery jars and hidden in caves. Evidence of this method of preservation was found in 1947, when a young Arab boy playing near a cave by the Dead Sea discovered some of these scrolls which had been hidden for centuries.
As the years passed, the language of many Jews changed from Hebrew to Aramaic and Greek. The end of the first century is when the last 27 books of the Bible were written. These books are about the life of Christ and the history of the church. As they were written, the newly-formed churches of Christ copied and circulated them. Later, they were known as the New Testament and were added to the Old Testament writings to complete the canon of the Bible. These 27 books were written in Greek because that was the language of the people at the time. The news of what Christ did for man spread rapidly to other countries and now the gospel of Christ has been preached in all the world.
Romans 10:18. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went out into all the world, and their words unto the ends of the world.The question has been asked, "Since the Old and New Testaments were written in Hebrew and Greek, how can we know if the English versions are correct?" To help us understand the languages of each period of time, we have what are called Hebrew and Greek Lexicons, which are dictionaries of those languages. We can trace words back into the original language to help us understand customs and clarify each meaning. This is necessary because languages change with the passing of time. There are many ways to insure the correct meaning of each passage of Scripture; and God has seen to it that man can clearly know the truth in any age, in every country, regardless of the differences in the people's customs or language. Again, God has protected His Word from being destroyed.
The 66 books that we know as the Bible are God's complete revelation to man. God will not give additional information or instructions. What is written in the Bible will not be changed or anything new be added to it. Jesus made a promise in Matthew 24:35 when He said," Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Truth once established by God is completely correct and will never change. We can know that the power of God has preserved His Word, and we can be assured that we have the same truth today as they had centuries ago when it was first written.
Copyright 1989 by Carmen D Hilliard. Used by permission