The Bible is an anthology, or collection of books, written over a 1,600-year span on three different continents in three different languages by over 40 authors from every walk of life including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc.
This is the third of four weeks to show the centrality of the Bible
There is one central author of the Bible.
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
To Paul, all Scripture would have referred to what we know as the Old Testament. He says that the Jewish Scriptures were God-breathed, meaning that God worked through the authors of the Old Testament to weave His message throughout.
Peter explains further in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 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 didn’t put the biblical authors in a trance or dictate to them, except where He shows up with specific messages. He allowed the authors to be themselves in their time period and the Holy Spirit guided them accordingly.
So even though the Bible was written by over 40 writers, God Himself is the lone author. That’s how our holy Scriptures became consistent, useful, and powerful.
