Where Did the Bible Come From?
May 15, 2017
Illustrations by Paul Agner
The Bible is actually a collection of 66 books, written by about 40 different men from many different walks of life. One was a shepherd (Moses), some were kings (David, Solomon), one was a fisherman (Peter), one was a tax collector (Matthew), and another was a tent maker (Paul).
The Bible was written over a period of about 2,000 years, from near the time of Moses until a few years after Jesus returned to heaven. Each book was considered inspired (God-breathed) when it was written and was received by the Jews as part of the canon of Scripture, since it came from a man who was recognized as speaking for God (a prophet or apostle; Ephesians 3:5) and contained no mistakes.
Word to Know
Canon: The word canon originally referred to a reed, which was used as a measuring rod, like we use a ruler today for measuring. The complete list of biblical books is called the canon, meaning the “measuring rod” or the “authority” for determining truth.
