Phenomenal Facts about the
Bible
Few books can claim the Bible’s diverse authorship,
and no other book can claim so wide a range of authors
who maintained a focused, unified message from beginning
to end. This remarkable combination of variety and unity
gives credence to the belief held by Christians that
the Bible is a one-of-a-kind, divinely inspired book.
Consider these astonishing facts about the Bible:
- It’s not just one book but a collection
of 66 smaller ones. Its name, in fact, comes from a
Greek word that means “the little books.” This
word ultimately came to mean the book that is composed
of many books—The Holy Bible.
- The Bible was written by 40
different authors. And they were not all alike—certainly not just “men
of the cloth.” There were politicians, shepherds,
a medical doctor, military leaders, assorted tradesmen,
and a theologian or two thrown in for good measure.
- The writers were from all parts
of the known world of their times. Not just different countries
but from three different continents—Africa, Asia,
and Europe.
- “Their times” spanned nearly 16
centuries—from
about 1500 B.C. to 95 A.D. In fact, they lived so far
apart in history that, if the Bible were just being
completed for the first time today, it would already
have been in the works for a thousand years by the
time Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas!
- It was written in three different
languages. The various authors wrote in Hebrew, Aramaic (an
ancient Hebrew-like language), and Greek.
- The writing styles are as varied
as the authors. Some wrote poetry, some history. There are letters,
biographies, prophecies, and the proverbial “wisdom
literature.”
- After 1600 years in the making,
it’s remained
the same for even longer. The “canon” of
Scripture was settled in the fourth century, and Christians
have generally accepted our collection of 66 “little
books” to be The Bible ever since. And discovery
after discovery shows The Holy Bible of today—such
as the Holman CSB translation—to be completely
true to the original writings.
Of all the reasons not to doubt the Christian faith,
the matchless nature of the Bible is one of the best.
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