Where Did the Bible Come From?

One of the best-known laws of the universe is the law of cause and effect. Simply stated it is this: every effect must have an adequate cause.

Now let this law be applied to the Bible. It is an effect. So, where did the Bible come from? How did it get here?

Logically, it was caused by some source. Really, there are only two possibilities:

• The Bible originated from a purely human source.
• Or the Bible, while employing human writers, is nevertheless ultimately of divine origin.

How can we determine which of these views is correct?

The only way is to examine the Bible itself and see whether or not it bears those “fingerprints” of identification which would be expected of a book that comes from God.

What would be expected of a divine volume?

The Bible Affirms It Comes from God

If God gave the Bible, we would expect Him to tell us so. The fact is, the Bible claims to be the Word of God literally thousands of times (cf. Jer. 1:9; Acts 1:16), and Christ Himself endorsed this very view of Scripture (see Mt. 22: 31).

The Bible Must not Contradict Itself

If the Bible came from God, since He is perfect (Mt. 5:48) and not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33), we would expect it to be perfectly harmonious.

Though composed over sixteen centuries, the Scriptures are perfectly harmonious. While some have charged the Bible with contradictions, such an allegation will not stand.

God’s Word Should Have an Exalted Tone

Since God is holy (Isa. 6: 3), we would expect a book that comes from Him to have an exalted moral tone. That is exactly what one finds. Its precepts — “love your neighbor as yourself” and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (see Mt. 22:39; 7:12) — have amazed millions of people down through the ages.

No human philosophy or book of purely human origin can boast of such high moral standards.

The Bible Is Irreplaceable

If the Bible is from God, we would not expect that any group of men, regardless of their genius, could produce a volume that would surpass that ancient document.

Though the Scriptures have been completed more than nineteen centuries, no one has been able to write a book that would make the Bible obsolete. This is inexplicable!

Perpetually Relevant

If the Bible is from the timeless God, we would expect it to be perpetually relevant. This is the case. Other books are shortly out-dated, but the Bible is as fresh and up-to-date as of when it came from the pens of the inspired writers.

An Honest Book

If the Bible were of divine origin, we would expect it to accurately portray the character of mankind.

This is exactly what it does do. Though we were created upright in God’s own image (Gen. 1:26), by sin we have progressively separated ourselves from our Maker (Isa. 59:1,2). Mankind has become exceedingly corrupt (Jer. 17:9), and hence stands in dire need of help.

Man could not have authored the Bible if he wanted to, and would not have penned it if he could!

Specific

Finally, if the Bible is from God, we would not expect it to be simply a vague philosophical and abstract treatise, but rather, to give specific information of what man’s purpose is and how he may achieve that purpose.

Thrillingly, the Bible reveals that man’s purpose on earth is to serve God (Isa. 43:7; Eccl. 12:13). It reveals the mission of Christ to save man from his wickedness (Lk. 19:10) and urges us to be responsive to His redeeming message of grace (Heb. 5:8,9; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38).

Let us hear its message.