The Writers of the Bible

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The ultimate author of the Bible is God. Although the sixty-six books of the Bible were written over a period of about 1,600 years by around forty different writers, the entire Bible maintains remarkable consistency and unity in its message. This is because the writers did not record their own ideas but conveyed the will and thoughts of God. The fulfillment of the prophecies written in the Bible also bears witness that God is its true author.

Writers of the Bible

The sixty-six books of the Bible were written over approximately 1,600 years—from around 1500 BC to AD 96—by people from diverse times, places, and backgrounds. Among them were kings such as David and Solomon, a shepherd like Amos, a tax collector like Matthew, and fishermen like John and Peter.

Writers and Dates of the Old Testament

Bible Writer (Approx.) Date (Approx.)
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy Moses c. 1500 BC
Joshua Joshua c. 1450–1400 BC
Judges Samuel c. 1000 BC
Ruth Unknown c. 1000 BC
1 & 2 Samuel Unknown c. 900 BC
1 & 2 Kings Unknown c. 600 BC
1 & 2 Chronicles Ezra c. 450 BC
Ezra Ezra c. 440 BC
Nehemiah Nehemiah or Ezra c. 420 BC
Esther Mordecai c. 464–436 BC
Job Job (Uncertain) c. 2000–1500 BC
Book of Psalms David and many others c. 1500–400 BC
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs Solomon and others c. 1000–700 BC
Isaiah Isaiah c. 730–680 BC
Jeremiah, Lamentations Jeremiah c. 620–580 BC
Ezekiel Ezekiel c. 593–570 BC
Daniel Daniel c. 530 BC
Hosea Hosea c. 750 BC
Joel Joel 8th century BC
Amos Amos c. 760 BC
Obadiah Obadiah c. 580 BC
Jonah Jonah c. 760 BC
Micah Micah c. 700 BC
Nahum Nahum 7th century BC
Habakkuk Habakkuk 7th century BC
Zephaniah Zephaniah c. 630 BC
Haggai Haggai c. 520 BC
Zechariah Zechariah c. 520–518 BC
Malachi Malachi c. 430 BC

Writers and Dates of the New Testament

Bible Writer (Approx.) Date (Approx.)
Matthew Matthew 60–70
Mark Mark 55–65
Luke Luke 60–68
John John (Apostle) 80–90
Acts Luke 61–63
Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon Paul 51–67
Hebrews Paul (Uncertain) 65–69
James James 60–62
1 & 2 Peter Peter 64–67
1 & 2 & 3 John John 85–95
Jude Judah 65–80
Revelation John 95–96

God, the True Author of the Bible

Although the writers of the Bible lived in different times, under different circumstances, and had different occupations, the messages they recorded are clearly unified in purpose and theme. This is because they did not write of their own will, but wrote the words they received from God.

Apostle Peter explained that the prophecies in Scripture did not originate from human will, but from people who spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.


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.

2 Peter 1:21


The phrase “spoken from God” implies that although human hands penned the text, its content conveys the will and message of God. For example, if a wealthy man instructs a lawyer to draft a will and dictates its content, the lawyer may write it down, but the true author of the will is the wealthy man, not the lawyer. This is because the content of the will reflects the words and intentions of the man who gave the instruction, not those of the one who wrote it.

In the same way, God is the true author of the Bible. Apostle Paul also affirmed this in his letter to Timothy, stating that all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that people may be led to salvation.[1]

Evidence That God Is the Author of the Bible

One way to confirm that the Bible is truly the word of God is by examining whether its prophecies have been fulfilled.


You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 18:21–22


If there is no evidence of fulfillment, the message is not from God. Conversely, if what was foretold comes to pass, then the message is from God. The fulfillment of biblical prophecy is clear evidence that God is the true author of the Bible.

  • Example 1: The Prophecies of Daniel
    The book of Daniel foretold the succession of world empires—Babylon (Neo-Babylonia), followed by Media-Persia, and then Greece. It also predicted that after the death of Alexander the Great, the Greek Empire would be divided into four kingdoms among his generals.[2] God revealed this prophecy to Daniel long before the fall of Babylon, and history records its exact fulfillment.[3]
  • Example 2: The Prophecies about Jesus Christ
    The Old Testament contains numerous detailed prophecies concerning the life of Jesus—from His birth to His suffering on the cross. These include: being born of the virgin Mary,[4][5] preaching the gospel in Galilee,[6][7] entering Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt,[8][9] being crucified between two criminals, and being laid in the tomb of a rich man after His death.[10][11] All these prophecies were fulfilled exactly as written, confirming that the Bible is truly the word of God.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2 Timothy 3:15–17".
  2. ↑ "Daniel 8:20–22".
  3. ↑ "Daniel 8:1".
  4. ↑ "Isaiah 7:14".
  5. ↑ "Matthew 1:18–23".
  6. ↑ "Isaiah 9:1–2".
  7. ↑ "Matthew 4:12–16".
  8. ↑ "Zechariah 9:9".
  9. ↑ "John 12:12–16".
  10. ↑ "Isaiah 53:9".
  11. ↑ "Matthew 27:38, 57-60".
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