Unity of the Bible

The Bible has had an enormous impact on the world. It has influenced cultures and shaped nations. It has been copied and circulated more extensively than any other piece of literature, and it has been translated into over two thousand different languages. To this day, the Bible is still regarded as the inspired Word of God by billions of people.

The Bible is a library of 66 books. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. These books were written over a span of about sixteen hundred years (1500 B.C. -- 100 A.D.) by more than forty writers. These writers lived at different times, in different places, and came from all different walks of life. Moreover, the writers were not always aware of one another’s writings and sometimes did not even know the meaning of their own words (1 Peter 1:10-11). Yet the Bible fits together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. There are no contradictions or inconsistencies.

I am impressed by how diverse the backgrounds were of those who wrote the Bible. It was penned by shepherds and statesmen, fishermen and physicians, tentmakers and tax collectors, etc. Some were educated and some were uneducated. Some were rich and some were poor. Some wrote from beautiful palaces while others languished in prison. Moreover, the Bible was written in three different languages on three different continents. There is no way that mere men from such diverse backgrounds could have written in such a unified manner without divine guidance. The unity of the Bible proves that it is from God!