I’m often asked how we can rely on a Bible that was written by normal men or how we can consider the Bible to be the Word of God if it was written by ordinary men. I can sympathize with the misunderstanding, but this is one of those that logically makes perfect sense and has an easy explanation.
All the authors of Scripture were ordinary men from lots of different backgrounds that can relate to you and I and all have varying levels of spiritual and educational background as well. But they all had one thing in common according to 2 Peter 1:20-21: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” In other words, each of the authors, in partnership with the Holy Spirit have been given part of the story of the Scriptures to portray from their perspective. The Holy Spirit gave them the message and they wrote it down.
It’s interesting that many assume that Scripture is or can be wrong simply because the men were ordinary. Am I ever right at anything I write? I’m ordinary. When I say that 2+2=4, I’m correct, and yet, I’m ordinary! People can get things right and can share what they know and have learned from their own eyewitness account and the testimony of others without being supernatural or superhuman themselves.
What makes the Scriptures different is that when put together, they tell a greater story. The Old Testament informs about how everything was intended to be in the beginning, but how that changed because of sin. It also informs about the plan to make it right again and what we can look for when looking for a Savior. The New Testament tells us about Jesus and how He meets all the requirements that are revealed in the Old Testament for the Savior. Jesus fulfills every single prophecy made about Him in the Old Testament. The miraculous thing about Scripture is that the ordinary men who wrote it were simply sharing what they were responsible to write, and it all came together to reveal what is necessary for understanding. Jesus said, in Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” These ordinary men came together, inspired by the Holy Spirit living in them, to write what they were responsible to share. Combined with the other accounts, we have a full picture of the information we need, to know who God is for this time, with appropriate study. Just because they are ordinary, doesn’t make them wrong. In fact, being part of writing the Holy Scriptures, makes them part of something extraordinary! Maybe they aren’t ordinary after all.
