The Bible was written by about 40 different authors, spread out over a period of more than 1,500 years. Many of the books of the Bible reveal their authorship, but others don't. This applies to both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The writers we know of include kings, prophets, church leaders, and a doctor (Luke).
Our best claim to the authority of the Old Testament is that Jesus himself often quoted from these scriptures and clearly accepted them as having a divine origin.
The books of the New Testament are largely the writings of the original apostles or those who lived and ministered with them. These letters circulated among the early churches and were early assumed to be of equal importance to the Old Testament.
For many people, all truth is relative. That's not the case for us Christians. For us, the truth is what we find in the Bible. Jesus is the personification of truth. He said of himself: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6), see Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
He also said: "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Mat 24:35). Jesus quoted from 24 different books of the Old Testament as if they were the last word of truth. He saw them as absolute reliable sources and as the word of God. If we believe in Jesus, see Historical Facts that Jesus Rose from the Dead, it follows that we must believe that the Old Testament is from God.
See also Misconceptions and Objections.
We have the following witnesses that the Bible is trustworthy and authoritative:
- Unity:
The Bible conveys a unique message with a thread of unity throughout
the course of Scripture, despite it's written by 40 different authors over a period of 1,500+ years and covers topics such as God, humanity, sin,
death, and salvation. It's the most amazing document of consistency. - Prophesy:
The accuracy of predicting the future is astounding. There are approx
2,500 prophesies that appear in the Bible. About 2,000 of these have already been met with great accuracy. For example in Isaiah 44:24a, 28: "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb:
"I am the Lord ... who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, 'She shall be built,'
and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'"" This was written
150 years before Cyrus even was born, see The Prophecies of Isaiah.
For the fulfillment of this prophesy, see The Book of Ezra. See also
Prophecies that Jesus Fulfilled and Prophecies of Jesus' Second Coming. - Archaeology:
Large numbers of archaeological excavations support the Bible, see
Evidence that the Jews were in Egypt and that King David has Existed. - Science:
Although the purpose of the Bible isn't to be a scientific book, it provides accurate scientific information about the Earth and the universe,
see Scientific Proofs of the Bible. - History:
The historical accounts in the Bible are confirmed by external historical evidence that has been discovered, see New Egyptian Chronology. - Changed lives:
There are many examples of changed lives. The disciples' lives changed after The Resurrection of Jesus.
