If Someone Says—‘Men Wrote the Bible, Not God’
- Edward D. Andrews
- 11 minutes ago
- 8 min read
The Claim That “Men Wrote the Bible”
When someone dismisses Scripture by asserting that “men wrote the Bible, not God,” the objection normally arises from an assumption that divine inspiration must exclude human participation. Critics imagine inspiration as automatic dictation, in which the human writer is a passive instrument rather than an active, thinking, articulate servant of Jehovah. Because they view the Bible as a merely human product, they treat its message as fallible, culturally bound, or unreliable. However, the inspired Scriptures themselves explain that Jehovah used human writers in such a way that the product was His flawless Word, without error, contradiction, or distortion. The historical-grammatical method reveals that the human authors contributed their vocabulary, style, and setting, while Jehovah ensured that what they wrote was exactly what He intended.
The Nature of Divine Inspiration
The Biblical Definition of Inspiration
The apostle Paul states in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “all Scripture is inspired by God.” The underlying Greek term means “God-breathed,” indicating that the message originated with Jehovah, even though it was communicated through human writers. Peter clarifies in 2 Peter 1:20–21 that “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation,” because “men spoke from God as they were being moved by the Holy Spirit.” Inspiration does not deny human authorship; it asserts divine superintendence over that authorship. Jehovah used the minds, vocabularies, and personalities of the writers, but He guided them so that the final product expressed His will with complete accuracy.
Inspiration and the Reliability of Scripture
The Bible presents itself as the written revelation of Jehovah’s purpose. Because Jehovah cannot lie, the inspired text is free from errors. The Scriptures state that “the words of Jehovah are pure words.” The purity refers not merely to moral clarity but to the reliability and accuracy of every statement. Inspiration guarantees that the message communicated to humanity is exactly the message Jehovah intended, without distortion by the human writers who penned it.
The Human Contribution Within Divine Guidance
The human authors wrote within their historical and linguistic contexts; Moses wrote in Hebrew, Luke in refined Greek, Paul in a forceful, logical style shaped by rigorous training. Yet Jehovah ensured that each wrote precisely what served His purpose. Inspiration is therefore an act of divine preservation and direction, not mechanical control. The result is a text whose human form expresses a divine message. The writers were not passive secretaries; they were faithful servants communicating truth entrusted to them by Jehovah.
Addressing the Objection Directly
Why the Human Element Does Not Negate Divine Origin
Critics claim that because men wrote the Bible, the content must be fallible. This argument fails because it assumes Jehovah is incapable of ensuring an accurate written record through human agency. If Jehovah can create and sustain the universe, He can certainly superintend the writing of a book. Human participation in the writing of Scripture no more denies its divine origin than the human preaching of the gospel denies its divine message. Jehovah consistently uses human instruments to accomplish His purposes, including the production of Scripture.
Historical Evidence of Inspiration Rather Than Human Invention
The unity of the Bible provides powerful evidence of divine authorship. Forty human writers, spread across fifteen centuries, produced sixty-six books in different languages, under various circumstances, and yet the entire collection presents a unified, coherent revelation of Jehovah’s purpose. The themes of creation, human rebellion, the covenant promises, the coming Messiah, and the future kingdom unfold with consistent precision. No human committee, separated by centuries and geography, could construct such a unified revelation. The harmony of Scripture, combined with its fulfilled prophecy and unparalleled moral standard, demonstrates that Jehovah guided its production.
The Accuracy of the Transmission of the Text
The objection frequently shifts from authorship to preservation, suggesting that many centuries of copying must have corrupted the text. Yet the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament have been preserved with extraordinary accuracy. Textual criticism confirms that the existing manuscripts allow reconstruction of the original wording with 99.99 percent certainty. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the stability of the Hebrew Scriptures over a thousand years of transmission. Likewise, the vast manuscript tradition of the Greek New Testament supports a highly reliable reconstruction of the original text written between 41 C.E. and 98 C.E. The objection collapses because the evidence demonstrates that Jehovah’s Word has been preserved as He intended.
How Men Wrote While God Authored
The Mode of Inspiration in the Old Testament
Jehovah communicated to the prophets by direct speech, visions, dreams, and angelic messages. The prophets repeatedly used expressions such as “Jehovah said,” “the word of Jehovah came,” and “thus says Jehovah.” These phrases show not merely subjective impressions but authoritative divine revelation. Moses received the Law directly from Jehovah. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the other prophets consistently spoke words that Jehovah commanded. Their messages were not the result of human speculation but communication from God Himself.
The Mode of Inspiration in the New Testament
Jesus promised His apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth and bring to their remembrance everything He taught. This promise guaranteed the accuracy of their teaching and writing. The apostles did not invent Christian doctrine; they delivered truth given by Christ and brought to remembrance by the Spirit. Luke carefully investigated the facts, interviewing eyewitnesses, yet Jehovah ensured that his research produced an inerrant Gospel account. Paul’s letters contain personal expressions and greetings, yet they are still God-breathed because Jehovah directed the content and preserved it from error.
Why Inspiration Does Not Require Dictation
Some critics imagine that if God did not dictate every word audibly, then the content must be human invention. This is a false assumption. Jehovah guided the process so that the writers freely expressed what He intended them to write. Their intellect and personality were active, but their message was constrained by divine oversight. This is similar to how Jehovah influences events in history without violating human responsibility. The divine purpose is accomplished through human means without diminishing either the authenticity of the messenger or the authority of the message.
The Bible’s Unique Qualities Demonstrate Divine Authorship
Fulfilled Prophecy as Evidence of Divine Revelation
The Scriptures contain hundreds of prophecies that have been fulfilled with remarkable precision. Prophecies concerning the rise and fall of empires, the destruction of cities, the preservation and future restoration of the Jewish people, and especially the details concerning the Messiah demonstrate divine foreknowledge. No merely human book can provide accurate predictions across centuries. The fulfilled prophecies concerning Jesus’ birth, ministry beginning in 29 C.E., execution in 33 C.E. on Nisan 14, resurrection, and exaltation reveal a prophetic unity grounded in Jehovah’s sovereignty.
The Bible’s Moral and Ethical Superiority
The Scriptures reveal a moral standard that surpasses human wisdom. The command to love Jehovah fully, the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself, and Christ’s teaching to love even enemies present a standard far beyond natural human inclination. The biblical worldview explains human wickedness not as a psychological defect but as rebellion against Jehovah. Its diagnosis of the human condition and its solution through the ransom sacrifice of Christ reveal a coherence and depth unmatched by human philosophy.
The Transforming Power of Scripture
For two thousand years, the Scriptures have transformed individual lives, families, and entire cultures. Human writings cannot produce such enduring change. Through Scripture, Jehovah confronts sinful attitudes, corrects false thinking, strengthens obedience, and reveals the path to salvation. The very power that Scripture exercises in the hearts of believers demonstrates its divine origin. It speaks with an authority that no human author can muster.
The Objection and the Heart
Why the Objection Often Masks a Deeper Issue
When people say “men wrote the Bible,” the statement often serves as a shield against moral accountability. If Scripture is merely human, then its commands can be dismissed. The heart resists the authority of Jehovah because acceptance of the Bible’s divine origin entails submission to its moral demands. Many critics understand that if Scripture truly comes from Jehovah, then their worldview, behavior, and beliefs must be judged by it. The objection therefore reflects not only intellectual resistance but spiritual resistance.
Helping Someone Move Beyond the Objection
Christians should address the objection with patience, clarity, and confidence in the truthfulness of Scripture. Pointing to fulfilled prophecy, unity across centuries, historical accuracy, and the unparalleled moral authority of Scripture can help remove intellectual barriers. However, the deeper issue is often moral and spiritual. Only Scripture itself can convict the conscience, expose sin, and reveal the hope of salvation. Christians should encourage skeptics to read the Scriptures directly, because Jehovah uses His Word to confront unbelief and draw individuals to Himself.
The Necessity of Submission to Divine Revelation
Acknowledging that men wrote the Bible under the guidance of Jehovah requires accepting its authority. Scripture does not invite the reader to merely admire its literature; it calls the reader to repent, believe, obey, and pursue holiness. Jehovah has graciously revealed His will so that humanity may understand salvation, godly living, and the future kingdom Christ will bring. Rejecting Scripture as merely human rejects Jehovah’s revelation and places one’s own judgment above divine truth.
Why Jehovah Chose To Use Human Writers
The Pattern of Divine-Human Cooperation
Throughout redemptive history, Jehovah has chosen to work through human agents. He used Noah to warn a wicked world, Abraham to establish a covenant people, Moses to deliver Israel, and the prophets to communicate His judgments and promises. When the Messiah came, He called apostles to proclaim the good news to all nations. The use of human writers for Scripture aligns with Jehovah’s consistent method. He could have delivered the Scriptures through angels or direct heavenly inscription, but He chose to work through faithful humans to demonstrate His condescension and relational purpose.
The Accessibility of the Message
By using human writers who lived within real cultures, spoke real languages, and addressed real circumstances, Jehovah ensured that Scripture would be clear, understandable, and applicable to human life. The historical-grammatical method reveals the meaning intended by the human author, which in turn reveals the meaning intended by Jehovah. The incarnational pattern of Scripture mirrors the incarnation of Christ: divine truth communicated in human form without compromising its divine nature.
The Preservation of Witness Across Generations
Human writers provide a historical anchor for the revelation. Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Luke, John, and Paul are identifiable individuals whose writings reflect real events. Their testimonies form a coherent historical record that can be examined, verified, and defended. Jehovah used these human witnesses to anchor the truth in history so that no generation could claim that the revelation was abstract or inaccessible.
Scripture as the Final Authority
The Self-Attesting Nature of the Bible
The Scriptures defend their own authority by consistently presenting themselves as the Word of Jehovah. From Genesis to Revelation, the writers declare that they are communicating divine truth. The authority of Scripture does not rest on human approval but on its divine origin. The believer accepts Scripture because Jehovah has revealed it, and the Spirit-inspired Word convicts the heart and illuminates the mind.
The Sufficiency of the Written Word
Jehovah has provided everything necessary for faith and obedience within the Scriptures. No additional revelation is needed. The Word instructs, corrects, and equips the believer for every good work. The sufficiency of Scripture rests on its divine authorship. Because Jehovah authored it through human writers, it carries complete authority for doctrine, morals, and worship.
The Call To Trust and Obey
Rejecting Scripture as merely human excuses disobedience but forfeits the blessings of knowing Jehovah. The Scriptures reveal the path to salvation through Christ, the righteousness that Jehovah requires, and the hope of eternal life on a restored earth under Christ’s millennial reign. Trusting the Scriptures means trusting Jehovah, and obedience to the Scriptures means obedience to Jehovah.
About the author
EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).
Comments