✍️ Part 2 – How the Bible Came to Be

Divine inspiration and the unfolding of Scripture

The Bible did not appear all at once. It grew over centuries, as the Spirit of God moved among His people. It was written by many human authors, in different places, languages, and times — and yet, through all of them, God Himself speaks.

The Church teaches that the books of the Bible are “written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.” (2 Timothy 3:16; CCC 105) God chose certain people to write, and they did so freely, using their own language and understanding — but guided by the Spirit to express the truth He wished to reveal.

“The divinely revealed realities... were committed to writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.”
– Dei Verbum, Vatican II

📜 The Old Testament: A Covenant History

The Old Testament was written over a long period, beginning many centuries before the birth of Christ. It contains the stories, laws, prophecies, prayers, and wisdom of Israel — the people chosen by God to prepare the world for the coming of the Savior.

It speaks of creation and fall, covenant and deliverance, exile and return. Its central theme is God's steadfast love and promise to redeem His people.

These books were originally written in Hebrew and, later, translated into Greek in a version known as the Septuagint (LXX). This Greek translation became widely used in the time of Christ and was the version of the Old Testament most often quoted in the New Testament itself.

📖 The New Testament: Fulfillment in Christ

The New Testament was written in the first century by the apostles and their close companions. It records the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the mission of the early Church.

  • The Gospels tell of Christ’s ministry on earth.
  • The Acts of the Apostles describes the spread of the Gospel.
  • The Epistles offer teaching and encouragement to Christian communities.
  • The Book of Revelation gives hope and warning in times of trial.

These writings arose from within the Church. They were not private reflections but public testimony — proclaimed in worship, preserved in memory, and confirmed by apostolic authority. Over time, the Church recognized and received these writings as sacred Scripture.

🕊️ The Church and the Bible

The Bible was born within the Church, and the Church was formed by the Word of God. From the beginning, the faithful gathered to hear the Scriptures read aloud and explained. The letters of the apostles were passed from community to community, copied and preserved. As the Church grew, so did her care in discerning which writings truly bore the mark of divine inspiration.

In the fourth century, councils in both East and West affirmed the canon of the New Testament — not by creating it, but by recognizing what had already been received.

The Bible, then, is both ancient and alive. It is the work of many hands, yet the voice of One. It is God’s Word — written through time, entrusted to the Church, and given to us so that we may believe and live.