Let’s imagine you were going to write a book.  Pick a subject – let’s say, science.  Now enlist 40 men, spread them out over different geographical locations – the majority of them can’t know each other.  In addition, they have to be spread over a period of 1500 years.  At the end of that time, what do you think you would have?  Anything consistent?  One message? I know what you would have…a mess!

Now, let’s consider the Bible for a moment.  The Bible is truly a unique book.  One of the things that makes it so is its unique authorship.  Christians believe that it was inspired by God but, of course, penned by men.  No one believes it merely dropped from Heaven.  Instead, the Bible itself claims that its words are “God-breathed”.  According to Christians, God inspired the hearts and minds of men to pen the writings we have come to know as the Bible.  Who were these men?  What separates the authorship of the Bible from other books?  How does this relate to its claim to Divine authorship?  Let’s take a look:

AUTHORS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE
The Bible is not a book that was planned by some publisher (unless you consider God the publisher, of course).   Written by over 40 men, it is really a collection of writings spanning a period of 1500 years.   Now, imagine that you are going to choose 40 men to write the most widely read religious book in history.  Who would you choose?  The authors of the Bible may surprise you.  They are:

Kings – David, Solomon
A Political Leader – Moses
A Religious Leader – Paul
A Military General – Joshua
A Shepherd – Amos
A Tax Collector – Matthew
Fishermen – Peter, James, John
A Doctor – Luke
A Cupbearer – Nehemiah

What a cross-section of people!  How could such ordinary men write a religious book that is the most loved by some, the most hated by others, but arguably the most significant book in human history?  It’s just one of the things that makes the Bible so unique.

DIFFERENT LOCATIONS / SITUATIONS
Now, perhaps it would be easy for a group of men to all sit down together in one place and write a book.  But, what if few of them knew each other and wrote from wildly different locations and circumstances?  To reach consensus on our science book mentioned above, the authors would have had to gather in a conference room someplace and compare notes, discoveries, ideas, etc.  Otherwise, how could anything consistent or rational result from their individual ramblings?   Yet, another peculiarity of the Bible is that its authors wrote:

In a Palace – Daniel [540 BC]
In a Prison - Paul [60 AD]
While Traveling – Luke [60 AD]
In War – Joshua [1300 BC
In the Wilderness – Moses [1430 BC]
In a Dungeon – Jeremiah [600 BC]
At the height of Joy – David [1000 BC]
In the depths of despair – David, Jeremiah

Notice also the timeframes of the above writers.  The fact that the Bible was written over a period of 1500 years in such diverse circumstances truly makes the Bible unique. 

DIVERSE COLLECTION OF WRITINGS
If one happens to have the mettle to venture past the “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” of Genesis 1, he or she would soon discover that far from being one long religious essay, the Bible is a potpourri of writing styles to satisfy the most diverse literature enthusiast.  At once, it is:

History – Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, the Gospels, Acts
Law – Leviticus, Deuteronomy
Prophecy – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Revelation, etc.
Wisdom Literature – Proverbs
Poetry – Song of Solomon
Songs – Psalms
Private Letters – Romans, Galatians, 1 Peter, James, etc.
Apocalyptic Literature - Revelation

Some of the writings, such as the book of Esther, read like the most page-turning novels you might find today.  It’s diversity of writings is yet another reason the Bible is so unique.

ONE MESSAGE
So, the Bible is a collection of writings of 40 men from of all walks of life, written over a period of 1500 years, in extremely diverse circumstances and locations, and written using the most diverse styles of literature ever compiled in a religious book.  As a piece of literature, it is truly one of a kind.

And yet…there is more…

As you read the Bible you discover a most striking phenomenon.   One that, if the facts stated above regarding its unique authorship are true, could not have been forced upon it by the men who wrote it.  And yet, it is there.  What is it? 

Strangely, the Bible, despite the almost endless diversity surrounding its authorship, has one consistent theme – one message.  This is, in itself, truly amazing.  How could such diverse men, from such diverse backgrounds, and spread over 1500 years with no collaboration produce one consistent message?  Any message?  Yet, there it is.  What’s the message?  The redemption (or liberation) of man.   Liberation? 

“I thought the Bible was all about putting man under a yoke of religious bondage!” 

Not so.  What I have to say from this point on you may choose to believe or not believe, but I’ve read the Bible for over 20 years now – studied it – and I speak truthfully when I say the theme of the Bible is liberation – freedom!  And also, Love.  That’s its message.

You don’t have to believe it…I’m just sharing facts about what the Bible is about and I tell you it is about freedom and love.  It is a story about God, once in fellowship with man whom He created, setting about the task of liberating His beloved mankind from a prison of self-obsession (or sin as the Bible calls it).  This fixation and addiction to self is so blinding that man doesn’t even realize he is suffocating under it and slowing destroying himself.  Yet, the Bible says he need look no further than his own heart; his own life; his own actions to realize, if he his truly honest with himself, that he can’t even live up to his own moral standards let alone those of a perfect God.

This is where the love story comes in.  You see, the Bible relates that if there is a characteristic that describes God more than anything else – it is mercy – compassion.  This God, because of His great love for man, was unwilling (unable?) to leave man estranged from Him forever.  God just could not live without him.  So, through thousands of years of foreshadowing and prophecy, this God revealed the coming of One who would rescue man and forever reunite him with Himself.  Jesus Christ claimed to be that One.  In His own words, He laid down His life as a ransom to remove all barriers separating man and God and to set mankind free so that he could once again live forever in union with this God who loved him thus giving true meaning, purpose, joy, life, and fulfillment to man again.  It is truly an unparalleled story.  You should read it.

Again, you don’t have to believe it, but that is the message of the Bible.

That one message can be found among such a disjointed collection of writings from such a disjointed group of writers is truly amazing.  Yet, the content of that message…well…to me…

That’s more amazing still.