1. The Holy Scriptures - The Bible

1. Holy Scriptures
The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to man the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history. (2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2Tim. 3:16, 17; Ps. 119:105; Prov. 30:5, 6; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 4:12.)

Commentary -
It would also be wise to include that there were some 40 different Bible writers writing some 66 different letters or books over a period of over 1,600 years from 1513 B.C.E. to 98 C.E., for Bible writing to be completed. All writing in harmony with one main theme to the Bible. That theme is God's Kingdom. The writers never had an editorial meeting, and some books were written concurrently at places thousands of miles apart. Still, the Bible has a single theme and is a unified whole; it does not contradict itself. We cannot help but wonder, ‘How could more than 40 men living over a period of 16 centuries come up with a book that is consistent to such a degree?’

Although the writing of the Bible was completed more than 1,900 years ago, its contents intrigue men and women of modern times. For instance, open your Bible to Job 26:7. Keep in mind that this text was written in the 15th century B.C.E. It reads: “[God] is stretching out the north over the empty place, hanging the earth upon nothing.” Next, turn to Isaiah 40:22, noting that the book of Isaiah was written in the eighth century B.C.E. This verse reads: “There is One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth, the dwellers in which are as grasshoppers, the One who is stretching out the heavens just as a fine gauze, who spreads them out like a tent in which to dwell.” What comes to your mind when you read these two descriptions? An image of a spherical object “hanging” in space. You have likely seen such an image in photographs sent from modern spacecraft. You may wonder, ‘How could men living so long ago make such scientifically accurate statements?’

The Bible is also a book of prophecy. (2 Peter 1:20, 21) The word “prophecy” may immediately bring to your mind unfulfilled words of self-proclaimed prophets. But leave any preconceptions behind, and open your Bible to Daniel chapter 8. Here Daniel describes a vision of a struggle between a ram with two horns and a hairy he-goat with “a conspicuous horn.” The he-goat prevails, but its great horn is broken. In its place four horns come up. What does the vision mean? Daniel’s account continues: “The ram that you saw possessing the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat stands for the king of Greece; and as for the great horn that was between its eyes, it stands for the first king. And that one having been broken, so that there were four that finally stood up instead of it, there are four kingdoms from his nation that will stand up, but not with his power.”—Daniel 8:3-22. Was this prophecy fulfilled? The writing of the book of Daniel was completed in about 536 B.C.E. Macedonian King Alexander the Great, who was born 180 years later, in 356 B.C.E., conquered the Persian Empire. He was “the great horn” between the eyes of “the hairy he-goat.” According to the Jewish historian Josephus, upon entering Jerusalem before his victory over Persia, Alexander was shown the book of Daniel. He concluded that the words of Daniel’s prophecy that were pointed out to him referred to his own military campaign involving Persia. What is more, in textbooks on world history, you can read of the course that Alexander’s empire took after his death in 323 B.C.E. Four generals eventually took over his empire, and by 301 B.C.E., the ‘four horns’ that stood up instead of “the great horn” divided the domain into four sections. Once again, we have every reason to wonder, ‘How could a book so vividly and accurately foretell what would take place some 200 years later?’

DO YOU recall the last time you received a letter from a loved one who lives far away? Few things bring us as much pleasure as a heartfelt letter from someone we hold dear. We are delighted to hear about his well-being, his experiences, and his plans. Such communication brings loved ones closer, even if they are physically far away. What, then, could bring us more pleasure than to receive a written message from the God we love? Jehovah has, in a sense, written us a “letter”—his Word, the Bible. In it he tells us who he is, what he has done, what he purposes to do, and much more. Jehovah has given us his Word because he wants us to be close to him. Our all-wise God chose the best possible way to communicate with us. There is incomparable wisdom in the way the Bible is written and in what it contains. So you may ask, "Why a Written Word?" Some may wonder, ‘Why did Jehovah not use a more dramatic method—say, a voice from heaven—to communicate with humans?’ In fact, Jehovah did at times speak from heaven by means of angelic representatives. He did so, for example, when he gave the Law to Israel. (Galatians 3:19) The voice from heaven was awe-inspiring—so much so that the terrified Israelites asked that Jehovah not speak with them in this manner but that he communicate through Moses. (Exodus 20:18-20) The Law, consisting of some 600 statutes, was thus transmitted to Moses orally, word-for-word.

What, though, if that Law had never been put in writing? Would Moses have been able to remember the precise wording of that detailed code and to convey it flawlessly to the rest of the nation? What about later generations? Would they have had to rely solely on word of mouth? That would hardly have been a reliable method of handing down God’s laws. Imagine what would happen if you were to transmit a story to a long line of people by telling it to the first person and then having it relayed from one to another down the line. What the person at the end of the line heard would likely differ considerably from the original. The words of God’s Law were in no such danger. Jehovah wisely chose to have his words put in writing. He instructed Moses: “Write down for yourself these words, because it is in accordance with these words that I do conclude a covenant with you and Israel.” (Exodus 34:27) So began the era of Bible writing, in 1513 B.C.E. As was mentioned above, over the next 1,610 years, Jehovah “spoke on many occasions and in many ways” to some 40 human writers who then penned the Bible. (Hebrews 1:1) Along the way, devoted copyists took meticulous care to produce accurate copies so as to preserve the Scriptures.—Ezra 7:6; Psalm 45:1. Jehovah has truly blessed us by communicating with us in writing. Have you ever received a letter that was so dear to you—perhaps because it offered needed comfort— that you saved it and read it again and again? So it is with Jehovah’s “letter” to us. Because Jehovah put his words in written form, we are able to read them regularly and to meditate on what they say. (Psalm 1:2) We
can receive “the comfort from the Scriptures” whenever we need it.—Romans 15:4.

In his wisdom, Jehovah used humans to pen his Word. Consider this: If Jehovah had used angels to record the Bible, would it have the same appeal? Granted, angels could have portrayed Jehovah from their lofty viewpoint, expressed their own devotion to him, and reported on faithful human servants of God. But would we really have been able to identify with the perspective of perfect spirit creatures, whose knowledge, experience, and strength are far superior to our own?—Hebrews 2:6, 7. Through his use of human writers, Jehovah provided just what we need—a record that s “inspired of God” yet retains the human element. (2 Timothy 3:16) How did he achieve this? In many cases, he evidently allowed the writers to use their own mental faculties in selecting “the delightful words and the writing of correct words of truth.” (Ecclesiastes 12:10, 11) This explains the Bible’s diversity of style; the writings reflect the background and personality of the individual writers. Yet, these men “spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21) Hence, the end product truly is “the word of God.” —1 Thessalonians 2:13. For example, David, who was a shepherd, uses examples drawn from pastoral life. (Psalm 23) Matthew, who had been a tax collector, makes numerous references to numbers and money values. (Matthew 17:27; 26:15; 27:3) Luke, who was a physician, uses words that reflect his medical background.—Luke 4:38; 14:2; 16:20.

The use of human penmen gives the Bible tremendous warmth and appeal. Its writers were men with feelings like ours. Being imperfect, they faced trials and pressures similar to our own. In some cases, Jehovah’s spirit inspired them to write about their own feelings and struggles. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) So they penned words in the first person, words that no angel could have expressed. 10 Take, for example, King David of Israel. After he had committed some serious sins, David composed a psalm in which he poured out his heart, begging for God’s forgiveness. He wrote: “Cleanse me even from my sin. For my transgressions I myself know, and my sin is in front of me constantly. Look! With error I was brought forth with birth pains, and in sin my mother conceived me. Do not throw me away from before your face; and your holy spirit O do not take away from me. The sacrifices to God are a broken spirit; a heart broken and crushed, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:2, 3, 5, 11, 17) Can you not feel the writer’s anguish? Who but an imperfect human could express such heartfelt sentiments? There is something else that contributes to the Bible’s appeal. To a large extent, it is a book about people—real people—those serving God and those not serving him. We read about their experiences, hardships, and joys. We see the outcome of their choices in life. Such accounts were included “for our instruction.” (Romans 15:4) Through these true-life portrayals, Jehovah teaches in ways that touch our heart.

The Bible itself answers the above questions: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial.” (2 Timothy 3:16) The Greek word translated “inspired of God” literally means “God-breathed.” God “breathed” the information we now find in the Bible books into the minds of some 40 writers. The few examples—scientific, historical, and prophetic—that we have considered clearly point to but one conclusion. This unique book, the Bible, is a product, not of human wisdom, but of divine origin. Yet, many today are skeptical about the existence of its Author—Jehovah God.