The True Author

Authors sometimes take on a pen name (nom de plume), which is a pseudonym used on the title page of their literary work. Samuel Langhorne Clemens used the aliases Mark Twain and Sieur Louis de Conte for different writings. Benjamin Franklin used the pen name Mrs. Silence Dogood, and C.S. Lewis wrote as Clive Hamilton.

There are different reasons why authors use pen names. Sometimes a writer wants to use a more distinctive name or even disguise his or her gender. In some cases, authors use a pseudonym to protect themselves from retribution for their writing.

When it comes to the authorship of the Bible, the writers of Scripture did not try to conceal or elevate themselves. Neither did Bible writers claim to make up the content of their messages. They acknowledged God as their divine source. Isaiah attributes his book to a vision from the Lord (1:1), as do many other writers, including Amos, Micah, and Habakkuk.

More specifically, writers often identified the work of God through the Holy Spirit in giving them messages. Ezekiel said, “The Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me” (Ezekiel 2:2). In the New Testament, Paul explained, “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers” (Acts 28:25).

God has made Himself known in the Bible through the Holy Spirit. Through the hands of about forty human authors, the Lord has communicated heavenly truths over a period of around 1,500 years. Because the true source of the Scriptures came through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we may know that the real author of the Bible is God.

Apply It:

Carefully read (or sing) the words to the hymn “Give Me the Bible” and then carry its message with you throughout the day.

Dig Deeper:

Nehemiah 9:30; Micah 3:8; Romans 1:1, 2

Key Bible Texts

The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. (2 Samuel 23:2 KJV)