Explanation

The Bible contains many individual books that were written at different times. These books were not all written together or collected into one volume at the beginning.

The books of the Old Testament were received and preserved by the Jewish people as sacred Scriptures. The writings of the New Testament came from the apostles and other early Christian writers. Churches received, read, shared, and examined these writings as they recognized which books belonged to the Scriptures.

The collection of biblical books is often called the canon of Scripture. The Protestant Bible, including the King James Version, contains 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.

Scripture 1: Luke 24:44 (KJV)

“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”

Explanation: Jesus referred to the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, showing that these Scriptures were already recognized as an important body of sacred writings.

Scripture 2: 2 Peter 3:15–16 (KJV)

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”

Explanation: Peter referred to Paul’s letters and connected the misuse of those letters with the misuse of other Scriptures. This shows that Paul’s writings were being circulated and treated with great seriousness in the early Christian community.

Practical Example

Think about a library that receives important books over many years. The books are written at different times, but eventually they are organized into a collection.

In a similar way, the biblical books were written, shared, preserved, and recognized over time. However, the Bible’s collection was not simply an ordinary human library; believers understood these writings to carry divine authority.

Remember

The Bible is a collection of individual books written across different periods. Understanding how these books were collected helps us appreciate their history and study them carefully.