How long did it take to write the Bible?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Since the Bible was written so long ago, we can’t know how long each particular book took to write. For example, Moses completed the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Old Testament, between 1445—1405 BC, which is about forty years, but we don't know if he was writing continually for those forty years. Additionally, it is estimated that it took fifteen hundred years for the entire Bible to be completed, but that doesn’t mean writing was taking place during all those years. For example, four hundred years of silence occurred between the Old Testament and New Testament. The first book that was likely written in the New Testament is the book of James, which was roughly AD 44—49. Amazingly, the whole New Testament was likely written in just fifty years, and some of the shorter books in the New Testament are thought to have been written by their individual authors in one sitting, such as some of Paul’s short letters. Revelation is the final book of the Bible, and it is also the newest addition to the sixty-six books, having been written in AD 90. Ultimately, while we don’t know with exact certainty how long each book took to write, we do know that all the writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). As such, the Bible was written according to God’s perfect timing.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Most scholars believe that either Genesis or Job, both part of the Pentateuch, was the earliest written book of the Bible. Moses is thought to have written Genesis and possibly Job, both around 1400 BC, approximately 3,400 years ago.
• There was a four-hundred-year gap between Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and the Gospel of Matthew that starts the New Testament. It did not take a full fifteen hundred years to write the Bible, but the Spirit of God did not inspire anyone to write any new Scripture during the four hundred years between the Testaments.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Even though the book of Matthew comes first in order of the New Testament, the epistle of James is believed to have been penned earlier, around AD 44—49. It took only about AD 44 to 90 or 95 for the entire New Testament to be written, so the Old Testament is what took the majority of the writing time for the Bible.
• Each author of the books of the Bible only wrote what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write: "All Scripture is breathed out by God" (2 Timothy 3:16). The timing in which the books were written and the duration of time it took to write each book was ultimately orchestrated by God.
• Many of Paul’s shorter letters may have even been written in one sitting. Both 2 John and 3 John are also brief letters, which could have been written in one sitting, to specific people. Jude is also quite short, as are some of the other epistles like 1 John, 1 and 2 Peter, and James.
• The book of Revelation is the newest book of the Bible, and it was completed around AD 90.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The sixty-six books that make up the Bible were written over a span of approximately fifteen hundred years, but that doesn’t mean it took a continuous fifteen hundred years to complete the Bible. Rather, it took this long for the entirety of the canon of Scripture to be completed, as God revealed His Word to people in His own timing. Those who penned the Bible books wrote according to what the Holy Spirit inspired them to (2 Timothy 3:16) and when He wanted them to write it. The apostle Peter further clarifies the Holy Spirit’s impact on the Bible when talking of prophets speaking the Word of God: "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21). The men who wrote the Bible were used by God to transcribe His words, thereby creating the Bible and sharing His message with the world to come.

UNDERSTAND

• The entire Bible was completed within a span of fifteen hundred years.
• The Old Testament books took longer to write than the New Testament books.
• Regardless of who penned each book of the Bible, all of the Bible was inspired by God.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that God inspired the Bible over 1,500 years affect the way you trust and obey its teachings?
• How does God’s timing in revealing His Word encourage you to trust His timing in your own life?
• How does the fact that the Bible was written by different authors under the Holy Spirit’s guidance shape the way you read and apply Scripture?

ENGAGE

• How can understanding the Bible’s long, Spirit-guided process help us defend its reliability to skeptics?
• What insights can we gain about God’s character from the way He orchestrated the timing and authorship of Scripture?
• How does recognizing God’s hand in the Bible over centuries impact the way we teach or share His Word with others?