Excellent question! No, the Bible was not ready-made from heaven — it did not fall from the sky as a complete book. Instead, it was gradually written, preserved, and compiled over many centuries, and the Catholic Church played a central role in recognizing and assembling the books of the Bible we use today.
Let’s walk through it step by step:
📖 1. What is the Bible?
The Bible is a collection of inspired books written by many authors under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It has two main parts:
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Old Testament – before Christ (Jewish scriptures)
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New Testament – after Christ (life, teachings, and Church)
📜 2. Who Wrote the Bible?
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Around 40+ authors, including:
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Moses, David, Isaiah (Old Testament)
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Matthew, Luke, Paul, John (New Testament)
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Wrote over a span of about 1,500 years
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In different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek
🏛️ 3. Who Compiled the Bible We Use Today?
✝️ The Catholic Church did — through sacred councils.
After centuries of use, especially during times of heresies and confusion, the early Church needed to officially define the canon (list of inspired books). Here’s how it happened:
🔹 Key Church Councils That Defined the Canon:
| Council | Year | Location | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council of Rome | 382 AD | under Pope Damasus | First official canon list matching today’s Catholic Bible |
| Council of Hippo | 393 AD | North Africa | Reaffirmed the canon |
| Council of Carthage | 397 AD | North Africa | Reaffirmed the list again |
| Council of Trent | 1546 | Italy | Reaffirmed canon in response to Protestant Reformation |
📌 These councils, guided by the Holy Spirit, confirmed the same 73 books used in the Catholic Bible today.
📚 4. Why Is There a Difference in Bibles Today?
✝️ Catholic Bible: 73 books
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46 Old Testament
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27 New Testament
✝️ Protestant Bible: 66 books
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Only 39 Old Testament (removed 7 books: called Deuterocanonicals by Catholics)
📌 The 7 books removed by Protestants in the 1500s:
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Tobit
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Judith
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Wisdom
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Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
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Baruch
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1 Maccabees
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2 Maccabees
(+ parts of Daniel and Esther)
These were part of the Septuagint, a Greek Old Testament used by Jesus and the Apostles, and included in early Christian Bibles.
📖 Summary: Was the Bible Ready-Made from Heaven?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Did the Bible drop from heaven fully formed? | ❌ No |
| Who wrote it? | ✅ Many human authors, inspired by God |
| Who compiled it? | ✅ The early Catholic Church through councils |
| When was the canon finalized? | ✅ By the late 4th century (around 397 AD) |
| Are all Bibles the same today? | ❌ No, Protestants removed 7 books in the 1500s |
Let’s go deeper into the timeline of how the Bible was formed, followed by a detailed look at the Deuterocanonical books.
📆 Timeline: How the Bible Was Formed
📜 Before Christ (Old Testament Formation)
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c. 1400–400 BC:
Most Old Testament books were written (Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, etc.). -
c. 250–100 BC – Septuagint (LXX):
A Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made in Alexandria, Egypt.
➤ Included 7 extra books now called Deuterocanonicals.
📌 Jesus and the Apostles often quoted from the Septuagint, not the Hebrew-only version.
✝️ After Christ (New Testament Formation)
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c. 45–100 AD:
New Testament books were written (Gospels, Acts, Letters of Paul, Revelation). -
2nd–3rd century:
Different Christian communities used different collections of writings.
Some heretical groups added fake gospels (Gospel of Thomas, etc.), prompting the Church to define the true canon.
🏛️ Church Recognition of the Bible Canon
| Year | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| c. 170 AD | Muratorian Fragment | One of the earliest lists of accepted New Testament books |
| 382 AD | Council of Rome (Pope Damasus I) | First official canon list (73 books: OT + NT) |
| 393 AD | Council of Hippo | Reaffirmed the same canon |
| 397 AD | Council of Carthage | Confirmed the canon again |
| 405 AD | St. Jerome’s Vulgate | Latin translation of the Bible used in the Church for centuries |
| 1546 AD | Council of Trent | Reaffirmed the 73-book canon in response to Protestant Reformers who rejected 7 OT books |
📌 The same 73-book canon has been held by the Catholic Church since the 4th century.
📚 Deuterocanonical Books: Details
These are the 7 books found in Catholic Bibles but removed in Protestant Bibles.
📘 List of Deuterocanonical Books:
| Book | Summary |
|---|---|
| Tobit | Story of Tobit and his son Tobias guided by the Archangel Raphael |
| Judith | Heroic story of a Jewish widow who saves Israel by defeating a pagan general |
| Wisdom (of Solomon) | Philosophical reflections on righteousness and immortality |
| Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) | Wisdom sayings, like Proverbs, emphasizing fear of the Lord |
| Baruch | Encouragement to repent; includes a beautiful prayer of confession |
| 1 Maccabees | Historical account of Jewish resistance under the Maccabees |
| 2 Maccabees | Focuses on martyrdom, resurrection, and prayers for the dead |
✒️ Why Did Protestants Remove Them?
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Martin Luther (1500s) questioned these books because:
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They were not in the later Hebrew canon used by post-Christian Jews.
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Some teachings (like praying for the dead) conflicted with Protestant theology.
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Luther moved them to an "Apocrypha" section; later reformers removed them entirely.
📌 Early Christians (and Jesus’ followers) used the Septuagint, which includes these books.
🧠 Summary Chart
| Group | Bible Canon | Includes Deuterocanonicals? |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic Church | 73 books | ✅ Yes |
| Orthodox Churches | 75–81 books | ✅ Yes (even more books) |
| Protestant Churches | 66 books | ❌ No |
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