How Certain Are We About the Authors of the Bible?

 How Certain Are We About the Authors of the Bible?

One of the most common assumptions readers make about the Bible is that we know who wrote each book. After all, many books have titles like “The Gospel According to Matthew” or “The Letter of Paul to the Romans.” But when we dig deeper—beyond tradition and into the world of scholarship, linguistics, and history—we discover that authorship is far more complex than it first appears.

The Old Testament: Mostly Anonymous Voices

The Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) was written over many centuries, by many different voices. Moses is traditionally said to have written the first five books (the Torah), but those books never actually say that. Scholars today see the Torah as a blend of sources woven together long after Moses’ time. Books like Judges, Job, and Ecclesiastes don’t name their authors at all.

Estimated authorship certainty (Old Testament):

High certainty: ~15% (e.g., some Psalms, parts of Proverbs)

Medium certainty: ~35% (e.g., early Isaiah, Jeremiah)

Low certainty/anonymous: ~50% (e.g., Torah, Job, Ecclesiastes)

The New Testament: Mixed Clarity

The New Testament gives us a bit more information. Out of the 13 letters attributed to Paul, most scholars agree seven were definitely written by him, including Romans and Galatians. Others, like Ephesians and the Pastoral letters (1–2 Timothy, Titus), are debated. The Gospels don’t claim authorship within the text—they were titled later. Books like Hebrews don’t name an author at all.

Estimated authorship certainty (New Testament):

High certainty: ~30% (e.g., seven Pauline letters)

Medium certainty: ~40% (e.g., Luke–Acts, 1 Peter)

Low certainty/pseudonymous: ~30% (e.g., 2 Peter, Hebrews)

It is believed that the biblical books may have come from specific individuals. However, much of the Bible appears to have been written within communities, shaped by oral tradition, and edited over time. That doesn’t make it less meaningful—it just gives us a more realistic, human picture of how Scripture came to be.

What About the Words Themselves? Textual Variants

Even if we don’t always know who wrote the Bible, can we at least be sure we know what they wrote? The answer again is, mostly yes—but with nuance.

The New Testament Manuscripts

We have over 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament—more than any other ancient text. But with so many copies made by hand, there are bound to be differences. In fact, scholars estimate 200,000 to 500,000 textual variants exist across these manuscripts. Most are minor, like spelling or word order. But about 1–2% affect meaning in ways that scholars study carefully.

Examples:

John 7:53–8:11 (The Woman Caught in Adultery): Not found in the earliest manuscripts.

Mark 16:9–20: Possibly a later addition to finish the Gospel.

1 John 5:7: A Trinitarian phrase (“three are one”) added in later Latin manuscripts.

The Old Testament Manuscripts

The Masoretic Text (MT) is the main Hebrew version used today, but we also have earlier and different readings in the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint (LXX), and the Samaritan Pentateuch.

Scholars estimate 80,000–100,000+ variants across these sources. Some reveal important theological differences.

Examples:

Deuteronomy 32:8:

MT: “sons of Israel”

DSS & LXX: “sons of God” (suggesting angelic oversight of nations)

Psalm 22:16:

MT: “Like a lion are my hands and feet”

LXX & DSS: “They pierced my hands and feet” (seen as messianic)

Conclusion 

The Bible isn’t a flawless dictation—it’s a historical, literary, and theological tapestry.

The uncertainties don’t mean the Bible is unreliable—they mean it was shaped by real people preserving sacred stories over time.

Most textual variants don’t affect doctrine—and the ones that do are well-documented and studied, not hidden. Knowing all this helps us read Scripture with humility, curiosity, and honesty. Rather than weakening faith, this kind of knowledge can strengthen it, grounding belief not in wishful thinking but in truth pursued with integrity.