What is a Bible scholar?
A scholar is someone who has done advanced study in a special field. Therefore, a Bible scholar would be a person who has done advanced studies in Bible, perhaps by going to seminary or graduate school. Perhaps a “Bible scholar” would be differentiated from a pastor, as the pastor’s primary job is to shepherd the…
Who wrote the book of Mark? Who was the author of Mark?
The book of Mark, written by John Mark, is considered the earliest Gospel by the majority of scholars and commentators, though some scholars argue for Matthew’s priority. In the New Testament canon, Mark is placed after Matthew and offers a distinct perspective on Jesus. In contrast to Matthew’s Jewish-centric approach, Mark is targeted to a…
When was Judges written?
The book of Judges takes place between the death of Joshua and the period leading up to the last judge, Samuel, prior to the rise of monarchy in Israel (Joshua 24:29–33; 1 Samuel 1:19–28). During this time, various judges—who exercised leadership in several areas of society including legal and military matters—safeguarded and governed the nation.…
Who wrote the book of 2 Chronicles? Who was the author of 2 Chronicles?
The book of 2 Chronicles serves as a “sequel” to 1 Chronicles in our modern Old Testament. In the Tanakh both 1 and 2 Chronicles were a unified entity concluding the Ketuvim (“Writings”) section and the Hebrew Bible as a whole. The author of 2 Chronicles is unknown, but tradition identifies Ezra as the scribe…
Who wrote the book of Jude? Who was the author of Jude?
The author of Jude identifies himself as “Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James” (Jude 1:1, NLT). A very short letter, Jude is written with urgency, which accounts for its brevity. The name Jude shares etymological roots with Judas. Besides Judas Iscariot, the Gospels mention two Judases. One of them is…
Who wrote the book of 1 Peter? Who was the author of 1 Peter?
The apostle Peter is the author of 1 Peter, one of the books bearing his name. The opening introduces Peter as “an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:1). In the Gospels, Peter comes across as being the most expressive of the Twelve, and he is arguably the most famous. Peter, James, and John comprised…
Who wrote the book of 3 John? Who was the author of 3 John?
The book of 3 John is one of the shortest works in the New Testament, written by “the elder” to Gaius, a “dear friend” (3 John 1:1). The author is traditionally identified as John the Apostle, the same author of 1 and 2 John. Third John is a personal letter, akin to Philemon and Titus.…
Who wrote the book of 1 Corinthians? Who was the author of 1 Corinthians?
The apostle Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians. Written to the church in the bustling city of Corinth, the book of 1 Corinthians is notable for its frankness and resolution of real issues Christians faced in the first century. The parallels between their challenges and ours serve as a reminder that “there is nothing…
When was Esther written?
The book of Esther tells the story of an unlikely Jewish woman who became the queen of Persia and saved her people from an evil man named Haman. Esther lived during Persian rule, a time when many Jews had the opportunity to return to Israel, yet many remained in exile. Unlike other post-exilic books, like…
Who wrote the book of Haggai? Who was the author of Haggai?
The book of Haggai, situated among the final books of the Old Testament, is part of the Minor Prophets. It was written by a prophet of God named Haggai. In his short book, Haggai provides a distinctive perspective in Israel’s history and God’s redemptive story as a whole. This prophetic work emerged during the post-exilic…