Who Gave You the Bible?

A personal reflection on Christian authority, the canon, and coming home to the fullness of truth.

For most of my life, I assumed the Bible was simply there. Like it had always existed—dropped straight from heaven, leather-bound and ready to go. I never questioned who compiled it, how it survived centuries of persecution, or why some Christians had different versions of it.

But one simple question stopped me in my tracks:

“If Scripture is your only guide… who gave you the Scripture?”

That question didn’t come from a Catholic priest or an apologetics book. It came in prayer, as I wrestled with conversations and debates about Church authority, saints, sacraments, and sola Scriptura. It marked the beginning of my journey—not away from Scripture, but deeper into it.

The Bible Didn’t Fall From the Sky

The early Church wasn’t built on the Bible—it was built on Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit through the apostolic teaching (Acts 2:42). For centuries, there was no universally agreed-upon “New Testament.” Different churches used different writings. Some accepted Revelation, others didn’t. Some read the Shepherd of Hermas; others didn’t.

It was through the Catholic Church, in councils like Rome (382 AD), Hippo (393), and Carthage (397), that the canon of Scripture was discerned and affirmed—by bishops, not bloggers; by tradition, not polls.

These weren’t random votes. The early Church fathers weighed apostolic origin, consistency with Christian teaching, and liturgical use. They were led by the same Spirit Jesus promised would guide His Church “into all truth” (John 16:13).

That same canon is what most Christians still use today—minus the 7 Old Testament books Martin Luther removed in the 16th century.

Scripture Alone? The Bible Says Otherwise

Let me be clear: I love Scripture. Catholics do. But nowhere in the Bible does it say “Scripture alone is the only authority.” In fact, the opposite is true.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:15: “Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions you were taught, either by word of mouth or by letter.”

• 1 Timothy 3:15: “The Church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of truth.”

• 2 Timothy 1:13, 2:2: Paul urges Timothy to hold on to what he heard from him and to pass it on.

So if the early Christians were guided by both written and oral teaching, why should we rely on Scripture alone? Especially when the Church gave us the Bible in the first place?

The Bible Is a Family Heirloom

It struck me one day: trying to interpret the Bible without the Church is like inheriting a priceless family heirloom with no idea how to open it.

You need the context. The history. The people who lived with it and passed it down.

The early Church read Scripture in the liturgy, preached it in homilies, and preserved it through sacred Tradition—long before the printing press, before Bible apps, and before private interpretations.

If we trust the Church to give us the Bible, shouldn’t we also trust her to teach us what it means?

Why I Remain Catholic

I don’t follow the Catholic faith because it’s easy or popular. I follow it because it’s true. The same Church that preserved the canon of Scripture also gave us:

• The Creeds that defined Christ’s divinity and humanity

• The Sacraments, instituted by Christ and practiced from the beginning

• The Magisterium, guarding the deposit of faith from error

• And the continuity of apostolic succession, a living line that stretches back to Peter himself.

Yes, the Church is made of sinners. But it’s also divinely guided. And if Jesus said, “He who hears you hears Me” (Luke 10:16), then rejecting the Church is a serious matter—not because she’s perfect, but because He is.

In the End, It’s About Trust

You can trust the Bible—but remember who gave it to you.

The Church didn’t create Scripture, but she protected it, preserved it, and proclaimed it. If we believe the Holy Spirit guided the Church to compile the canon, why would He abandon her afterward?

So when people ask me why I’m still Catholic, I say this:

Because I don’t just want to read the Word. I want to live in the Church that gave it to me.

Scripture & Sources:

• 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 1 Timothy 3:15, John 16:13, Luke 10:16, 2 Timothy 1:13; 2:2

• Councils of Rome (382), Hippo (393), Carthage (397)

• Where We Got the Bible by Henry G. Graham

• Catechism of the Catholic Church §§ 81–82, 120, 126–127