<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter P. Snyder Before we deal with today's question, I'd like to tell the readers that I have received a call to be the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas. For those unfamiliar with the ways in which we Lutherans conduct "church business," this means that the voters' assembly of Trinity has asked me to come to Austin to be their pastor. This does not mean that I must leave my congregations and the pastorate here in Jasper and Woodville---only that I have a major decision to make in the next month or so. Now comes a time of prayer and wrestling with all the details. Some assume that I would jump at the chance to serve in the "big city" at a larger congregation. However, I've almost seven years invested here and deeply love not only my parishioners but the many other people I know. I must consider what is best for three congregations, myself, and my family---as well as for my communities and for the Christian Church at large. This column has been a wonderful sounding board for southeast Texas as we've explored who we are, what we believe, and what the Bible teaches. Its continued existence in the Newsboy is part of the process of prayerful deliberation. The internet version is not so limited---I could write it and upload it from almost anywhere. I could also be even more explicitly "Lutheran" without causing letters of disagreement to rain down upon the newspaper office. I didn't begin "Ask the Pastor" as an international e-mailing list, nor as a tool for getting members into my congregations. It grew into the former and, regarding the latter, I'm not surprised that only a few people have visited or joined because of what I've written. The Holy Spirit works where and when he wills. However, I'm confident that many more people both here and around the world now understand a bit more about Lutherans and about other churches, about historic Christianity, and much more through the one hundred eighty-six columns we've now shared among ourselves. Readers are invited to respond by email or by letter or note card to the addresses at the end of the column if you would like to comment on what you've been reading for the past three-and-one-half years. Q: Please tell me who the authors are of the 39 books of the Old Testament. I have searched everywhere but there seems to be a lot of controversy concerning authorship. Can you help? A: The main controversy is over whether we accept the testimony of the Scriptures and the traditions of the Old and New Testament churches. Many modern scholars, who deny divine inspiration, also deny such things as the Mosaic authorship of the first five books. They claim that these books grew from oral tales and had several threads of authorship. I don't doubt the first part of this: I think that Moses, under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, used what had been handed down orally from his fathers. However, I believe that the end result (except, perhaps, the account of his death) has him as its final human author. Similarly, I think that the books bearing peoples' names generally were written or dictated by that person. If a book (or an individual Psalm) claims authorship for an individual, I accept that claim. This is because I accept an even more basic claim: God spoke by the Biblical authors. In their own words, according to the customs and learning of their times, the "authors" were the lips and pens of the One True Author. One big reason why modern criticism often gets entangled in searching for human authors is because it tends to deny divine authorship. If we do not believe that the true Author of all Scripture is the Holy Spirit, then the issue of human authors is not worth discussing. I don't get caught up in the changing winds of contemporary Biblical criticism. Thus, I'll offer a quick summary of the classical position held by the Hebrew people and most Christians until recently. That means that I think it is likely that each was written or dictated by the person or people here named. Genesis--Deuteronomy: Moses (probably compiled and new material written mainly during the forty years in the wilderness). Joshua: He wrote the bulk of the book; it was brought into present form at a later date, perhaps by Samuel. Judges: Tradition claims Samuel; Nathan and Gad, from David's court, may have also shaped and edited material. Ruth: Unknown (and no real support for the Jewish tradition of Samuel). Samuel: Probably written in the time from David to following Solomon; see 1 Chronicles 27:24; 29:29. Kings: These books admit to using various sources; probably compiled around the time of the Babylonian captivity. Chronicles: Ezra often gets credit for them; these books have multiple sources, included the two Samuels and the two Kings. Ezra: Probably Ezra. Nehemiah: Probably Ezra. Esther: Probably a Jew in Persia prior to the Greek conquest in 331 BC. Psalms: All but 34 include author(s) in the superscription, although some may hearken back to the style of a previous author or are done in his honor. Proverbs: Mainly Solomon (or compiled by him and his advisors); other sources are listed in the text. Ecclesiastes: Probably Solomon. Song of Songs: Probably Solomon. Isaiah: Isaiah (I strongly disagree with those who postulate multiple authorship). Jeremiah: Jeremiah. Lamentations: Probably Jeremiah. Daniel--Malachi: The one for whom each book is named. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.