Inspired Bible :66 Book (protestant), 73 Books (catholic), or More (Orthodox traditions)?
1) Direct Answer
The inspired canon is the 66 books—Genesis to Revelation. Nothing to add and nothing to take away.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says all Scripture is God-breathed and sufficient to thoroughly furnish the believer (2 Timothy 3:16–17). That speaks of a complete body of writings that fully equips.
- Jesus identified the Old Testament as “the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms” (Luke 24:44). He also marked its bounds “from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias” (Luke 11:51), which covers the full Hebrew canon.
- The oracles of God were committed to the Jews (Romans 3:2). Jesus affirmed their Scriptures; He never placed other writings on equal footing.
- God then spoke in the Son and through those He sent (Hebrews 1:1–2; John 14:26; John 16:13). The New Testament came through apostles and their close associates, confirmed by God (Hebrews 2:3–4).
- We are told the faith was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). And the Word warns not to add to or take from what God has given (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5–6; Revelation 22:18–19).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Jesus endorsed the recognized Scriptures of Israel; the apostles, led by the Holy Spirit, gave the New Testament. That forms a complete, Spirit-sealed witness.
- The extra books can be historical or moral in places, but they were not received by Jesus and the apostles as Scripture, nor do they carry the “It is written” authority in the New Testament.
- Since God warns against adding to His Word, we hold to the closed canon He vindicated: the 66 books.
Short reinforcement
You see, God keeps His Word pure. The Bible is complete—one Book, from Genesis to Revelation, perfectly in step, without the need of additions.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The Indictment
63-0707M §25
"The Catholic church doesn't care..." Well, I don't say... I don't make it that rude to say they don't care what the Bible says. They believe the Bible, but (see?) they got a... Apostolic succession is what the Catholic church is based upon; that's the succession of popes, and call Peter the first pope and on down. Now, they believe that; they emphatically believe that. And the Protestant (see?), they gather together and have an organization just exactly like they did at Nicaea, Rome, where they organized the Catho...
The Key to the door
62-1007 §53
This communion that we're fixing to take, has been the greatest dispute of any doctrine in the Bible. That was one of their first disputes in the early church. And today the Protestant, of Episcopalian and Methodist, and many of the Protestant churches, would gladly accept Catholic, Roman Catholic doctrine, if they could get over the little hump of communion. But they will agree that the priest should be married and be ministers, the Catholic church agreed on that several times in their conferences and meetings. Th...
Church Ages, part 1: Revelation Chapter 1
60-1204M §72
...oduce one text of scripture, or one time in history that anybody was ever baptized in the Christian church any other way than ... but in the name of Jesus Christ, until the Catholic church was formed. And they adopted Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for a creed. Now bring up your history, some of the historians. There's no such a thing. After 304 A.D... 304 come the triune baptism for a triune God---God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. It's paganism. Before this week is over I'll read it out of the books, a...
Questions and Answers
54-0515 §21
Now, the Bible says that... These are flat words, but I'll read them from the Bible. And you listen to your doctor, or so forth, say this, and I'm your brother teaching from the Scripture. The Bible called the Catholic church "a prostitute, a whore, w-h-o-r-e." And He called the Protestant churches that followed it, mothers ... or, they were harlots of this mother. And what connection it was, that the Catholic church organized the thing and made all people believe in the light they had then ... or, what they had th...
Revelation, Chapter 4c Throne of mercy and judgement
61-0108 §161
...ecause... They were ignorant, unlearned, Peter and John. But they had to take notice to them, they had been with Jesus. They done the things that He did. So, you see, every book in the Bible, every... the four books, the four gospels guard the Pentecostal blessing with every scripture to back up exactly what they said. And now the Acts of the apostles vindicate today with the four gospels that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do you love Him?