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.
Abraham's seed
59-0423 §33
I remember old John Ryan. He come through the prayer line at Fort Wayne, been blind for years. And he's Catholic by faith, and he came through the prayer line. Now, to you Catholic... You know, I'm Catholic too. You knew that, didn't you? Sure, I'm Catholic. I met a fellow the other day. He said, "Billy, the strange thing to me is, that you ... your sincerity, and yet not Catholic." "Oh," I said, "I am a Catholic." He said, "I didn't know that." I said, "Oh, yes." "Aw, now..." And I said, "Sure. Yes, sir." I said,...
Faith
61-0813 §24
But what we're trying to do, my Catholic friends... See, we are Catholic, too---we are the early, beginning Catholic. And the church that they call us now, mostly we're referred to as Pentecostal because we believe in the Pentecostal blessing. That's where the Catholic church was organized. And in our organizations of Pentecost today, if any of this world would stand five hundred years longer, this Pentecostal organization would be more formal than the Roman Catholic church is today. It's just getting farther away,...
Church Ages, part 2: The Patmos Vision
60-1204E §40
How are they going to make a Bible that ... try to squeeze it, make it fit Jews, Catholics, and Protestants, when they are as different as day is from night? Thought the Jews knowed better than that. I guess maybe it's just the hour for it to come, where it all has to go in this great apostasy. So, in all things just... Remember, we cannot stop it. But the only thing we can do is throw the light out there, maybe give ourself as a martyr and walk away. So that's the only way we can do it, but many will have to do th...
Hebrews, Chapter 2, part 1
57-0825M §12
...d now that, Paul, upon this experience, and writing these letters, most of them, from jail, he had compared the Old and New Testament. Now remember, the last writer of this Bible, by inspiration, God came down and told him, "If any man shall add anything to It or take anything away from It, the same will be taken out of the part of the Book of Life, for him." So we'd be daresn't to add one thing to It. Oh, It must stay as It is, mustn't be anything added to It. And we must contend for everything that's in It. I don...
The Trial
64-0621 §13
...ou see," said, "a lot of people fanatically believe that chapter." He said, "But we learned---better scholars in school---that Mark 16, from the 9th verse on, is not really inspired." He said, "Why, Mr. Reedhead." He said, "What part is inspired, then?" He said, "Maybe the rest of it isn't inspired. All the Koran is inspired. What kind of a book are you reading, called the Bible?" He said, "I made in my heart I was coming to talk to you. I was going to talk to you." There you are. If this is not inspired, then what...