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 Queen of Sheba
60-0401E §1
...will miss heaven if they'll do what's written in the Scriptures. Dr. Lamsa has in thirty years worked on a translation that is direct from the original, and now there is a Bible published which is his translation. When I spoke to him yesterday, he said to me, "I would like to meet Brother Branham because I have heard so much of him." To my surprise he told me a few things that I've asked him to tell you himself, tonight, about the Word and about visions. This morning Dr. Lamsa, Brother Branham, and a few of us had...
The stature of a perfect man
62-1014M §154
I've got what they call "The Facts of our Faith," the highest Catholic book that can be bought. And it says in there, "If there is a Catholic on a ticket that's running against a Protestant, if a Catholic votes for the Protestant they are excommunicated from the fellowship of the Catholic church." Right! And if there's two Catholics running for the same office, they shall pick out the Catholic that's more loyal to the mother church and vote for them. See how that deceit? What they're trying to do? Give money away t...
Faith
61-0813 §21
Now, to this young lady (she's here somewhere) and to another Catholic lady that came by, I'd like to say these words just before I turn the service to our pastor, see. It's this. Now, the Catholic church was one time like this church. If you'll go back and read the Bible, which ... we believe and do know that the Catholic church was the first church. That is true. But it got away from its teaching. This was the teaching of the Catholic church. But you see, they got six hundred and something another books the popes...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-41
...g themselves they persecute each other with the bitterest hatred. No reconciliation is to be hoped for between them; they meet enmity with irreconcilable enmity. Out of the Bible they forge their different creeds; these are their fortresses and bulwarks behind which they entrench themselves and resist all attacks. I will not say that these confessions of faith--for we can admit in most cases that they are so--are bad in themselves. They become so, however, in that they feed the fire of enmity; only by putting them...
The Identified Christ of all ages
64-0617 §13
Now, when I was a little boy, my family before me---not my father and mother, but before that---we're Irish on both sides, so it was Catholic. And it was just natural for me to return to a Catholic church. Well, I ... my father and mother was married out of church, and they didn't go to church. And then, when I become of age to know that there was God---as many of you has read my book---I knew there was God somewhere. But now, the thought of it is, if God is going to judge the world by the church, then which church...