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 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...
Everlasting Life and how to receive it
54-1231 §16
I just want to ask you something, and you think of it, then I'll get your letters this next week, see. I can't be a Catholic. But the Catholic believes this Word is inspired, but the church is over the Word. I can't be a Protestant, for the Protestant just take as much as they think it's all right, and the rest of it ain't inspired. So I believe what the Bible says to be the truth. I believe that that's God's Word. In order to believe that, I've got to surrender my whole life and my whole will to that, to believe t...
Water baptism
59-0329M §44
Now, maybe the creed book might be alright. I can't disregard it. It might be alright. And maybe the Catholic church does have that authority. I don't know. And if you Catholics here, and you think your church has that authority... This they say is their original book. So why take what some modern man said, when Christ, the founder of your church, commissioned this, when your first pope commissioned this? Let's follow the Bible, for I believe that is the truth.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
62-0718 §14
...lvation is in the church. Well, then I come to find out that my friends that belong to different churches, which one of them churches has salvation in it, then? See? If the Catholic would be right, then the Lutheran surely is wrong. If the Lutheran is right, then there's something wrong with the Baptist. So which one of them churches would be right? After searching, trying to find out, digging, and whatever I could do, I came to find out that God is in his Word, and the Word is right. God will not judge the world b...
God's chosen place of worship
65-0220 §48
Every person in the New Testament was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not one person in the Bible was ever baptized in the titles of Father, Son, Holy Ghost. That never did come into existence until the Nicaea creed was put on at Nicaea, Rome. It was an order of the Catholic church, found vindicated the same thing in the catechism. I've got it (that's right!)--- Facts of Our Faith and so forth---that it absolutely is a Roman Catholic creed. They'll tell you it's not in the Bible, but they say they ha...