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.
An Absolute
63-0127 §45
Now, many churches... Just let me talk of an absolute. To the Catholic church the pope is their absolute. No matter what comes, what goes, what somebody else says, what the Bible says, that don't mean a thing. I had a discussion not long ago with a priest. He came over to ask me about... I baptized a young girl, and she had married a Catholic boy and was turning Catholic. And he asked me how I baptized her and I told him. And we got to talking about it. And he said, "You know, the Catholic church used to baptize by...
Influence
64-0315 §61
I was interviewed by a priest not long ago, and he said to me, he said, "Why..." He asked me about a certain thing and these things. He said, "Why, the Catholic church used to do that." I said, "When? The Catholic church wasn't organized for three hundred years after the death of the last apostle." He said, "You're trying to try your case by a Bible." I said, "That's the Word." He said, "God's in his church." I said, "God's in his Word. Everything else be a lie, and his ... truth." And he said, "Well, that's just a...
The Mark of the Beast
54-0513 §60
...want you to turn with me to the 17th chapter Revelations to finish up just in a few moments. Now, we're going to hit the road home. Listen close. Read with me. Open up your Bible and get ready to read. This ought to seal it. Remember, there is two marks; one is apostasy, the other one is the Holy Spirit. One is the mark of the devil. Remember, I have said this, that the early Catholic church... Now, Catholic people, sit reverent for a few minutes. The early Catholic church formed their own opinion about the thing....
The Rapture
65-1204 §32
Now, we find out they said, "Why, the Bible, some of the Protestants want to hold to that Bible. Why," said, "the Bible was nothing but a book, a history of the church, and they didn't have it in literature till about 250 years ago. It's always been the church." Said, "It was the church not the Bible, and the Bible is just a history of what the church did." What a subtle lie that is. Why, we've had the Bible for three thousand years. The Old Testament was been written in Scripture for hundreds and hundreds of years...
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
55-0806 §58
...worshipping a cow, one worshipping the sun, the other one worship Mohammed, the other Buddha, all different kinds of gods, and making fun of Christianity. And they got the Bible and handed it right out to us and said, "You teachers that say Jesus raised from the dead..." And Doctor Reedhead standing there, the President of the Sudan Mission, the biggest in the world. He said, "If you teachers of Christianity, will prove that Jesus raised from the dead, we'll accept it." Said, "Now, what do you mean by proving?" He...