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.
Blind Bartimaeus
56-0414 §11
...r own faith in the resurrected Lord Jesus, accepting what He did for you at Calvary. Any true divine gift will always point to Calvary. Now, first in the initial way is the Bible, the Word of God. And everything that's done in the church should be based upon the eternal Word of God, which is the Bible. There's no other foundations that can be laid than that which is already laid. And this is the book. And an Angel had told it to John ... or, brought it to John, rather, at the last book. He said, "Close up the book,...
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
58-0928M §18
...hurch full of the spiritual gifts, the real gifts of God. "Here's to he that has wisdom. Let him count the numbers of the beast, for it's the number of a man. His number is 666." And we found where that was exactly, couldn't be no more perfect. Write it out your own self. Vicarius, which is the vicar of Christ, Filii of God, "Vicarius Filii Dei" and see if it doesn't---in your Roman numerals ---and see if you haven't got 666. See if it don't place, not upon something else that give you suspicion this or that, but r...
Once more
63-0804A §43
The church, Pentecost today, stands... I believe three years ago, the "Sunday Visitor" of the Catholic church said that they had a million conversions to Catholicism in one year. But the Pentecostal church had one million five hundred thousand---more than that. But what have you got when you got it? I'd rather have five that could surrender their life to Christ. He can do more with five men, or one man surrendered, than He could with forty million outside. What does members mean? Just means another thing that you'r...
Questions and Answers
59-0628E §93
Luther brought a lot of it out with him. Wesley brought the rest of it, and we still go to it. And the Catholic catechism, what's called Faith of Our Fathers, I believe it is, on page 144, I think it is, they said, "Will any Protestants be saved?" Said, "Perhaps some of them. They claim to live by the Bible, but they still take the Catholic teaching." Said, "The Bible, the early Catholics, baptized in the name of Father ... in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we taking the solemnity from that and place it upo...
Expectations
53-0217 §9
...it that he wasn't going to die until he seen Christ. Now, that's a good way to believe: when the Holy Spirit reveals it to you. Believe it. There's just a whole lot in this book, much that I don't know anything about, but yet, I believe every word of it. I can't explain it, but I believe it. And I'm running a series, myself, now, at home, in Genesis, taking Genesis through. Why, my! If you see the inspiration in Genesis. You can take the first chapter of Genesis and weave it through the last chapter of Revelation,...