What Books Belong in the Bible?

What books or writings are to be considered as being the Word of God?
The very last statement of the WCF I, 1., implies the canon of Scripture is complete or closed. The former ways of God's revealing Himself through miraculous gifts of utterance have ceased. Now in the next two sections (2 & 3) the canon of Scripture is defined as containing only the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. The books called the apocrypha are identified as uninspired writings.

The word canon simply means "rule", "standard" or "measuring rod." The canon of Scripture concerns exactly which books are inspired by God, and which are not. The WCF states in section 2 of chapter one that:

II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these:
(then it lists the 39 books of the OT and 27 of the NT that you have in your Bible)
All which are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.

These 66 books and these only are given by infallible inspiration of God. These only are to be the rule or canon for the church. These books only tell us what we must believe and how we must live. Only these 66 books are authoritative. Only these books are the Word of God.

In contrast to this view, the RCC states that though these 66 books of the Bible are the Word of God, so is the Apocrypha. They also define the Word of God to include the Roman Catholic Church's official tradition, which they say is an equally inspired interpretation of the Bible. That official interpretation must be believed by Catholics just as absolutely as the believe in the Bible. They will tell you that they do not add to Scripture at all, they simply explain it properly. But that tradition or the official interpretation of Scripture is equally binding on the conscience of the individual Roman Catholic.

The Protestant position is that the Bible alone can bind the conscience of a believer. Chapter 20 of the WCF says:
II. God alone is Lord of the conscience, and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are, in anything, contrary to his Word; or beside it, if matters of faith, or worship.

The OT was completed around 400 B.C. with Malachi. 400 years later God began to speak again to His people. God spoke through the angel Gabriel to the shepherds & Mary, He spoke in dreams & visions, and through John the Baptist. Then in the fullness of time God sent His Son, who is the Word of God made flesh. Christ validated the existing OT canon of Scripture. He did not validate the Apocrypha. He quoted from virtually every book of the OT as being the Word of God, but there is no reference at all to the Apocrypha.

Therefore, Section 3 of the WCF says:
III. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority in the church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.

Christ then commissioned His apostles and "pre-authenticated" them (and a few other apostolic representatives such as Luke and Mark) as those who would be the agents of the divine revelation of the NT Scriptures. He gave the Holy Spirit to them and breathed out His Word through them. Of course they were endowed with miraculous gifts in order to confirm that their message was divine truth.

2 Peter 1:21 "no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

The later additions of books of mere human authorship and traditions of men are not necessary if Scripture alone is given that we might be complete and equipped for every good work. When the last apostle died, then the giving of special revelation ceased. The canon was closed.

What is the Apocrypha?
Seven extra books that the RCC includes in their Bible: Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (or Ecclesasticus), and Baruch
These were made a part of the Catholic Bible at a much later date than they were written. The books had all been written by the time of Christ, yet were not added to the Canon by the RCC until the Council of Trent in 1546. There is good reason to believe that they added them after the fact in order to support some of their heretical doctrines.

Rome added them because they believe that the RCC has the authority to establish the canon. Protestants would say, no - the church does not have the infallible authority to establish what the canon is, but the church does have the duty to recognize, accept and submit to those books that are inspired.
Why does the Protestant Church reject the Apocrypha?
These books were added to the OT because they were written before the time of Christ.

-The Jewish Historian Josephus did not include the apocrypha in his list of the Hebrew Scriptures. He said "they are not worthy of credit with the OT books." The OT as the Jews originally had it did not include the apocrypha.
-They were never part of the Palestinian Canon adopted by Jesus and the Apostles.
-The early church theologians did not view the apocrypha as part of the Bible, with the exception of Augustine, who later changed to a more Protestant position.
-Even Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin did not accept the Apocrypha as canonical.
-Several of the books themselves disclaim to be inspired Scripture.
-Historical errors and falsehoods are found in the books.


The Bible is the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments alone.