Catholic
Roman Catholic
The Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, discerned the complete canon — 73 books, including the deuterocanonical writings — and defined it at Trent in 1546.
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Canon of Scripture
Who chose the books of the Bible — and why do Catholic Bibles have more books than Protestant ones?
Key verses2 Timothy 3:162 Peter 3:15-16Luke 24:442 Thessalonians 2:151 Thessalonians 2:13Revelation 22:18-19John 20:31Romans 15:4Deuteronomy 4:2
Review status: initial-release
No biblical book contains a list of which books belong in the Bible, yet Christians had to decide which writings were Scripture. The 27-book New Testament is shared by all, but the Old Testament differs: Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include the deuterocanonical books, while Protestant Bibles do not. Each tradition explains how the canon was recognized — and who had the authority to recognize it — in its own terms.
Content review notice: Initial release — under theological review. Positions summarize official denominational sources; named reviewers from each tradition are being onboarded.
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In 30 seconds
The word "canon" just means the official list of books that count as the Bible. Everybody agrees on the 27 books of the New Testament. The difference is in the Old Testament: Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include seven extra books (like Tobit, Wisdom, and 1–2 Maccabees) that Protestant Bibles leave out. Catholics say the Church, guided by the Spirit, recognized these books centuries ago — they were in the Greek Old Testament the apostles used. Protestants say those extra books are helpful to read but were never accepted as Scripture by the Jewish people, so they don’t carry the same authority.
At a glance
Six traditions, one line each
Tap a tradition to jump to its full column below. Traditions aren't ranked — shown in historical order, with your tradition first if you've picked one.
| Tradition | In one line |
|---|---|
| Catholic | The Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, discerned the complete canon — 73 books, including the deuterocanonical writings — and defined it at Trent in 1546. |
| Orthodox | The Church receives the canon as part of Holy Tradition — the Septuagint Old Testament with the deuterocanonical books, and the 27-book New Testament. |
| Lutheran | The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the canonical Scriptures; the Apocrypha is "useful and good to read" but not normative for doctrine. |
| Reformed | The 66 canonical books are listed by name in the Confession; the Apocrypha, "not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon." |
| Baptist | The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete, final revelation — "the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried." |
| Methodist | The 39 canonical books of the Old Testament are named in the Articles; the New Testament is received as the books "commonly received" in the Church. |
Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox
The Church receives the canon as part of Holy Tradition — the Septuagint Old Testament with the deuterocanonical books, and the 27-book New Testament.
Lutheran
Lutheran
The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the canonical Scriptures; the Apocrypha is "useful and good to read" but not normative for doctrine.
Reformed
Reformed
The 66 canonical books are listed by name in the Confession; the Apocrypha, "not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon."
Baptist
Baptist
The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete, final revelation — "the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried."
Methodist
United Methodist
The 39 canonical books of the Old Testament are named in the Articles; the New Testament is received as the books "commonly received" in the Church.
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How we got here
The story of this doctrine across the centuries — how the early church practiced it, where the traditions diverged, and why.
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What the early church said
Quotes from the early church on this topic — its writers, councils, and creeds: what Christians believed before the traditions split, with full source citations.
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Common objections, answered
The pushback each view tends to hear — and how that tradition answers it, steelmanned fairly with sources.
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Verse breakdowns
The key passages behind this topic, verse by verse — tap any verse to see how each of the six traditions reads it.
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Word studies
The Greek and Hebrew terms where the meaning shapes the debate — what each word actually says, and why traditions read it differently.
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Go deeper
Keep exploring
Related topics where this conversation continues.
Scripture and Tradition →
Canon and tradition are inseparable questions: if the Church recognized the canon, what does that say about her authority? Compare how each tradition relates Scripture’s list to the Church’s life.
Reliability of the Bible →
Once the canon’s boundaries are settled, the next question is reliability: can these books be trusted? The reliability topic covers manuscripts, eyewitnesses, and archaeology.
Church Government →
Who had the authority to settle the canon — councils, bishops, or the whole church’s reception? See how each tradition’s view of church authority shapes its canon.
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Class-ready resources for apologetics teachers and study leaders: key passages to assign, discussion questions, the toughest objections answered, and fathers to quote.
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