The Biblical Canon of 66 Books: Airtight or Questionable?

Dr. Nathan Busenitz is Executive Vice President, Dean of Faculty, and Associate Professor of Theology at The Master’s Seminary. He has authored several books and serves as an elder and pastor at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California.

He wrote a very helpful article on “Why These 66 Books?” which looks at the veracity of the collection of 66 scriptural books that God inspired to give to His people.

Have you ever looked at your Bible and wondered, "How do we know that these 66 books, and no others, comprise the inspired Word of God?"

That is a critically important question since there are many today who would deny that these 66 books truly make up the complete canon of Scripture.

The Roman Catholic Church, for example, claims that the apocryphal books which were written during the inter-testamental period (between the Old and New Testaments) ought to be included in the Bible. Cult groups like the Mormons want to add their own books to the Bible—like the Book of Mormon, The Doctrines and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. And then there are popular books and movies, like The Da Vinci Code, that claim centuries after these books were written Christians (like Constantine) determined what was in the Bible.

So, how do we know that “all Scripture” consists of these 66 books? How do we know that the Bible we hold in our hands is the complete Word of God?

Dr. Busenitz goes on to share how we can trust the Bible we have today as God’s complete Word. It is well worth your time to read the entire article here and familiarize yourself with this process. If you want to dig a little deeper, here are a few more excellent articles about the canon of Scripture: “The Canonicity of the Bible (John Ankerberg), and “The Biblical Canon” (Michael Kruger). 

The more you research and investigate God’s Word, the more confident and encouraged you become about its amazing truth that sets you free (John 8:32).

Pastor Jeff