The Canon of Scripture is
the collection of books
recognized by the church
as the inspired and authoritative
Word of God.
The word “canon” comes from a Greek term
meaning “rule” or “measuring rod.”
It refers to the standard list of writings that form the Bible
—
the books that measure and rule
the faith and practice of God’s people.
The canon is not a list the church created,
but the list of books the church recognized as
having been given by God.
The Canon of Scripture is the complete set of writings through which God has spoken to His people for their salvation and guidance. In the Old Testament period the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings came to be accepted as the sacred Scriptures of Israel. In the New Testament era the apostolic writings were likewise recognized as inspired and authoritative alongside the Old Testament. The process of recognition was guided by the Holy Spirit and involved careful discernment of apostolic origin, consistency with the rule of faith, and widespread acceptance among the churches. The closed canon stands as the fixed, sufficient, and final written revelation of God until Christ returns.
- The canon is not an authority the church conferred upon certain books; rather, the church acknowledged the authority those books already possessed as God-breathed.
- Old Testament books were already treated as Scripture by Jesus and the apostles.
- New Testament books were received because of their apostolic connection, doctrinal faithfulness, and self-authenticating power.
- The early church used several criteria in recognizing canonical books: apostolic origin or association, consistency with the received faith, and catholic (universal) acceptance.
- The canon is closed; no additional books are to be added, and none are to be removed.
- Differences remain between the Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox canons regarding certain Old Testament books (the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books), but the 27 New Testament books are held in common.
- The existence of a recognized canon protects the church from false teaching and provides a stable foundation for faith and life.
- Old Testament Canon – The Law (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi’im), and the Writings (Ketuvim), totaling 39 books in the Protestant Bible.
- New Testament Canon – 27 books: the four Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation.
- Recognition Process – Gradual and organic, guided by the Spirit, rather than decided by a single council at one moment.
- Closed Canon – The full number of inspired books has been given; the church does not await further scriptural revelation.
- Authority – The canon functions as the rule of faith and the final standard by which all teaching and practice are tested.
- Luke 24:44 – Jesus refers to “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms,” summarizing the Old Testament Scriptures.
- 2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God…”
- 2 Peter 3:15-16 – Peter refers to Paul’s letters and places them alongside “the other Scriptures.”
- 2 Peter 1:20-21 – Prophecy of Scripture was not produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
- John 10:35 – “Scripture cannot be broken.”
- Revelation 22:18-19 – A solemn warning against adding to or taking away from the words of the prophecy of this book.
- Ephesians 2:20 – The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.
The Canon of Scripture is the church’s recognized collection of the books God has given as His authoritative Word. It did not arise from human decision alone but from the Spirit’s work in both the writing and the recognition of these books. Because the canon is closed and sufficient, the people of God may have confidence that they possess the full written revelation needed for salvation, faith, and obedience. In these books the voice of the living God continues to speak, centering all things on Jesus Christ and equipping His people for every good work.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.