Bible Canon
Who Determined Which Books Belong in the Bible?
What Is the Canon of Scripture?
The word canon comes from a Greek term meaning “rule” or “measuring rod.”
In Christianity, the canon refers to the official collection of books recognized as inspired by God and belonging to Sacred Scripture.
An important question naturally follows: How do we know which books belong in the Bible?
The Bible Does Not Contain Its Own Table of Contents
Nowhere in Scripture is there an inspired list of all the books that belong in the Bible.
The Gospel of John, the letters of St. Paul, and the Book of Revelation never provide a complete list of inspired books.
Therefore, Christians must rely on an authority outside the Bible itself to know which writings are truly inspired.
The Early Church and the Canon
During the first centuries of Christianity, many writings circulated among believers.
Some were inspired and apostolic, while others were not.
The Church carefully examined these writings according to apostolic origin, doctrinal consistency, widespread use in worship, and acceptance by the Christian community.
The Councils That Recognized the Canon
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church formally recognized the canon of Scripture through several councils.
- Council of Rome (382 AD).
- Council of Hippo (393 AD).
- Council of Carthage (397 AD).
- Council of Carthage (419 AD).
These councils identified the same 73-book canon recognized by Catholics today.
The Deuterocanonical Books
The Catholic Old Testament contains seven books often called the Deuterocanonical Books:
- Tobit
- Judith
- Wisdom
- Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
- Baruch
- 1 Maccabees
- 2 Maccabees
It also includes portions of Esther and Daniel found in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament widely used by the early Church.
These books were accepted by Christians for centuries before being rejected by many Protestant Reformers in the 16th century.
The Council of Trent
During the Protestant Reformation, some challenged the traditional canon received by the Church.
In response, the Council of Trent (1546) solemnly reaffirmed the historic canon recognized since the early centuries of Christianity.
Trent did not create the canon; it confirmed what the Church had already believed and taught for over a thousand years.
Why the Canon Matters
The doctrine of Sola Scriptura assumes Christians can identify Scripture with certainty.
Yet the Bible itself does not identify its own canon.
The very knowledge of which books belong in Scripture depends upon the authority of the Church that preserved and recognized them.
Without the Church’s role in recognizing the canon, there would be no certain way to know which books belong in the Bible.
The Catholic Position
Catholics believe that God guided His Church in recognizing the books of Sacred Scripture.
The Church did not invent the Bible. Rather, she faithfully preserved, discerned, and proclaimed the inspired writings entrusted to her.
The Bible and the Church cannot be separated because the same Holy Spirit who inspired Scripture also guided the Church in recognizing it.
A Simple Summary
- The Bible does not contain an inspired table of contents.
- The early Church recognized which books were inspired.
- The Councils of Rome, Hippo, and Carthage affirmed the canon.
- The Catholic canon contains 73 books.
- The Council of Trent reaffirmed the historic canon.
- The canon itself points to the authority of the Church.