Reformed theology affirms the Protestant canon of 66 books and explicitly rejects the deuterocanonical books as part of Scripture. The Westminster Confession of Faith clearly states that the books of the Apocrypha are not of divine inspiration and therefore not part of the canon. While these texts are valuable for historical and cultural understanding, they lack apostolic authority and were not recognized by the early church as Scripture.

The Reformation principle of sola scriptura—Scripture alone—excludes these texts from doctrinal authority. Reformed theologians note that Jesus and the apostles cite from the Hebrew Bible, not from the deuterocanonical literature. Calvin and other Reformers were explicit in denying these books canonical status. Reformed epistemology maintains a closed, authoritative biblical canon grounded in apostolic witness.