66-book Protestant canon; Old Testament and New Testament; apocrypha rejected
The Church of God (Cleveland) affirms the 66-book Protestant biblical canon: the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. This is the standard canon established by the Protestant Reformation, recognizing Hebrew Scripture as inspired and authoritative, and the New Testament documents as apostolic and authoritative.
The Church rejects the apocryphal or deuterocanonical books (such as the books of Maccabees and Wisdom) that are included in Roman Catholic and Orthodox canons. The canon is understood as closed — the 66 books constitute the complete written revelation of God, though the Spirit's illumination of Scripture is ongoing. The Church's approach to canonicity follows the Protestant principle that these books are recognized as canonical because they are apostolic, divinely inspired, and universally received by the Church.
Key Distinctions
- Ot canon:
- 27 books — four Gospels, Acts, Paul's letters, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude, Revelation
- Deuterocanonical status:
- not canonical; apocrypha rejected
- Canon open:
- closed — no new books can be added
Scripture References
Sources
- Church of God in Christ Jesus Book of Doctrines and Discipline
- Church of God (Cleveland) official statement on Scripture and the biblical canon