The Church of the Nazarene accepts the 66-book Protestant canon as the complete and authoritative Word of God. The deuterocanonical books are not considered canonical Scripture. This is standard among Protestant denominations and is assumed without controversy in Nazarene theological education and practice.

The Nazarene Articles of Faith affirm that the Bible is 'inerrantly inspired by God and is the supreme rule of faith and practice.' The denomination uses the term 'inerrantly inspired' while leaving some flexibility in how this is applied hermeneutically — different Nazarene scholars approach the question of inerrancy with varying degrees of nuance, particularly regarding the applicability of strict inerrancy to all biblical affirmations versus reliability in all matters of faith and salvation.

The canonical Scriptures are the final authority in Nazarene life and doctrine. The Wesleyan theological tradition — including Wesley's use of Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience (the 'Wesleyan Quadrilateral') — informs how Scripture is interpreted, but Scripture itself remains the norm that governs the other three. No tradition, reason, or experience can override the plain teaching of Scripture.