Methodism receives the 66-book Protestant canon of Scripture (39 Old Testament + 27 New Testament) as the Holy Scriptures. The Methodist Articles of Religion (Article V) affirm the canonical books of the Old and New Testament as God's Word 'sufficient to salvation.' This article follows the Anglican Article VI in listing the canonical books and excluding the Deuterocanon from the authoritative canon, while allowing some Apocryphal books to be read for 'edification.'

The primacy of Scripture in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral — Scripture, tradition, reason, experience — means that while tradition, reason, and experience are important sources for theological reflection, Scripture is the 'primary source and criterion for Christian doctrine.' Wesley described himself as a 'man of one book' (homo unius libri), though he read widely. The United Methodist Church's Book of Discipline affirms Scripture as 'the primary source and criterion for Christian doctrine.'