The Salvation Army affirms the standard Protestant biblical canon of 66 books as the Word of God. Both Old and New Testaments are recognized as divinely inspired and normative for faith and practice. The Handbook of Doctrine explicitly affirms the Bible's authority. The Salvation Army's worldwide mission and theology rest on biblical foundations and biblical interpretation.

While the Salvation Army affirms the Bible's authority, it has not historically emphasized inerrancy debates as sharply as some evangelical denominations. The focus remains on the Bible's power to transform lives and direct the organization's social ministry rather than on defending particular theories of inspiration.