66-book Protestant canon; Old and New Testament; closed canon; Scripture alone
The Church of God (Anderson) affirms the 66-book Protestant biblical canon as the complete, authoritative, sufficient revelation of God's will and truth. The canon consists of 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. The church does not include the deuterocanonical books (Apocrypha) as part of Scripture, following the Protestant understanding of the biblical canon.
Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura) is a foundational principle for the Church of God. No post-biblical creed, council decision, or human tradition can override or supplement Scripture. The church's characteristic rejection of formal creeds flows from this principle: Scripture stands as the sole and supreme authority for faith and practice. The canon is closed; no new books are being added to Scripture. The church encourages intensive study of Scripture and the use of Scripture for interpreting Scripture, seeking to understand the whole counsel of God from the biblical text.
Key Distinctions
- Ot canon:
- Hebrew canon — 39 books; standard Protestant Old Testament
- Deuterocanonical status:
- not canonical; excluded from Scripture
- Additional scripture:
- none; canon closed
- Canon open:
- closed; no new revelation as Scripture
Scripture References
Sources
- Church of God (Anderson) Article I — Scripture
- Daniel S. Warner, Scripture and Authority
- Church of God (Anderson) Statement on Sola Scriptura