66-book Protestant canon; Scripture is God's complete and final written Word
The EFCA accepts the 66-book Protestant canon as the complete and authoritative Word of God. The deuterocanonical books are not considered canonical Scripture, consistent with the Protestant Reformation tradition. The EFCA Statement of Faith opens with a strong affirmation of Scripture as 'the inspired Word of God' and as the 'supreme authority for faith and practice,' presupposing the 66-book Protestant canon as the definitive collection of divinely inspired writings.
The EFCA does not engage the canon question as a live controversy within its fellowship. The 66-book Protestant canon is assumed as the settled norm. The denomination's theological education at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and other EFCA-affiliated institutions operates entirely within this canonical framework.
The closed nature of the canon is also affirmed: God's written revelation is complete in the 66 books of Scripture. No prophetic words, visions, or other claimed divine communications can add to or supplant the authority of the canonical Scriptures. This conviction underlies the EFCA's commitment to biblical exposition as the normative form of Christian preaching.
Key Distinctions
- Ot canon:
- 39 books (Protestant canon)
- Deuterocanonical status:
- rejected
- Additional scripture:
- none
- Canon open:
- closed
Scripture References
Sources
- EFCA Statement of Faith (2008), Article 4: The Holy Bible