66-book Protestant canon; Old Testament and New Testament; apocrypha excluded
The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel affirms the 66-book Protestant biblical canon: the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. This is the standard canon of the Protestant Reformation, recognized as containing all the inspired books of Scripture. The Church does not accept the apocryphal or deuterocanonical books that are included in Roman Catholic and Orthodox canons.
The canon is understood as closed — these 66 books constitute the complete written revelation of God. The Church values Scripture as fully authoritative and sufficient for matters of faith and practice. The recognition of these books as canonical is based on their apostolic origin, divine inspiration, and universal reception by the Church throughout history.
Key Distinctions
- Ot canon:
- 27 books — four Gospels, Acts, Paul's letters, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, Revelation
- Deuterocanonical status:
- apocrypha not canonical; not part of authoritative Scripture
- Canon open:
- closed — no new books can be added; 66 books complete
Scripture References
Sources
- International Church of the Foursquare Gospel Declaration of Faith
- Foursquare Church official statements on Scripture and the biblical canon