Protestant 66-book canon; Old Testament and New Testament
The True Jesus Church affirms the Protestant biblical canon of 66 books: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. This canon includes the four Gospels, Acts, Paul's epistles, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude, and Revelation. The church does not recognize the deuterocanonical (or apocryphal) books as scriptural, following the Hebrew canon rather than the Catholic/Orthodox expansions.
The canon is understood as closed; no new books can be added. However, this does not mean that the church believes Scripture is self-sufficing without interpretation; the Holy Spirit's guidance in understanding Scripture is crucial. The church uses both the King James Version and other evangelical Bible translations in its ministry, though it does not emphasize a particular translation as uniquely authoritative.
The Protestant canon provides the textual foundation for the church's distinctive doctrines, particularly its Oneness theology and its five sacraments. The church's hermeneutics often emphasize proof-texting and straightforward literal reading, though it does recognize typological and spiritual applications of Old Testament passages.
Key Distinctions
- Ot canon:
- Hebrew canon — 39 books
- Deuterocanonical status:
- not canonical
- Additional scripture:
- none
- Canon open:
- closed
Scripture References
Sources
- True Jesus Church stance on biblical authority
- Canon recognition in official publications