Deuterocanonical books not canonical; Protestant 66-book canon affirmed
The Church of God (Cleveland) affirms the 66-book Protestant biblical canon and explicitly rejects the deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Wisdom, Sirach, Maccabees, Baruch, additions to Esther and Daniel) that are included in Catholic and Orthodox canons. These books are understood as apocryphal and not divinely inspired.
The Church's rationale follows Protestant Reformation principles: the deuterocanonical books were not included in the Hebrew canon, were not quoted as authoritative by the New Testament writers, and were not recognized as canonical in the early Church until later ecclesiastical decisions. The Church of God (Cleveland) stands in the Protestant tradition of accepting only the 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books as canonical.
Scripture References
Sources
- Church of God (Cleveland) statement on biblical canon
- Protestant Reformation principles