Biblical explanation
The Bible itself does not contain a direct statement saying, “Here is the complete list of canonical books.” Jesus referred to: “the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms” (). Paul also says that the Jews were entrusted with: “the oracles of God” (). These passages are important when considering the Old Testament Scriptures recognized in the biblical period. However, neither passage provides a complete modern canonical list. The Protestant Old Testament follows the books traditionally received as the Hebrew Scriptures, while Catholic Bibles also include several additional writings that are classified as Deuterocanonical. The exact history of how the different Christian canons developed cannot be reconstructed from one biblical verse. It is therefore better to distinguish between what Scripture explicitly teaches and what later historical traditions claim. The important biblical principle is that inspired Scripture is authoritative because it comes from God. A writing does not become inspired simply because a later institution places it in a collection.
In brief
The Bible itself does not contain a direct statement saying, “Here is the complete list of canonical books.
Bible references
Go deeper into this topic Can We Trust the Bible? Start the studyThis answer is written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team, and is presented with supporting references so you can examine each passage in context. If you notice an error or unclear statement, please suggest a correction.