Michael Brooks
The Catholic Bible includes 73 books in its canon, seven more than the Protestant Bible. These seven additional books are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. Catholics refer to these books as deuterocanonical, while Protestants call them apocryphal. The deuterocanonical books are considered sacred scripture by the Catholic Church and are believed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of books in the Catholic Bible | 73 |
| Number of books in the Protestant Bible | 66 |
| Number of books in the New Testament | 27 |
| Number of books in the Catholic Old Testament | 46 |
| Number of books in the Protestant Old Testament | 39 |
| Books included in the Catholic Bible but not in the Protestant Bible | Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch |
| Additional sections in the Catholic Bible | Books of Esther and Daniel |
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What You'll Learn
Catholic Bible's 73-book canon
The Catholic Bible is made up of 73 books in total. It includes 46 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. The Old Testament consists of seven deuterocanonical books and two books with additional deuterocanonical content. The deuterocanonical books are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. The deuterocanonical sections in the Books of Esther and Daniel are also included in Catholic Bibles but not in Protestant Bibles. These deuterocanonical books are called the Apocrypha.
The Catholic Bible, therefore, contains a translation of scripture that valid Church authorities have found to be in conformity with Catholic teaching. The Bible used by Catholics differs in the number and order of books from those found in Protestant Bibles. The Catholic Church believes these books to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. The canon of the Catholic Bible was first decided upon and physically written down by St. Athanasius, the Bishop of Alexandria, in one of his letters in 367 AD. Later, in 382 AD, Pope Damasus I reaffirmed Athanasius' list, making a list of them himself, in their present number and order.
The term "Catholic Bible" can be understood in two ways. Firstly, it can refer to a Christian Bible that includes the whole 73-book canon recognized by the Catholic Church, including some of the deuterocanonical books (and parts of books) of the Old Testament which are in the Greek Septuagint collection, but which are not present in the Hebrew Masoretic Text collection. Secondly, the term can refer to a version or translation of the Bible published with the Catholic Church's approval, in accordance with Catholic canon law.
There is an interesting numerology coincidence regarding the number of books in the Catholic Bible. In the Bible, the number 7 denotes an oath, and the number 3 represents the Holy Trinity. Therefore, 73 books sound a lot better than 66 books, which represent imperfection (as in 666).
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Deuterocanonical books
The deuterocanonical books are certain books and passages considered to be canonical books of the Old Testament by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Church of the East. The term "deuterocanonical" means "of, pertaining to, or constituting a second canon". It was coined in 1566 by the theologian Sixtus of Siena, who had converted to Catholicism from Judaism.
The deuterocanonical books are also known as the Apocrypha, which means "hidden writings", as they were added to the end of most Bibles. The deuterocanonical books are included in the Septuagint, the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. They date from 300 BC to 100 AD, before the separation of the Christian church from Judaism. They were accepted by the Jews of that period, particularly the Pharisees, who saw them as valuable to Jewish history but not divinely inspired.
Seven books are accepted as deuterocanonical by all the ancient churches: Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, First and Second Maccabees, and also the Greek additions to Esther and Daniel. In addition to these, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church include other books in their canons.
The deuterocanonical books were considered canonical by the Councils of Rome (382 AD), Hippo (393 AD), Carthage (397 AD and 419 AD), Florence (1442 AD) and Trent (1546 AD). However, they are not included in the Hebrew canon. The Catholic Church believes these books to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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Catholic Bible vs Protestant Bible
The Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible differ in the number and order of books they contain. The Catholic Bible contains the whole 73-book canon recognized by the Catholic Church, whereas the Protestant Bible has 66 books. Both Catholics and Protestants have the same 27-book New Testament, so the differences between their Bibles concern the boundaries of the Old Testament canon.
The Catholic Old Testament contains the same 39 books as the Protestant Old Testament, plus seven deuterocanonical books: Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. These deuterocanonical books are also included in the Greek Septuagint collection, but they are not present in the Hebrew Masoretic Text collection. The deuterocanonical books are believed by the Catholic Church to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The deuterocanonical books are considered non-canonical in Protestantism, although many Protestant Bibles traditionally include these books and others as an intertestamental section known as the Apocrypha. The inclusion or exclusion of these books is a matter of tradition, with Protestants generally accepting the Jewish canon and rejecting the Catholic one, and Catholics affirming the deuterocanonical books as part of their canon.
The history of the Bible's development is complex, and the debate over the Old Testament canon continued until the 16th century. Early Protestant reformers like Martin Luther played a significant role in shaping the Protestant Bible, opting for a Bible with 66 books based on their interpretation. In contrast, Catholics argue that they did not add books to the Bible but rather defined it, and that Protestants removed books to better fit their narratives.
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The Council of Trent
The Catholic Bible includes the whole 73-book canon recognised by the Catholic Church. Catholic Bibles have 46 books in the Old Testament, while Protestant Bibles have only 39. The seven additional books in Catholic Bibles are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. These books are called the deuterocanonical books, and the Catholic Church believes them to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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The Ethiopian narrow biblical canon
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has a narrow biblical canon, consisting of 81 books. This canon is unique and differs from those of other Christian traditions, such as the Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox canons.
One of the most notable differences in the Ethiopian narrow biblical canon is the inclusion of the books of Enoch. These books are considered to provide unique insights into the biblical world and offer a window into the early Jewish religious and cultural context. The book of Jubilees is also an important part of the Ethiopian canon, filling in chronological gaps in the narrative of the Pentateuch and elaborating on biblical laws and traditions.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church considers these additional books to be essential to their faith and tradition, providing a rich theological and historical context. They are often viewed as offering valuable insights that complement and enhance the understanding of the standard biblical canon. The narrow biblical canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church reflects the unique cultural and religious context of this ancient Christian community, which has a long and proud history dating back to the early centuries of Christianity.
It is worth noting that the Ethiopian biblical canon also has a broader category, which includes various apocryphal and pseudepigraphical books that are used liturgically or for spiritual reading, but are not considered on par with the narrow canon. This broader category showcases the rich literary and spiritual heritage of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 73 books in the Catholic Bible.
There are 66 books in the Protestant Bible.
The Catholic Bible includes seven books that are not present in the Protestant Bible. These books are: Baruch, Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom (or Wisdom of Solomon), and Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus). These books are called deuterocanonical books by Catholics and apocryphal books by Protestants.
In the 16th century, Martin Luther argued that many of the received texts of the New Testament lacked the authority of the Gospels and proposed removing several books, including Hebrews, James, Jude, and the Book of Revelation. Luther rejected the ancient teaching and practice of the Church of offering prayers and sacrifices for the dead, which are supported by the deuterocanonical books, and so he denied them a place in the Protestant canon.
