The canon of Scripture is the complete and official list of sacred books that are considered to be inspired by God and included in the Bible.
Catholic and Protestant Bibles both contain 27 New Testament books but a Catholic Bible’s Old Testament contains 46 books compared to the Protestant’s 39.
Protestant Bibles are often missing the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees as well as parts of Esther and Daniel.
These books are referred to as deuterocanonical (second canon) books. They are part of the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint.
The deuterocanonical books were known and used by Jesus, the Apostles, and the Jewish rabbis of their time.
Not all Bibles contain the same books:
It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned which writings are to be included in the list of the sacred books. This complete list is called the canon of Scripture. It includes 46 books for the Old Testament (45 if we count Jeremiah and Lamentations as one) and 27 for the New.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 120
All books of the Catholic Bible are inspired by God:
Catholic Bibles include the deuterocanon:
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3: 16-17
The canon of Sacred Scripture developed over time:
There was not always an official Bible:
The Catholic Church has the authority to determine the canon:
And so the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved by an unending succession of preachers until the end of time. Therefore the Apostles, handing on what they themselves had received, warn the faithful to hold fast to the traditions which they have learned either by word of mouth or by letter, and to fight in defense of the faith handed on once and for all. Now what was handed on by the Apostles includes everything which contributes toward the holiness of life and increase in faith of the peoples of God; and so the Church, in her teaching, life and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes.
Pope Paul VI, Dei Verbum, November 18, 1965
Martin Luther removed 7 books from the Bible:
Jesus and the first Christians accepted the deuterocanonical books:
The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church
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