The True Canon of Scripture: A Comprehensive Historical and Theological Defense

The divergence between Catholic and Protestant Bibles—73 books versus 66 books—has long been a point of theological and historical contention. Catholics accept the Deuterocanonical books as part of the Old Testament, while Protestants exclude them, labeling them Apocrypha. This article presents a thorough exploration of the formation of the canon, the significance of the Deuterocanonical books, the Protestant Reformation’s role in reshaping the canon, and the role of Tradition in the early Church, incorporating the wealth of historical evidence, theological insights, and Church Fathers’ writings.

1. Formation of the Old Testament Canon

The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh)

The Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, consists of 24 books, grouped into:

1. Torah (Law): Genesis through Deuteronomy.
2. Nevi’im (Prophets): Historical and prophetic works, including Isaiah and the Twelve Minor Prophets.
3. Ketuvim (Writings): Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and others.

Development of the Hebrew Canon

By the time of Christ, the Torah and most of the Prophets were widely recognized as authoritative. However, debates over books in the Ketuvim (e.g., Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs) persisted well into the 2nd century AD.

The Septuagint (LXX): The Bible of the Early Church

The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures produced between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, included additional books now called the Deuterocanonical books:

1. Tobit
2. Judith
3. Wisdom of Solomon
4. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
5. Baruch
6. 1 and 2 Maccabees