The Bible as we know it today consists of 66 books – 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. These books are believed by Christians to be divinely inspired and authoritative. The content of the Bible has remained unchanged for centuries, but some wonder if it’s possible for more books to be added in the future.
There are a few perspectives on this issue:
The case against adding books
Most Christians believe the Bible is complete and closed. Several factors support this view:
- The early church councils settled on the current list of biblical books. Church leaders convened at councils like Hippo (393 AD), Carthage (397 AD), and Nicea (325 AD) to determine the biblical canon. The consensus was that no new books should be added.
- Jesus and the apostles quote authoritatively from the Old Testament only. They don’t reference any extra books as scripture. This indicates they considered the Jewish canon to be complete.
- Revelation 22:18-19 contains a solemn warning not to add or take away from biblical prophecy. While not a comprehensive statement about the whole Bible, this shows the canon was considered closed.
- No Christian councils or synods after the early church have officially added books. While some branches of Christianity use extra books, they are considered apocryphal or deuterocanonical, not part of the authorized canon.
- The Holy Spirit seems to have prompted widespread agreement on the biblical books. If more were meant to be included, we’d expect consistent support across denominations.
These points suggest God intended for the Bible’s books to remain unchanged. The early believers were unified on the inspired texts, and most Christians today still affirm the current 66 book canon.
Cases where books could be added
A minority of Christians believe new books potentially could be added if certain criteria were met. Reasons include:
- Nowhere does the Bible specifically limit itself to 66 books. Some think this leaves the door open to more if God chose to inspire them.
- A few books like Revelation makes prophecies about the future. Some think if major end time events occur, new prophetic books could record them.
- If writings of a modern-day prophet were confirmed by signs, wonders and spiritual consensus, some think these could be added if widely embraced as inspired and authoritative.
- A group like the Council of Nicea could potentially reconsider the canon in light of new information, spiritual insight or divine guidance.
- If archaeological digs unearthed new manuscripts from the first century apostles, some believe they should be considered for canonicity.
Those who hold this position believe the Bible could hypothetically be expanded if very specific circumstances necessitated it. But they agree such occasions would be extremely rare.
Cautions about adding books
There are valid reasons Christians urge caution about any books beyond the established 66 we already possess:
- Altering the Bible could threaten its authority and bring confusion. Historical consensus strengthens its credibility.
- It’s unlikely any new books could meet the high standards for inspiration and authenticity set by the current canon.
- Adding more books could allow false teachings or questionable doctrines to infiltrate biblical truth.
- Believers need to test any alleged “new revelations” carefully to see if they align with scripture (Isaiah 8:20).
- Changing such an established holy text could undermine faith traditions and the church’s witness.
For these reasons, Christians generally avoid seeking additions but rather aim to discover new depths in what’s already written (Psalm 119:18).
What if new books showed up?
If books were discovered that claimed to be lost writings of apostles or prophets, they would be thoroughly analyzed:
- Scholars would authenticate the age and provenance of the documents.
- The theology would be checked to ensure alignment with existing scripture.
- The church leadership would discuss extensively to determine if they should be deemed authoritative.
- There would need to be spiritual consensus and confidence of divine inspiration.
- If warranted, church councils could add them to scripture – but the bar would be extremely high.
But many note that no such candidate writings have ever withstood such rigorous analysis. The Bible we have stands uniquely confirmed by history, spiritual witness and church tradition.
What does the Bible say?
A few key verses shed light on this topic:
- “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” (Proverbs 30:5) – God’s existing Word is perfectly true.
- “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) – Scripture thoroughly equips without need for more.
- “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19) – Scripture warns strongly against altering God’s Word.
- “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) – God’s Word endures forever without need for change.
These passages affirm the sufficiency and permanence of the biblical writings we possess. While possible in theory, adding more books would face immense challenges.
Conclusion
The overwhelimg majority of Christians maintain that the Bible’s canon is closed and complete at 66 books. Church history, spiritual consensus, and scriptural passages all support this view. A small minority thinks new books could hypothetically be added if they met strict criteria. But in practice no candidate writings have ever come close to the credibility of the received canon. While God theoretically could inspire new scripture if He chose, Christians generally trust that His existing Word is sufficient and focus on understanding it more deeply.
