Take a good look at your Bible before you read this. Thumb through it. Flip the pages from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation. If your Bible is made up of 66 books and is a good translation, then you have in your hands the Word Of God. Jesus said so. There is no higher authority, and we are going to consider carefully what Jesus has said that confirms that you hold in your hands the Holy Scripture—God’s Word to you and I.

Lord, Are The 66 Books In My Bible The Right Ones? Are there more? Less?

The Old Testament—

Jesus made it clear that the 39 books in your Old Testament are the only ones that belong there. In a rebuke to the Pharisees, He said, “that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah…” Matthew 23:35

How important is this statement? It is the same as Jesus saying to the Pharisees that the whole Jewish Scriptures (our Old Testament) testify against them. Here’s why.

The Jewish scriptures during the days of Jesus contained 22 books. But they were the same books as our 39, since the Jews combined some of them. Also, the arrangement of their Bible was different from ours. Whereas our 39 books are arranged from Genesis to Malachi, the Jewish Bible of 22 books (the same as our 39 books) was arranged in such a way that 2 Chronicles was the last book. Thus, the Jewish Bible ran from Genesis to 2 Chronicles, with Malachi and the other books listed in between.
Now, when Jesus used the phrase “from “Abel” (found in Genesis) to “Zechariah” (the “blood” of this particular Zechariah found in 2 Chronicles), he was saying “from the first book to the last book of God’s Word in the Old Testament.” In light of the above, this is equivalent of our phrase “from Genesis to Malachi (the first and last books of the Old Testament).” Therefore, Jesus affirmed that the 39 books from Genesis to Malachi—no more, no less—are God’s inspired word in the Old (Covenant) Testament.

The New Testament—

Jesus plainly instructed the Apostles that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will “bring to your [the Apostles’] remembrance all that I said to you” John 14:26

This is the same as saying that the Holy Spirit will inspire the Apostles to remember all that Jesus said and did and write it into our 4 New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John).

In the same setting, Jesus also said of the Holy Spirit “He will guide you [the Apostles] into all the truth” John 16:13 This is equivalent to Jesus promising to supplement the truth of the Gospels with the additional truths that we have in our 22 New Testament books and epistles (Acts to Jude).

Jesus continued by saying that when the Holy Spirit comes (at Pentecost) ”He will disclose to you [again, the Apostles] what is to come” John 16:13

In this statement, Jesus affirmed that through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit our New Testament would include “what is to come” in the future, found in the Book Of Revelation (as well as in many portions of the other books and epistles).

Therefore, Jesus affirmed that the 27 books from Matthew to Revelation—no more, no less—are God’s inspired word in the New (Covenant) Testament.

The Whole Bible—

Jesus, therefore, confirmed the extent (39 books) and inspiration of our Old Testament, and He foretold the extent (27 books) and inspiration of our New Testament. You have in your hands the inspired, inerrant 66-book Word Of God!