The canon of Scripture (from Greek kanon — measuring rod, rule) refers to the definitive list of books that constitute the inspired Word of God. The Westminster Confession identifies the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments as "given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life," and explicitly excludes the Apocrypha as having no divine authority. ^[raw/en/wcf-ch01-s02.md]
The Confession catalogs the Old Testament books following the Hebrew canon exactly — the Law (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi'im), and the Writings (Ketuvim). The New Testament list includes the twenty-seven books universally received by the church since the fourth century. This list is not a mere catalogue but a theological statement: these books, and these only, are the Word of God. ^[raw/en/wcf-ch01-s02.md]
The canon is recognized, not created by the church. Robert Shaw explains: "The books of Scripture are not inspired because they are canonical; but they are canonical because they are inspired. The church has no authority to make any book canonical, but only to declare what books are canonical — that is, to testify to the fact of their inspiration."
Several proof texts establish the canon. 2 Timothy 3:16 declares "all scripture is given by inspiration of God" (theopneustos — God-breathed). 2 Peter 1:20-21 describes how the prophets were "moved [pheromenoi — borne along] by the Holy Ghost." ^[raw/en/wcf-ch01-s02.md]
Our Lord Himself affirms the threefold division of the Old Testament in Luke 24:44, speaking of "the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms." He never quotes the Apocrypha as Scripture. The closing verses of Revelation 22:18-19 serve as a divine seal upon the entire canon, declaring that nothing may be added and nothing taken away.
The Confession devotes a separate section (WCF 1.3) to rejecting the Apocrypha — books like Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, and the Maccabees. These books, the Divines declare, "not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority in the church of God." ^[raw/en/wcf-ch01-s03.md]
The rejection rests on four grounds: (1) the Jewish church, to whom "were committed the oracles of God" (Romans 3:2), never received them; (2) they were written in Greek, not Hebrew, after the spirit of prophecy ceased; (3) neither Christ nor the apostles ever quote them as Scripture; (4) they contain historical errors, doctrinal errors (prayers for the dead, salvation by works), and their own authors disclaim inspiration.
This rejection is foundational to sola-scriptura. If the church can add books to the canon, then the church stands over Scripture. The closed canon protects the church from both additions (new revelations, human traditions) and subtractions (ignoring books that challenge us).
The canon is closely tied to the authority-of-scripture: because these books are inspired by God, they carry His authority intrinsically. It also connects to progressive-revelation — the canon grew over time as God spoke through the prophets and apostles, but it is now closed. The same Spirit who inspired the canon illuminates the reader, confirming by the testimonium internum that these books, and these alone, are the Word of God.