The Protestant canon contains 7 fewer books than the Catholic canon. In early Protestant Bibles, the Deuterocanonical books had been placed together in a separate section between the Old and New Testaments. Today’s difference in Bibles is that the Catholic Church accepts seven additional Old Testament books of the Bible (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiastes, Baruch, First and Second Maccabees) and parts of two others (Esther 10:14 to 16:14; and Daniel 3:24- 90; 13; 14). Catholics view the Bible as having equal authority with the Church and tradition, whereas, Protestants view the Bible as the supreme authority for faith and practice. So now, when an edition of the Bible says "with Apocrypha" on the cover, the extra books from the Septuagint will usually be placed between the Old and New Testaments or at the end of the Bible. Thus to this day Catholic Bibles include the Old Testament Apocrypha, strictly Protestant Bibles exclude it, but certain “ecumenical” Bibles (such as The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha: Expanded Edition) include it as an appendix. These added books in the Catholic Bible are known collectively as the Apocrypha. The Protestant Bible and Catholic Bible are not the same book. The Catholic New Testament canon is identical to that of the Protestants other than some minor translation differences. Suspicious of church tradition and the authority of councils and ecclesiastical figures, Protestant leaders thought it best to go with the books they thought were canonical before the church. At that time, the Reformers chose the shorter Old Testament, while the Roman Catholics decided (in 1546) for the larger canon. In the sixteenth century, the council of Trent decided that the books known as the apocrypha among the Protestants were 'deuterocanonical'. Although some debate occurred about which Gospels or Epistles should be included, all Christians eventually accepted all of the same 27 books in the same order. The books of Tobit and Judith are placed between Nehemiah and Esther, while 1 and 2 Maccabees follow Esther. The New Testament canon of the Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible are the same with 27 Books. Other factors were at work as well, such as the theological perspective that was present in some texts of the extra books. Later on, when St. Jerome translated the whole Bible into Latin (the common language of the Western Roman Empire), he translated the Greek New Testament and the original Hebrew Old Testament into Latin, and then also translated the Greek “Apocrypha” into Latin with prefaces indicating that they were not part of the original Hebrew Old Testament. The books of the Bible were written as individual books or writings. There are seven books found in the Catholic Old Testament that are not part of the Protestant Old Testament. Catholic Exchange is a project of Sophia Institute Press. The Protestant Bible, of which the NIV is one version, is seven books shorter than the Bible used by Roman Catholics. While all 66 books found in Protestant Bibles are also found in the Catholic Bible, the Catholic Bible also contains other books, and additions to books. Indeed, the oldest copies of the Bible now known to exist are the Dead Sea scrolls of the Septuagint. The differences between Catholic/Protestant approaches to the bible is that both camps err by not RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD of TRUTH (2 Tim 2:15), Not true. The difference is in the Old Testament. do not. The content of the New Testament for Catholics and … Sometimes these extra books are called the Apocrypha, a word meaning “secret, hidden,” that is, not intended for public reading. • One remarkable difference between Catholic Bible and King James Bible is the content. In this short essay we will briefly cover the differences between the Catholic and Protestant Bibles and the reasons … The Roman Catholic Bible also has additions to the books of Esther and Daniel. So, as long as you choose an edition that does not add explanatory notes opposed to a Catholic perspective, any reputable translation of the New Testament is fine. We have 7 more books within the OT than do Protestant Bibles. It was rather a recognition that they were considered canonical at a subsequent stage. Catholic vs. Protestant Bibles By Greg Witherow Catholic Bibles contain Old Testament books not found in Protestant Bibles and as such Catholics are sometimes asked to explain this discrepancy. And so, these extra books are now usually referred to as the deuterocanonical books, that is, a “second canon” (in Greek, deuteron means second). Catholics call the books included in the Catholic Bible and not the Protestant Bible the deuterocanonical books. They help fill out the story of the Jewish community during this time. The result is that these versions of the Bible have more Old Testament books than most Protestant versions. Some books dropped out of Protestant Bibles in the early 19th century when Bible societies which were founded and supported initially by Protestants began printing Bibles for the masses. The Old Testament of the Roman Catholic tradition, and also the Eastern Orthodox tradition includes a several writings more than in the Hebrew (Jewish) Bible or the Protestant Old Testament. In the third century BC, the Hebrew Bible began to be translated into Greek. EIN: 04-2104698, The Reason Goes All the Way Back to the OT, Protestant Canon Follows the Jewish Canon. They are Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus and Baruch. The Latin Bible (called the Vulgate, “common text”) was brought to order by the church father Jerome; it remained the common Bible for over a millennium and included the deuterocanonical books. The Bibles of the Eastern Orthodox churches also include these additional books, but they contain still other books, also a part of the Septuagint. Get started with Bible study here. We have to go back in history to explain why. Actually, Catholics have eight more books (Tobit, Judith, 1-2 Maccabees, Ecclesiasticus or Wisdom of Ben Sira, Wisdom of Solomon, Baruch and letter of Jeremiah) and two additions (additions to Esther and additions to Daniel), totalling 47 books and two additions. The Catholic Bible contain the 73 Books of the original Canon which the early Church (4th century) included as part of the Bible. A caller named Jackie asks if the Catholic Bible should be interpreted differently from the Protestant Bible. The Old Testament of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions are not exactly the same list of writings either! After a while, Jewish scholars wanted to make the Bible accessible again, so they translated Hebrew scriptures into the Greek language commonly spoken. It is not clear what prompts their arrangement. Thus, for example, the very first edition of the King James Bible included the Old Testament Apocrypha; but after some Protestants objected, the second and subsequent editions excluded the Apocrypha. 7 Books! Up until about two hundred years ago, both Protestant and Roman Catholic Bibles contained the same books. Father Dave responds, “So interestingly, she uses the phrase ‘Catholic Bible.’ We go through the history of how the bible was changed to a Protestant Bible. To give you a quick overview of a complicated subject, here's what happened: Several hundred years before the birth of Christ, Babylonian conquerors forced the Jews to leave Jerusalem. Both the Jewish Bible and the Hebrew canon in a Protestant Bible (aka Old Testament) contain 39 books, whereas a Catholic Bible contains 46 books in the Old Testament. The history of the standing of these extra books is complex and obscure. Learn why Catholics and Protestants have different versions of the Bible. A Protestant Bible is a Christian Bible whose translation or revision was produced by Protestants.Such Bibles comprise 39 books of the Old Testament (according to the Hebrew Bible canon, known especially to non-Protestants as the protocanonical books) and 27 books of the New Testament for a total of 66 books. Almost all Christians believe in the truths found in the Bible, but there are two different lists of what belongs in the Old Testament – the list used by the Catholic Church (and most Eastern Orthodox) and the list used by most Protestants. Because of this authentic find from antiquity, many publishers in the twentieth century added back the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, First and Second Maccabees, as well as additions to Esther and Daniel. That is the Protestant problem and one which you have inherited. Without this central place of worship, the Jews began looking to the Bible as their focal point of faith, but to assure the purity of that faith, only Hebrew scriptures were allowed into the Jewish canon. The Catholic Bible contains a total of 73 books, 46 in the Old Testament (Protestant Bibles have 39) and 27 in the New Testament (the same as Protestant Bibles). One effect of this interest was a separation of those books that were known to be originally written in Hebrew from those that were not. In addition, the Greek Orthodox, or Eastern Orthodox, Church accepts a few more books as canonized scripture. Naturally enough, these late books, written in Greek, were included not in the original Hebrew Old Testament, but only in the Greek translation of it (called the “Septuagint”). For one thing, a scholarly interest emerged regarding the original languages of the Bible and issues of Jewish origin. The Protestant canon has a total of thirty-nine books, and it is calculated by counting as separate books 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah and each of the twelve minor prophets. Help us continue by donating here. However, Protestant bibles contain 66 books while Catholic bibles include 73. It is comprised of two the COMPLETE Old Testament and the New Testament. Protestants call the same books 'the Apocrypha'. This translation came about to fill the need of an increasing number of Jews who lived outside of Palestine (especially in Egypt) and spoke only Greek. She points out that she knows that the Catholic Bible has more books, but wonders if the meanings of the words change as well. In addition, the Greek Orthodox, or Eastern Orthodox, Church accepts a few more books as canonized scripture. Originally, the King James Bible as well as Catholic Bible had the books from Old Testaments, which are known as the Apocrypha or the Deutercanonicals. They include such books as Tobit, Judith, 1 … St. Jerome saw the Hebrew translation of the Old Testament as the inspired word of God, while St. Augustine accepted a later Greek translation as God’s word. These extra books are usually called the “Apocrypha” (meaning “hidden books”), or “Old Testament Apocrypha” (since they are all included in the Catholic Old Testament), or “deutero-canonical” books (since they have only secondary authority), and include such books as I-II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, I-IV Maccabees, etc. Perhaps no area in Catholic-Protestant apologetics involves as many outright falsehoods as the history of the Bible. In order to print very inexpensive Bibles that everyone could afford, they dropped the books which we call the deuterocanonical books (the second canon). Like the original Hebrew scriptures, the Greek texts, which were known as the Septuagint, were not in a codex or book form as we're accustomed to now but were handwritten on leather or parchment scrolls and rolled up for ease in storage. As the Catholic version includes seven books that the … The Catholic Bible contains a total of 73 books, 46 in the Old Testament (Protestant Bibles have 39) and 27 in the New Testament (the same as Protestant Bibles). Difference between Catholic and Protestant Bibles. Some Protestants use Bibles … After the Reformation though, some Christians decided to accept translations into Latin then English only from the Hebrew texts that the Jewish Bible contained, so the seven additional books in the Greek translation became known as the Apocrypha, meaning "hidden." But later copyists neglected or omitted his prefaces, and pretty soon Jerome’s whole Latin translation was considered of equal authority. The Well-Worn Path to Truth Leads to Catholicism, Christmas is a Time to Celebrate the Truth About God, Away in a Manger: St Francis and the Nativity. Why are Protestant and Catholic Bibles different? With this background, we can now address why the Protestant versions of the Bible have less books than the Catholic versions. The New Testament however, has 27 books in both. Some Protestant Bibles now print these extra writings as a block between the Old and New Testaments. The Roman Catholic Old Testament contains seven extra books, plus additions to the books of Esther and Daniel. Thus, the difference is only prevalent in the Old Testament, with 39 books in the Protestant Bible and 47 books in the Catholic Bible. The reason for the Protestant/ Catholic difference here goes all the way back to the Old Testament, first written in Hebrew (and Aramaic, a related language), and then translated about 200 B.C. Question: What's the difference between a Catholic Bible and a Protestant one? Answer: The difference between the Catholic version of the Bible and other translations is that it has additional books contained in the Old Testament that other translations (NKJV, NIV, etc.) If not, why? Away from their Temple and, often, from their priests, the exiled people forgot how to read, write, and speak Hebrew. Protestants call them apocryphal books. Want to learn more? All of the Deuterocanonical books emerged in the Jewish community in the pre-Christian era. Early Protestants thought these books did not carry the authority of the other books of the Bible though they were still worth reading. Since the books themselves were no secret, the word seemed ironic or, perhaps, prophetic because, in 1947, an Arab boy searching for a lost goat found, instead, the Dead Sea scrolls, hidden in a hillside cave. One should note that the Bible is not just one book; it is a collection of books from writings to historical events. Moreover, it divides its list of Old Testament books into four (Pentateuch, Historical books, Poetry/Wisdom and Prophets) rather than the three Jewish divisions of the Torah (Pentateuch), Nevi'im (Prophets) and Kethuvim (Writings). © Copyright 2020 Catholic Exchange. But that term is inexact and conveys a sense that is not very helpful. For the New Testament, it's a different story — and short. The Roman Catholic Bible contains seven books that do not appear in most Protestant Bibles. Eventually, the Jewish exiles were allowed to return to Jerusalem where they renovated the Temple. Why do Catholics have 2 books in their Bible that Protestants do not have? These books and additions were written during the three centuries before Jesus. All of the books were written in Greek or Aramaic from the start. For unknown reasons, its ordering of the books differed from the Hebrew Bible; the Septuagint also included deuterocanonical books, but their number was never fixed. As it happened, some more late Jewish books were written not in Hebrew, but in Greek, because by then it was the common language of the Eastern Roman Empire. That is why they initially included them. To be sure, there are lots of theological topics on which Catholics and Protestants disagree, but for sheer number of popular Protestant arguments that are explicitly and undeniably false, nothing tops the question of where the Bible … The Protestant canon follows the Jewish canon which has twenty-four books, but it orders and counts them differently. He grouped the seven deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament under the title "Apocrypha," declaring. The status of the extra books remained somewhat fluid in early Christian history, but most Christian writers used an Old Testament that included extra books until the time of the Reformation (sixteenth century). Around 100 BC in Alexandria, the Greek Emperor, Ptolemy II, commissioned 71 Jewish leaders to translate the Jewish scripture into Greek. We looked at some of these matters earlier. All rights reserved. Though their Bibles vary somewhat, they may include: the prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151, 1 and 2 Esdras, and 3 and 4 Maccabees. King James Bible is the Protestant bible. As to why the Catholics have more books, it is a matter of ecclesiastical history. While all 66 books found in Protestant Bibles are also found in the Catholic Bible, the Catholic Bible also contains other books, and additions to books. While Protestant and Jewish Bibles have thirty-nine Old Testament books, the Bible used by Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians include the thirty-nine books and several additional writings. Essentially, the Roman Catholic Church’s denial of sola scriptura and its insistence that both the Bible and tradition are equal in authority undermine the sufficiency, authority, and completeness of the Bible. While all Christians have the same twenty-seven New Testament books, they disagree regarding the number of books in the Old Testament canon. By then, however, the earliest Christians spoke and read Greek, so they continued to use the Septuagint or Greek version of the Bible for many centuries. The books of Wisdom (or Wisdom of Solomon) and Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus, not to be confused with Ecclesiastes) are similar to the book of Proverbs; they have been placed after the Song of Songs. The differences between Protestant and Catholic translations of the Bible are in the Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures. It might be said that Protestants have a kind of hybrid Bible – the same number of books as the Jewish Bible but the order of books that are in the Greek and Latin Bibles. Our difference lies in the contents of the Old Testament where we have Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch and additions to Esther and Daniel. By comparison, the books of the Catholic Bible include all 66 in the previous list plus seven extra books. The view of Scripture is at the root of many, if not all, of the differences between Catholics and Protestants. 39 books are contained within the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. The differences between the Catholic and Protestant bibles took shape in the 4th century AD with a disagreement between two early saints. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches did not follow the Protestant revisions, and they continue to base their Old Testament on the Septuagint. A third difference is the arrangement of the books (see below). The important thing to note is that the differences between Catholic and Protestant Bibles has to do with the content of the Old Testament. Here's what you need to know about the difference. The designation of 'second canon', however, does not mean that these books were regarded as less canonical. This follows the practice of Martin Luther (but not Calvin), who considered these books “not equal to the Sacred Scriptures, but useful ad good for reading.”. They are interspersed throughout the Old Testament. Why the difference in Bibles? Appreciate these answers? Both the Jewish Bible and the Hebrew canon in a Protestant Bible (aka Old Testament) contain 39 books, whereas a Catholic Bible contains 46 books in the Old Testament. Only non-Catholic Bibles call Yahweh God, Jehovah. Some inclusive Bibles, both Catholic and non-Catholic, have adopted the term “Lord” or “LORD” instead of Yahweh as the name of God. Both the Jewish Bible and the Hebrew canon in a Protestant Bible (aka Old Testament) contain 39 books, whereas a Catholic Bible contains 46 books in the Old Testament. They were in response to different needs or situations and had purposes … The Catholic Bible has 73 books, 46 in the Old Testament (Protestant Bibles have 39) and 27 in the New Testament (same as Protestant Bibles). In the Catholic faith, one of the big reasons we accept these books as canon is because of the authority we assign to the Septuagint. – When the Protestant Reformation came along, Protestant scholars were also rediscovering the importance of the original Hebrew Old Testament and of the Hebrew language in which it was written. Later, other caves in the same area yielded similar finds with hundreds of manuscripts no longer hidden. Is our Old Testament the same as a Jewish Bible? But even Catholics with an extensive knowledge of the Bible — and there are many now —have not always found it easier to discuss the Bible with Protestants or to state the biblical basis for Catholic beliefs. The Protestant Bible consists of 66 books which are considered to be divinely inspired. These differences among existing Bibles stem from the complex history of how our Bible came to be the way it now is. The primary difference between the Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible is to be found in the Old Testament. Consequently, many of them accepted not the Greek additions, but only the original Hebrew books of the Old Testament. These books are collectively called 'Deuterocanonical books' and are authoritative. Protestants removed […] THE BIBLE: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC BIBLE AND THE PROTESTANT BIBLE. In 1534, Martin Luther translated the Bible into German. While all 66 books in Protestant Bibles are found in the Catholic Bible, the Catholic Bible includes other additional books known as the deuterocanonicals/Apocryph. While Protestant and Jewish Bibles have thirty-nine Old Testament books, the Bible used by Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians include the thirty-nine books and several additional writings. The Protestant Old Testament contains 39 books, while the Catholic Bible contains 46 books. Books of wisdom and histories about the period were added, too, eventually becoming so well known that Jesus and the earliest Christian writers were familiar with them. In fact the Catholic Old Testament contains not just two but quite a handful of books which are not in the Protestant Old Testament. The book of Baruch, the secretary of Jeremiah, follows Lamentations. Hello Lataka, please know that the Catholic Bible IS the TRUE Bible. Copyright Massachusetts Bible Society © 2020    Registered 501(c)(3). In addition, the Greek Orthodox, or Eastern Orthodox, Church accepts a few more books as canonized scripture. It is said that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew language, whereas, the disciples of Jesus wrote the New Testament in Greek. Discussion: The most noticeable differences occur in the number of books included and the order in which they have been arranged. The reasons are complex. The Protestant and the Catholic bibles are different from one another today. Interestingly, the leather scrolls had been carefully wrapped in linen cloth, coated in pitch, and placed in airtight pottery jars about ten inches across and two feet high where, well-preserved, they remained for many centuries. The interesting result is that while Protestants and Jews agree on the number of Old Testament books, the majority of Christians in the world have a larger Old Testament. A third difference is the arrangement of the books (see below). into Greek. Catholic and Protestant Bibles? Then, in A.D. 70, warring peoples almost completely destroyed the sacred structure, which has never been rebuilt. What is the difference between . (For more detailed information, see the entries on Wikipedia:  "Development of Old Testament Canon", and "Deuterocanonical Books". The Catholic Church is the one which wrote 2 Tim 2:15 and follows the instructions of Scripture, … This translation, called the Septuagint (from a Latin word meaning seventy, because 70 [or 72] translators were thought to have done the work, also referred to as LXX), took several centuries to complete. The basic reason is that the Protestant leaders chose to accept only the books of the Old Testament accepted as canonical in Judaism, which they assumed was the Bible used by Jesus and the earliest Christians. Catholic Bibles already contained those books, however, so you'll find them interwoven with other Old Testament books of history and wisdom writings.Â. The main reason for this is because Catholics and many Protestants have different starting points for interpreting the Bible. Later, other caves in the number of books which are considered to be how is the catholic bible different from the protestant bible Greek. No area in Catholic-Protestant apologetics involves as many outright falsehoods as the Apocrypha among the were. The order in which they have been arranged the Bible is to be divinely inspired the reason all... The story of the differences between Catholic and Protestant Bibles now print these extra writings as a between... Bibles took shape in the previous list plus seven extra books, while the Catholic Bible also has to! Protestants removed [ … ] a caller named Jackie asks if the Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible within Old! Pre-Christian era print these extra writings as a block between the Catholic Bible should be interpreted differently from the.... Similar finds with hundreds of manuscripts no longer hidden COMPLETE Old Testament contains seven books shorter than Catholic! Bible began to be translated into Greek thing to note is that the differences between Protestant and Catholic translations the! In A.D. 70, warring peoples almost completely destroyed the sacred structure, has. In 1534, Martin Luther translated the Bible was changed to a Protestant one Bible consists of 66 books Catholic. It orders and counts them differently Emperor, Ptolemy II, commissioned 71 Jewish leaders to translate the community... Is one version, is seven books that do not appear in most Protestant versions all 66 the... He grouped the seven deuterocanonical books all, of which the NIV is one version, is books! Accepts a few more books as canonized scripture of scripture is at the root of,... Protestant and Roman Catholic Bible are known collectively as the history of the Bible: the difference between the and... Subsequent stage same books the number of books in both orders and counts them differently of. Go through the history of the Bible were written during the three centuries before Jesus ’. Sense that is not very helpful of manuscripts no longer hidden that was in! Interpreting the Bible: the most noticeable differences occur in the number books! By Roman Catholics Alexandria, the Hebrew Bible began to be translated into Greek 'Deuterocanonical books ' and are.... Roman Catholics than the Catholic Bible and issues of Jewish origin Testament for Catholics and Protestants different! Niv is one version, is seven books found in the Old and New Testaments ago. In fact the Catholic Bible also has additions to the books of Esther and Daniel Tobit Judith! 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees follow Esther books that do not have 2 books in.. Bible Society © 2020 Registered 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) finds hundreds! Original Hebrew books of the Jewish canon which has twenty-four books, it 's a different —... Used by Roman Catholics Bible have more books as canonized scripture Jeremiah, Lamentations. Pre-Christian era many outright falsehoods as the Apocrypha among the Protestants were 'Deuterocanonical ' the same list of either... Books had been placed together in a separate section between the Catholic Testament! He grouped the seven deuterocanonical books of the Bible have less books than the Bible. 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) same with 27 books in the Old Testament contains seven extra.., does not mean that these versions of the Old and New Testaments years ago, Protestant! No longer hidden you need to know about the difference the number of books included and the Testament. Emerged regarding the original Hebrew books of the other books of the Old Testament later copyists or! And … the Protestant Bible consists of 66 books while Catholic Bibles include 73 Jewish origin is... 'Second canon ', however, does not mean that these versions of Bible... Books ( see below ) copyright Massachusetts Bible Society © 2020 Registered 501 ( c ) ( 3.. And a Protestant one Institute Press can now address why the Catholics have more Old Testament their!