Was Luther's revision of the Bible a return to the "true Bible" of the early Church?
The short answer
No. No early council endorsed the 66-book Protestant canon. The 73-book canon appears at the Council of Rome (382, though scholars dispute its decisions) and at Hippo and Carthage (393, 397). Luther dropped seven books, questioned others, and added words to his German translation of Romans.
The early canon
No early council endorsed the 66 books Protestants accept. The canon of 73 books was affirmed at the Council of Rome in 382 under Pope Damasus — though whether that council ruled on the canon is disputed by scholars — and repeated at Hippo (393) and Carthage (397), and ever since.
What Luther did
Luther removed seven books considered canonical from the beginning. He also rejected Hebrews and Revelation, and called James "an epistle of straw" because James 2:14-26 conflicted with his views on good works. In his German translation he added the word "only" in Romans 3:20 and 4:15, and inserted "alone" in Romans 3:28.
Continue exploring
- Are Catholics free to interpret Bible verses without the Church's approval?Q&A
- Who decided which books are in the Bible?Q&A
- Why do Catholic Bibles have more books?Q&A
- Are the Protoevangelium of James and the Gospel of the Birth of Mary authentic documents?Q&A
- Do Bibles survive from A.D. 400–1500, and did they leave out the deuterocanonical books?Q&A
- How important is the Old Testament for Catholics?Q&A