Different early Christian communities used various texts in their worship and te…

Different early Christian communities used various texts in their worship and teaching. Over time, certain criteria were developed to determine which texts were considered authoritative and inspired by the Holy Spirit. These criteria included apostolic origin or association, widespread usage, orthodoxy, and witness to Christ.
In the late 4th century (specifically in 393 and 397 AD), the Councils of Hippo and Carthage, which included bishops and leaders of the Catholic Church, officially recognized the canon of the New Testament that is accepted by the Catholic Church today. This included the 27 books of the New Testament. Pope Innocent I confirmed the canon established by these councils in the early 5th century, solidifying the New Testament canon. The Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament were included in the Catholic Bible based on their use in the early Christian Church and their inclusion in the Septuagint. The Councils of Hippo and Carthage also affirmed these books as part of the Old Testament.

These 73 books make up the canon of the Catholic Bible. This canon has remained consistent and unchanged in the Catholic Church for centuries and continues to be the standard version of the Bible used in Catholic worship, teaching, and devotion.