{"id":94061,"date":"2026-02-20T19:45:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T01:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=94061"},"modified":"2026-02-20T19:45:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T01:45:27","slug":"is-it-contradictory-for-the-bible-to-say-do-not-add-and-yet-books-were-added-to-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-contradictory-for-the-bible-to-say-do-not-add-and-yet-books-were-added-to-the-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it contradictory for the Bible to say “Do not add” and yet books were added to the Bible?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

This is a question I’m asking to help one of our members; could you help me answer it?<\/p>\n

Based on the Bible canon and Revelation 22:1, which states not to add to this book, but also Deuteronomy 4:2, which says the same thing. It feels a bit contradictory at times.<\/p>\n

I guess then it goes into my next question: is it saying not to add to those specific books, not the entirety of the Bible itself, which is how I’ve been understanding it before?<\/p>\n

Then it goes to my last question of whether that is the case, and we go to find additional help outside the Bible, for example, helper books to do research and stuff. Isn’t that technically adding to the Bible? So when we say don’t add to the Bible, yet we are using study aids from people, are we doing the thing we say not to do?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

“You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you<\/em>” (Deuteronomy 4:2).<\/p>\n

“Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left<\/em>” (Deuteronomy 5:32).<\/p>\n

“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it<\/em>” (Deuteronomy 12:32).<\/p>\n

“Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go<\/em>” (Johsua 1:7).<\/p>\n

“Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left<\/em>” (Joshua 23:6).<\/p>\n

“Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar<\/em>” (Proverbs 30:6).<\/p>\n

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!<\/em>” (Galatians 1:8-9).<\/p>\n

“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book<\/em>” (Revelation 22:18-19).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These are all commands to men. God does not want His commands changed by men<\/strong>. However, this does not mean that God will not add additional books as He sees fit. “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God<\/em>” (II Peter 1:20-21).<\/p>\n

Whenever a command is given, it creates a boundary. The command excludes<\/em> things not commanded while at the same time including<\/em> things that fall within the command. See\u00a0Must It Be Spelled Out?<\/a> for details and examples. “Adding” is when you include something that a command did not authorize. “Subtracting” is when you neglect (or refuse) to do something that was commanded.<\/p>\n

For example, the New Testament establishes that the Lord’s Supper is celebrated with unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine. Using yeast bread and water adds elements that were not originally specified by God. When someone says that being a member of a congregation is optional is subtracting from what God told Christians to do.<\/p>\n

Research materials are not changing God’s word. They exist to help locate topics, better understand what God has said, or see how various parts of the Bible fit together to convey a consistent message. If someone says that because Vine’s Dictionary says, “X,” therefore we must do “X,” would be adding to the Bible, but that isn’t how a dictionary is used.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: This is a question I’m asking to help one of our members; could you help me answer it? Based on the Bible canon and Revelation 22:1, which states not to add to this book, but also Deuteronomy 4:2, which says the same thing. It feels a bit contradictory at times. I guess then it…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[78,130,674],"class_list":["post-94061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-authority","tag-canon","tag-change"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12926,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-know-of-any-good-books-on-how-we-got-our-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":94061,"position":0},"title":"Do you know of any good books on how we got our Bible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 27, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: You know of any good books on how we got our Bible and why we leave certain books out? I have two people who want to know a good book about this. I have read how we got our books, but I don't have those books anymore. I can't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18117,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-are-you-to-decide-which-books-belong-in-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":94061,"position":1},"title":"Who are you to decide which books belong in the Bible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 11, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I read your article on the internet and I think you need to re-read genisis concerning the giants and the fallen angels,\u00a0sir. Angels were able to trnasform themselves into human beings just read the story\u00a0 of the two men( who were angels of God) who spoke to Lot and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25883,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/were-the-apocrypha-books-accepted-as-canon-before-the-council-of-trent\/","url_meta":{"origin":94061,"position":2},"title":"Were the Apocrypha books accepted as canon before the Council of Trent?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Again I question your dates. You say that the Catholic Church added the \"Apocryphal\" books to the Bible in 1546 AD. I'm assuming you are talking about the Council of Trent, the Church's response to the Reformation. You are correct in saying that the Church affirmed that the \"Apocryphal\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15179,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-have-some-books-been-left-out-of-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":94061,"position":3},"title":"Why have some books been left out of the Bible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 26, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If the books in the Bible were written by apostles, was Moses considered an apostle? What of Isaiah and Samuel? Were they considered apostles? Is it not said in the book of Matthew that nothing was to be taken from the Old Testament? I'm just curious because if this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17775,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-convince-my-brother-that-the-bible-is-complete\/","url_meta":{"origin":94061,"position":4},"title":"How do I convince my brother that the Bible is complete?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 14, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was discussing baptism with my brother. He knows he needs to be baptized, but he doesn't have confidence in the Bible. He says he watches these shows that tell how corrupt men took books out of the Bible that really might be important. One example was that Mary\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17032,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-did-the-correct-books-get-added-to-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":94061,"position":5},"title":"How did the correct books get added to the Bible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 19, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I was wondering if you could help me with this question I have. I know that in II Timothy 3:16 it says that all scripture is \"God breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness\". This is a wonderful thing, but I have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94061\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}