Danger of the
Apocrypha Books and Others
Kings
do not go outside of scripture to interpret scripture. The deception of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil begins to open its mouth wide when we look to man to
establish the doctrinal consciousness of God’s Word. There is a gate of
deception that is currently opened up in the Church. This deception is so
subtle that it seems honest and even honorable. I am speaking of the deception
of other books. Yes, any other book besides the Bible cannot interpret the
Bible. Too many are referencing the apocrypha to establish “mystical” doctrine
that Yahweh never wrote in His Book. Let’s take a brief look at some online
research about this subject that I dug up:
The Apocrypha is
a collection of ancient Jewish writings that were written primarily between the
Old and New Testaments (roughly 300 BC to AD 100). Whether these books are
considered Scripture depends on the religious tradition.
Notice this quote from the above paragraph: “written
primarily between the Old and New Testaments (roughly 300 BC to AD 100)”. This
information along with this next scripture should help us know if we should be
looking to these books. Why? Read the next verse and see if you can see
why:
Amo
8:11 Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land,
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the
words of the LORD:
Amo
8:12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to
the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD,
and shall not find it.
It was during the approximately 400 years between Malachi and Mathew that
people experienced this “famine in the land” of “hearing the words of the
LORD”. The Holy Spirit had nothing recorded. This is the time that the books of
the Apocrypha were written, and they were written without the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so they are not the “words of the LORD”. Let’s
continue with our internet research:
The word apocrypha comes
from a Greek word meaning "hidden" or "concealed." In
Protestant usage, it usually refers to books that are valued historically but
are not considered part of the inspired Old Testament. Catholics
typically call most of these books the Deuterocanonical Books ("second
canon"), meaning they are fully canonical but were recognized later. The
Eastern Orthodox churches include these and, in some cases, additional
books.
The Protestant Apocrypha
(most common list)
The books commonly
included in the Apocrypha section of older English Bibles, such as the 1611
King James Version include: 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras (sometimes called 4 Ezra), Tobit,
Judith, additions to Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach or
Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach), Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Azariah, Song
of the Three Young Men, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasseh, 1
Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees. Some traditions also include: 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees,
Psalm 151, 1 Enoch (part of the Ethiopian Orthodox canon), and Jubilees (also
in the Ethiopian Orthodox canon).
Why are they
controversial?
The main question is
whether they belong in the Old Testament. The Jewish canon,
the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh),
does not include these books.
During the Reformation,
Protestants generally concluded that these books were valuable for reading but
not inspired Scripture because they were not part of the traditional Hebrew
canon, some contain historical or chronological difficulties, and a few
teachings (such as prayers for the dead in 2 Maccabees 12) were seen as
inconsistent with Protestant doctrine.
The Catholic Church
recognizes these as inspired Scripture (with the exception of 1–2 Esdras and
the Prayer of Manasseh, which are not part of the Catholic canon). The
Catholic Old Testament includes: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1
Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, additions to Esther, and additions to Daniel (Prayer of
Azariah, Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon).
The Orthodox churches
generally include the Catholic Deuterocanonical books and often additional
writings such as 3 Maccabees and Psalm 151.
Did Jesus or the
apostles quote them?
There are no
explicit quotations in the New Testament introduced with formulas like
"It is written" that clearly cite the Apocrypha as
Scripture. However, there are numerous allusions. For
example, in the Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom 2:12–20 describes a
righteous man persecuted, mocked, and condemned to a shameful death because he
calls God his Father. Many readers see striking similarities to the
passion of Jesus. The Sirach’s teachings on
wisdom, humility, and almsgiving often parallel themes in Jesus'
teaching. Additionally, 2 Maccabees provides the background
for the Jewish belief in the resurrection that was widespread by the time of
Jesus.
Did the New Testament
quote non-canonical books?
Yes. For example, Jude
14–15 Quotes 1 Enoch: "Behold, the Lord cometh
with ten thousands of his saints..." Since 1 Enoch is not part of
most biblical canons, this shows that a New Testament author could quote a
respected work without necessarily treating the entire book as Scripture.
Similarly, Paul quotes
Greek poets in Acts 17:28 (Aratus or Cleanthes) and Titus
1:12 (Epimenides). This demonstrates that quotation alone does not
establish canonicity.
Why were they in the
1611 King James Bible?
This surprises many
people. The original 1611 King James Version included the
Apocrypha, but it placed these books in a separate section between the Old
and New Testaments rather than mixing them with the canonical books. The
Translators Revived by Alexander McClure emphasizes the King James
translators’ belief that these books were useful to read but were not
to be used to establish doctrine. Over time, especially in English-speaking
Protestant circles, many publishers omitted the Apocrypha to reduce printing
costs and because these books were not regarded as canonical.
Should Christians read
them?
Many Christians,
including those who do not consider them inspired Scripture, find them valuable
because they fill in the historical period between the Old and New Testaments, describe
events like the Maccabean Revolt (which shaped first-century
Judaism), provide insight into Jewish beliefs and expectations at the time of
Jesus, and help explain the cultural and religious background of the New
Testament.
In Summary, Judaism does
not view the Apocrypha as part of the Hebrew Bible. Protestant tradition sees
it as valuable historical and devotional writings, but not canonical Scripture.
Catholic tradition views most of the Deuterocanonical books as fully canonical
Scripture, and Eastern Orthodox tradition includes the Deuterocanonical books
and, in some traditions, additional books.
Why Does It Matter?
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that
shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise
in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no
prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not
in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The scriptures that we
have in our current King James Bible are the “more sure word of prophecy”.
Peter tells us that we “do well” to “take heed” until the “day dawn” and
“the day star arise in your hearts”. Who is the “day star”? It
is Christ Himself:
Rev
22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these
things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring
of David, and the bright and morning star.
Rev
2:28 And I will give him the morning star.
Notice that Peter says
the “day star”, who is Christ the morning star, arises in our hearts. How? He
says by taking “heed” to the “more sure word of prophecy”, which is
Scripture.
Notice that neither
Yashua, nor any of the Apostles, ever said “it is written” about anything in
the Apocrypha. Why? Because the Apocrypha is not the Word of God. They are not
a collection of words that the Holy Ghost spoke from Yahweh the Father. Nope.
What are they? They are a collection of thoughts and historical stories, some
true and some not; some exaggerated and some morphed through oral traditions.
This does not mean there is no value to them, as even Jude quoted 1st Enoch
about the 2nd coming.
Jud 1:14 And Enoch also,
the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying,
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jud
1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of
all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken
against him.
Jude
confirms to us that this portion of 1st Enoch is true, but he
does not, by this, confirm to us that the entire Book of 1st Enoch
is true, and he certainly never confirms it is of Yahweh’s Word by saying, “it
is written”. Lest we are tempted to give too much weight to the Book of Enoch
because it is quoted one time in the New Testament, we must remember that Paul
even quoted heathen prophets as saying things that are true:
Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain
also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Tit
1:12 One of
themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The
Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow
bellies.
Tit
1:13 This witness is true.
Neither
of these quotes are saying that they are from God, but rather these are written
referencing the oral traditions of the time in which they were relating the
gospel. That’s it. These books, and similar ones, are, at best, the historical
oral traditions that had been passed down through the elders of communities
until some of them were finally written down. When were they written down?
During the time, approximately 400 years, between Malachi and Mathew. Can you
think of something else significant about this 400 to 430 year time frame? It parallels
the time of Israel in Egypt. Isn’t that interesting?
Israel
went back into Egypt, spiritually, because they could not find a prophet in the
land during those years. The lack of the true Word of God left them desolate
and in the bondage of slavery in their souls. The next prophet to show up on
the scene to Israel, after Malachi, was John the Baptizer. This is significant,
but perhaps a discussion for another time.
Jesus is The Final Word of
Interpretation
If we
honor Jesus Christ as the Word of God made flesh, then we should be able to
understand the weight of importance of the fact that He never quoted anything
by name from the Apocrypha, not even Enoch… ever. The only things He said that
could also be found in those books were things that had become common in the
current culture which He confirmed to be true or false, based on an
accurate interpretation of Yahweh’s Old Testament Word as it is written down
and preserved by the Jews.
It is
no small matter that the Hebrew scholars and leaders did not consider the
Apocrypha as part of their scriptures, for the Holy Ghost, in Paul, confirms
that Yahweh committed the Word of God to the Jews up until Yashua said it would
be taken from them.
Rom
3:1 What
advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of
circumcision?
Rom
3:2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were
committed the oracles of God.
Jesus
confirms this Himself by the following statements:
Joh
10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are
gods?
Joh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came,
and the scripture cannot be broken…
Mat
21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God
shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof.
The “kingdom of God” was
taken from the Jews when they rejected Christ, the Word made flesh, as the
foundation of the House of God. Up until that time the Jews had been faithful
to preserve the Hebrew Scriptures accurately. After the time of Christ, the Kingdom
of God, in word and power (1 Cor 4:20, Heb 1:3, 1 Cor 2:4) was given into the stewardship of the twelve
apostles:
Col
1:25 Whereof I
am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is
given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col
1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from
ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to
his saints…
Joh
17:8 For I have given unto them the words which
thou gavest me; and they have received them…
1Co
4:1 Let a man
so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards
of the mysteries of God.
1Co
4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man
be found faithful.
The
New Testament “word of Christ” (Col 3:16) is now committed to the Apostles of Christ’s choosing
(the 11 + Paul). The Jews lost the privilege of stewardship of God’s Word when
they crucified and put away from themselves the very Word that they had been
carefully preserving and recording for thousands of years. As they rejected
Christ the Word, so God rejected them from continuing in the stewardship of
that same Word:
Mat
21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone
which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is
the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mat
21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be
taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Luk
20:16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall
give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they
said, God forbid.
