Origen (died 253) held that we ought to discriminate between books called 'apocryphal,' some such having to be firmly rejected as teaching what is contrary to the Scriptures. More and more from the end of the 2nd century, the word 'apocrypha' came to stand for what is spurious and untrustworthy, and especially for writings ascribed to authors. The Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus. This is the only book in the Apocrypha to which the name of the author can be assigned. In Ecclesiasticus 50:27 he speaks of himself as “Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem.”. We know nothing of him beyond what is told in the prologue to the book. That means that they are included in the canon of scriptures. The early church fathers considered these four books to be inspired by God. There are other historical books (some accurate, some fictitious) about the life of Christ which are not in most Bibles. These other books are called the Apocryphal Gospels.
by Theodore Wright.
If the Apocrypha were Holy Writ for the Old Testament, it would have been penned in Hebrew/Aramaic. It would have been recognized commonly by Jews as Holy Scripture which it is not. The books of the Apocrypha were written afterwards in the Greek language before Messiah opened the Kingdom of God to the gentiles.
Jesus said…
That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. – LUKE 11:50-51
The Old Testament canon is closed with Chronicles as the last book in the Hebrew Bible wherein is written of the murder of Zechariah between the altar and temple.
The Apocrypha, if actually quoted in The New Testament, is never quoted recognizing the work as Holy Scripture. Never are Apocryphal passages displayed saying, “It is written”. Therein is no recognition of Apocryphal quotes as being Holy Writ.
Jesus also said…
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.
– LUKE 24:44-45
There is no mention by Jesus of Apocryphal writings as needing to be fulfilled about Him since these writings do not carry God’s authorship. The prophets who were prior to Apocrypha writers were held in authority. It is revealed through the words of the Holy Bible that Jesus Christ Himself denounced the Apocrypha.
The Apocrypha is written according to man’s worldly nature and spirit and not after the Spirit of God. Passages from these Deuterocanonical writings are often cited noting their contradiction with the gospel teachings of the New Testament. Other books in the New Testament are also quoted that are neither Apocrypha nor Old Testament. The presence of these quotes in the New Testament do not make the books they were quoted from Holy Scripture.
There is some legitimate history in some of the Apocrypha as in the Maccabean writings although faults have been found with historical accounts in Apocrypha. However, writings such as Judith are sheer fiction which depict the necessity of Daniel to resolve a dispute requiring the mere separation of witnesses for questioning. Did it require the wisdom of Daniel to know how to divide two men to question them in a matter in order to find resolution?
It has also been noted that the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox hold to differing Apocrypha as canonical for their Bibles.
Find out more in depth why the Apocrypha is not the inspired word of God…
Why Were the Books of the Old Testament Apocrypha Rejected as Holy Scripture by the Protestants?
by Don Stewart
| Answer by Rev. Mark J. Gantley, JCL on 5/1/2005: |
The canon of Scripture is the list of 73 books that belong to the Bible. (The word “Bible” means “the Book.”) The earliest writings of the Bible were likely composed in the 10th century B.C. The writing of Scripture continued until the first century A.D., when Revelation was complete. Seven books of the Bible, all in the Old Testament, are accepted by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, but are not accepted by Jews or Protestants. These include 1 and 2 Maccabees, Judith, Tobit, Baruch, Sirach, and Wisdom, and additions to the books of Esther and Daniel. These books are called Deuterocanonical by Catholics and Orthodox and Apocryphal by Jews and Protestants. These were the last books of the Old Testament written, composed in the last two centuries B.C. Their omission in Protestant Bibles leaves a chronological gap in salvation history. The version of the Bible in use at the time of Jesus was the Septuagint (abbreviated LXX, for the 70 men who translated it from Hebrew into Greek by the beginning of the first century B.C.). This version of the Bible included the seven Deuterocanonical books. This was the version of the Old Testament used by the New Testament authors and by Christians during the first century A.D. With the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70 A.D. and because the Christians were seen as a threat, the Jewish leaders saw a need to get their house in order. One thing that they did was to decide officially the list of books that were to compose their Scriptures. They did this at the Council of Jamnia (about 100 A.D.), at which they rejected the seven Deuterocanonical books because they believed that they were not written in Hebrew. (In 1947, however, fragments in Hebrew of Tobit and Sirach were discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls. In addition, most Scripture scholars believe that 1 Maccabees, Judith, Baruch and parts of Wisdom were also originally written in Hebrew.) The early Church did not require all Scripture to be written in Hebrew, and the New Testament books were written in Greek. The early Church continued to accept the books of the LXX version, although some debate about these books continued through the 5th century. This list, as accepted by the Catholic Church, was affirmed by the Council of Hippo in 393 A.D., by the Council of Carthage in 397 A.D., and by Pope Innocent I in 405 A.D. At the Ecumenical Council of Florence in 1442, the Catholic list was again restated, against those who wanted to include even more books. In the 16th century, Martin Luther adopted the Jewish list, putting the Deuterocanonical books in an appendix. He also put the letter of James, the letter to the Hebrews, the letters of John, and the book of Revelation from the New Testament in an appendix. He did this for doctrinal reasons (for example: 2 Maccabees 12:43-46 supports the doctrine of purgatory, Hebrews supports the existence of the priesthood, and James 2:24 supports the Catholic doctrine on merit). Later Lutherans followed Luther’s Old Testament list and rejected the Deuterocanonical books, but they did not follow his rejection of the New Testament books. Finally, in 1546, the Council of Trent reaffirmed the traditional list of the Catholic Church. |