In the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles there are additional books listed for the Old Testament. Those additional books are claimed by those Church’s to be inspired by God and on equal authority as the rest of the Bible. However, evangelical Bible believing churches reject those books as not inspired by God and consider them Apocrypha.
What is Apocrypha?
The word “Apocrypha” comes into English from the Latin, which comes from a Greek term meaning “concealed,” “secret” or “hidden.” This word is used for ancient books that are noncanonical and have doubtful authenticity. While there are “Christian” apocryphal books that were written after the New Testament, the term Apocrypha usually is in reference to the additional Old Testament books in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. All other English translations exclude these books or put them in a separate section where they are accorded less validity. These books comprise Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baurch, 1 and 2 Maccabees and additions to Esther and Daniel. The Orthodox Bibles also contains 1 and 2 Esdras, 3 and 4 Maccabees, The Prayer of Manasseh and Psalm 151.
Who Accepted and Rejected These Books?
All these books were written after the Old Testament was completed between 350 B.C. and 150 A.D. They are interesting books about the history and beliefs of the Jewish people and are worthwhile to read for ancient historical purposes, however they are not Scripture. The Jews did not accept them as Scripture. Once the Old Testament was completed in 400 B.C. the Jews never accepted any other book into their Canon. Even as late as 90 A.D. at the Council of Jamnia, the Jewish scholars rejected these books. When the early Christians began to collect and copy the New Testament there were several Church Fathers who accepted some of these books as Scripture, but most rejected them. It was not until the Council of Trent in 1546 that the Roman Catholic Church officially recognized the Apocrypha as Scripture. Be even then, many Roman Catholic scholars through the Reformation period rejected the Apocrypha.
Why Did They Reject Them?
There are several reasons why evangelical churches reject these books.
- First of all, Jesus excludes the Apocrypha when He speaks of the three-fold division of the Old Testament, the Law, Prophets and Psalms (Luke 24:44). Nowhere does He include books in addition to these closed bodies of Scripture.
- Secondly, they abound in historical and geographical inaccuracies and anachronisms. For example the Book of Tobit has wrong names and chronological problems. The Book of Judith is notorious for scrambling historical facts. Very simply, if there are historical errors in the book then it is not inspired by God and therefore it does not belong in the Canon Scripture.
- Thirdly, there are teachings which are contrary to those found in the Bible. For example:
- The Wisdom of Solomon 11:17 embarrassingly states that God created the world out of preexisting matter.
- Statements in the book of 2 Maccabees support the Roman Catholic teachings on Purgatory and prayers for the dead (2 Maccabees 12:39-45).
- In Tobit 6:5-7 an angel tells Tobias to engage in bizarre practice to drive off demons, he said to Tobias, “As for the fish’s heart and liver, you must burn them to make smoke in the presence of a man or woman afflicted by a demon or evil spirit and every affliction will flee away.” This kind of superstitious practice is of a different kind than anything found in the Bible.
- The Apocrypha also teaches salvation by works. Sirach 3:3 states, “Those who honor their father atone for sins.” Tobit 4:10 states, “Almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the darkness.” Even more clear is Tobit 12:9, “Almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin.” This is rank heresy! It is totally contrary to everything found in the Bible concerning salvation by God’s grace. We are not saved by our works, but by grace through faith in the Gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Aprocrypha are Not Inspired
In the end the Apocrypha Books lack the distinctive elements which give genuine Scripture their divine character. There are no prophecies to validate is as Scripture. When you read it side by side with the Old Testament the differences are quite obvious. Jesus and the New Testament writers never once quote from the Apocrypha Books or offer any recognition to it as inspired by God. In fact, the Apocrypha Books themselves never claim to be inspired from God (1 Maccabees 9:27). So while the books of the Apocrypha are not totally useless, they are in no way shape or form to be considered authoritative, divinely inspired, or infallible Scripture.
Scripture Reference
These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
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