The existence of apocryphal books in the Bible can be traced back to Greece and Rome. Conservative Protestantism has always rejected the Apocrypha, while liberal Protestantism tends to accept it. Even though many Christian leaders and organizations declare these books canon, they are not accepted as such by some Christians. The Roman Catholic Church has treated the deuterocanonical books with less certainty than those that are included in its 27-book Old Testament. The apocrypha includes 3 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, the Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach.
The summary of apocryphal books is a collective term referring to books of the Bible that were not accepted into canonical writings. These include books such as 1 Enoch and III Esdras, plus many more.
Apocrypha Books In Order
The apocrypha is a selection of books that were published in the original 1611 King James Bible. These apocryphal books were positioned between the Old and New Testaments (it also contained maps and geneologies). The apocrypha was a part of the KJV for 274 years until it was removed in 1885 A.D. A portion of these books were called deuterocanonical books by some entities, such as the Catholic Church.
- 1 Esdras
- 2 Esdras
- Tobit
- Judith
- Additions to Esther
- Wisdom of Solomon
- Ecclesiasticus
- Baruch
- Letter of Jeremiah
- Prayer of Azariah
- Susanna
- Bel and the Dragon
- Prayer of Manasseh
- 1 Maccabees
- 2 Maccabees
Summary of Apocryphal Books
Some books of the Bible were never regarded as canonical by Protestants but are still a part of the Catholic and Orthodox canons. These books are known as Apocrypha, from the Greek meaning “hidden.”
|The category of apocryphal books may include some or all of the following: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom (or Wisdom of Solomon), Ecclesiasticus (or Sirach), Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, additions to Esther and Daniel, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees. Protestants call these deuterocanonical books. The word is derived from Greek δευτεροκανονικός (deuterokanōnikos) meaning belonging to a “second canon”. It is an adjective used in theology to describe those religious texts that are considered canonical despite not having been considered so originally.
In contrast with Catholics and Orthodox Christians, who accept various books not included in traditional Jewish Bibles as canonical scripture equivalent to those found in the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, but with a lower level of authority than other scriptures, most Protestant denominations lack a formal doctrine defining their acceptance or non-acceptance of such texts. A few have specific doctrines regarding them; for instance, some Lutherans accept only certain writings in this category—specifically, 3 Esdras and 4 Esdras that are included in the Latin Vulgate but not in the King James Version—and consider them useful for edification but not on par with other scriptures. These writings have come under attack from within Judaism from medieval times down to modernity by rabbis who regard them as spurious.
Today, these works appear in Protestant Bibles only alongside works accepted by Jews; these works also appear in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.[11] This article was prepared with help from Wikipedia’s article on Apocrypha.
Tobit
Tobit is a book of the Bible that is not included in the Protestant canon. The book tells about a righteous Israelite who flees from Jerusalem to Media with his kinsman Tobiah after he was blinded by the Assyrians at Beth-El, and how he received back his eyesight through prayer and fasting.
Under divine guidance, Tobit travels to Media with his wife Anna and their son Tobias, who eventually becomes one of the story’s main characters. There, they meet Raguel, who refers to Tobit as “his brother” despite the fact that they are not blood relatives.
Judith
Judith is a book of the Bible. It describes how Judith, a beautiful woman, rescues her people from the Assyrians. She is praised by God for her heroism and wisdom in using strategy to defeat their enemy. The story of Judith takes place at an uncertain time around 585 BCE.
This book was written between 100 BCE and 100 CE by a Jewish author who used the name of Judith as his pen name (or alias). The purpose of this book was to encourage Jews living under Roman rule during that period.
Wisdom of Solomon
The Wisdom of Solomon is found in the Septuagint, and it was written in Alexandria. It was written by an unknown author during the second century BC. The book contains proverbs and praise for wisdom, which is personified as a female figure.
Sirach
Sirach is a book of wisdom written by Jesus ben Eliezer ben Sira. The book is written in Hebrew and is divided into fifty-one chapters. It contains collections of ethical teachings, stories and proverbs.
Sirach’s author was a Jewish scribe living in Jerusalem in the second century BC, but the exact date of writing is unknown. According to tradition, it was written by Jesus ben Eliezer ben Sira, who lived around 180 BC (the time when Alexander conquered Egypt). Some scholars believe that it was written much later – as late as 100 BC or even later than that (after 70 AD).
Baruch
- Baruch is the name of a prophet, scribe to Jeremiah, and author of the book of Baruch.
- The book of Baruch is part of the Old Testament.
The addition to Daniel
The book of the Addition to Daniel is a book of the Bible that is not accepted as canonical by any Christian denomination. The book is accepted by Catholics, but not by Protestants. Jews and Muslims do not accept it either.
First Maccabees
First Maccabees is a history of the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid Empire. It was written in Hebrew, but it doesn’t look like an ancient Hebrew text: the letters are written right to left instead of left to right, and there are many Greek loanwords.
First Maccabees was written in two parts: the first part was originally written around 100 BC (the year is uncertain) by someone who actually participated in events described in this book; he states that he wants to save his people from future generations’ ignorance. The second part is an update added some time between 100 BC and 63 BC (again, it’s not known exactly when).
Second Maccabees
Second Maccabees was written after the first book of Maccabees. It is not considered canonical by most Christian traditions, but it makes up a part of some Eastern Orthodox and Anglican canons, as well as in some Roman Catholic editions. The book is generally thought to have been written by an author who wished to see religion preserved through persecution, though scholars disagree on whether this author was actually trying to preserve the Jewish faith or provide insight into Greek culture (specifically Stoicism).
The work survives only in Greek translation; it was originally composed in Hebrew or Aramaic, at some point before 100 BC (though some scholars believe it may have been written as late as 70 AD).
Apocryphal books are books of the bible that are not regarded as canonical by Protestants.
- Apocryphal books are not canonical.
- Protestants do not regard apocryphal books as canonical.
- Catholics do not regard apocryphal books as canonical.
- Orthodox Christians do not regard apocryphal books as canonical (except for 2 Maccabees).
- Jews do not consider the Books of Enoch, Jubilees, and the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs to be part of their canon either!
Conclusion
These books were written in the Intertestamental Period and are valuable to both Christians and Jews. They give an insight into the history of their respective authors, as well as their culture. These books also show how God is sovereign over all nations whether they acknowledge him or not. They teach us that we should be hopeful even when things seem hopeless because God will prevail in the end!