Books Removed From The Bible And Why

This book is a guide to books that have been removed from the Bible. It is important for people who want to know why the books were removed, what they contained and why these books may have violated the Christian principles of those who compiled them

The Bible is the most widely read and influential book in the world. But which books were included in the Bible, and which ones were left out? Learn about the books that were removed from the Bible for hundreds of years and why they’re now available to read again.

There are many books that were removed from the Bible over time. This is due to several different reasons, but mostly because of their lack of popularity among Christians at the time. In this blog, I will discuss three books that were removed from the Bible and why.

List of 75 Books Removed from The Bible and Why

1. The Book of Adam and Eve

The Book of Adam and Eve was removed from the Bible because it contained stories that were not considered canonical by early church leaders.

2. The Gospel of Thomas

The Gospel of Thomas was excluded from the Bible due to its Gnostic teachings that were considered heretical by the early Christian church.

3. The Book of Enoch

The Book of Enoch was not included in the Bible because it contained apocalyptic literature that was not widely accepted by early Christians.

4. The Books of Maccabees

The Books of Maccabees were left out of the Bible because they were deemed historical rather than inspired scripture.

5. The Apocalypse of Peter

The Apocalypse of Peter was omitted from the Bible due to its graphic descriptions of hell and judgment that were considered too disturbing for inclusion.

6. The Acts of Paul and Thecla

The Acts of Paul and Thecla were excluded from the Bible because they were considered to be of questionable authorship and authenticity.

7. The Wisdom of Solomon

The Wisdom of Solomon was not included in the Bible because it was written later than many other books in the Old Testament.

8. The Infancy Gospel of Thomas

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas was removed from the Bible because it contained stories about the childhood of Jesus that were not considered canonical.

9. The Book of Jubilees

The Book of Jubilees was left out of the Bible because it was considered to be a rewrite of biblical history rather than inspired scripture.

10. The Secrets of Enoch

The Secrets of Enoch was not included in the Bible because it was seen as a later addition to the Book of Enoch.

11. The Gospel of Mary

The Gospel of Mary was excluded from the Bible because it was believed to be a Gnostic text that did not align with orthodox Christian teachings.

12. The Shepherd of Hermas

The Shepherd of Hermas was left out of the Bible because it was considered more of a moralistic work than inspired scripture.

13. The Acts of John

The Acts of John were removed from the Bible because they contained stories that were seen as too fantastical and legendary.

14. The Epistle of Barnabas

The Epistle of Barnabas was omitted from the Bible because it was believed to be of uncertain authorship and origin.

15. The Apocalypse of Paul

The Apocalypse of Paul was not included in the Bible because it was deemed to be too speculative and esoteric in its teachings.

16. The Gospel of Philip

The Gospel of Philip was left out of the Bible because it contained teachings that were deemed to be too mystical and obscure.

17. The Ascension of Isaiah

The Ascension of Isaiah was excluded from the Bible because it contained beliefs and practices that were considered heretical.

18. The Apocalypse of James

The Apocalypse of James was removed from the Bible because it was seen as a later addition to the New Testament that was not of apostolic origin.

19. The Letter of Peter to Philip

The Letter of Peter to Philip was not included in the Bible because it was considered to be a later forgery.

20. The Epistle of Titus

The Epistle of Titus was left out of the Bible because it was not widely accepted as authentic by early church leaders.

21. The Epistle of Corianton

The Epistle of Corianton was omitted from the Bible because it was not widely recognized as canonical by early Christians.

22. The Acts of Phillip

The Acts of Philip were excluded from the Bible because they contained stories that were not deemed credible by early church leaders.

23. The Gospel of the Savior

The Gospel of the Savior was removed from the Bible because it was considered to be a Gnostic text that did not align with orthodox Christian beliefs.

24. The Epistle of Ignatius

The Epistle of Ignatius was not included in the Bible because it was believed to be a later addition to the writings of the early church fathers.

25. The Martyrdom of Polycarp

The Martyrdom of Polycarp was left out of the Bible because it was considered to be more of a historical account than inspired scripture.

26. The Third Epistle of Paul

The Third Epistle of Paul was omitted from the Bible because it was believed to be a later forgery.

27. The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter

The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter was excluded from the Bible because it contained teachings that were considered to be outside of mainstream Christian beliefs.

28. The Letter of James to Peter

The Letter of James to Peter was removed from the Bible because it was not widely recognized as authentic by early church leaders.

29. The Testament of Hezekiah

The Testament of Hezekiah was not included in the Bible because it was seen as a later addition to the Old Testament.

30. The Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea

The Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea was left out of the Bible because it was considered to be a legendary account rather than historical fact.

31. The Book of Jasher

The Book of Jasher was omitted from the Bible because it was believed to be a historical text rather than inspired scripture.

32. The Agrapha of Jesus

The Agrapha of Jesus were excluded from the Bible because they were not widely recognized as authentic sayings of Jesus.

33. The Gospel of Bartholomew

The Gospel of Bartholomew was removed from the Bible because it was considered to be a later addition to the New Testament that was not of apostolic origin.

34. The Pistis Sophia

The Pistis Sophia was not included in the Bible because it was seen as a Gnostic text that did not align with mainstream Christian beliefs.

35. The Book of Toiphar

The Book of Toiphar was left out of the Bible because it was considered to be a later forgery.

36. The Epistle of Clement to James

The Epistle of Clement to James was omitted from the Bible because it was not widely accepted as authentic by early church leaders.

37. The Didache

The Didache was excluded from the Bible because it was considered to be more of a manual for early Christian practices than inspired scripture.

38. The Gospel of Matthias

The Gospel of Matthias was removed from the Bible because it was deemed to be a later addition to the New Testament that was not of apostolic origin.

39. The Sophia of Jesus Christ

The Sophia of Jesus Christ was not included in the Bible because it was seen as a Gnostic text that did not align with mainstream Christian beliefs.

40. The Odes of Solomon

The Odes of Solomon were left out of the Bible because they were considered to be more of a collection of early Christian hymns than inspired scripture.

41. The Book of Tobit

The Book of Tobit was omitted from the Bible because it was seen as a later addition to the Old Testament.

42. The Psalms of Solomon

The Psalms of Solomon were excluded from the Bible because they were not widely recognized as inspired scripture.

43. The Ascension of Moses

The Ascension of Moses was removed from the Bible because it contained teachings that were deemed to be too mystical and esoteric.

44. The Epistle of the Laodiceans

The Epistle of the Laodiceans was not included in the Bible because it was believed to be a later forgery.

45. The Gospel of Nicodemus

The Gospel of Nicodemus was left out of the Bible because it contained stories that were not considered to be historically accurate.

46. The Apocalypse of Baruch

The Apocalypse of Baruch was omitted from the Bible because it was believed to be a later addition to the Old Testament.

47. The Testament of Abraham

The Testament of Abraham was excluded from the Bible because it was seen as a later addition to the Old Testament.

48. The Great Commission Interpolation

The Great Commission Interpolation was removed from the Bible because it was considered to be a later addition to the Gospel of Matthew.

49. The Letter of Aristeas

The Letter of Aristeas was not included in the Bible because it was seen as a historical document rather than inspired scripture.

50. The Book of Odes

The Book of Odes was left out of the Bible because it was considered to be a collection of Jewish poetry rather than inspired scripture.

51. The Sayings of the Fathers

The Sayings of the Fathers were omitted from the Bible because they were not widely recognized as authentic sayings of Jesus.

52. The Greek Apocalypse of Peter

The Greek Apocalypse of Peter was excluded from the Bible because it contained teachings that were considered to be outside of mainstream Christian beliefs.

53. The Epistle of Herod to Pilate

The Epistle of Herod to Pilate was removed from the Bible because it was not widely recognized as authentic by early church leaders.

54. The Letter to Corinth

The Letter to Corinth was not included in the Bible because it was considered to be a later forgery.

55. The Martyrdom of Isaiah

The Martyrdom of Isaiah was left out of the Bible because it was seen as a later addition to the Old Testament.

56. The Childhood Gospel of Thomas

The Childhood Gospel of Thomas was omitted from the Bible because it contained stories about the childhood of Jesus that were not considered canonical.

57. The Dialog of the Savior

The Dialog of the Savior was excluded from the Bible because it was considered to be a Gnostic text that did not align with orthodox Christian teachings.

58. The Teaching of Addai

The Teaching of Addai was removed from the Bible because it contained stories that were not deemed credible by early church leaders.

59. The Gospel of the Hebrews

The Gospel of the Hebrews was not included in the Bible because it was believed to be a later addition to the New Testament that was not of apostolic origin.

60. The Apocalypse of Stephen

The Apocalypse of Stephen was left out of the Bible because it was considered too speculative and esoteric in its teachings.

61. The Book of Hagar

The Book of Hagar was omitted from the Bible because it contained stories that were not considered canonical by early church leaders.

62. The Book of Josippon

The Book of Josippon was excluded from the Bible because it was deemed historical rather than inspired scripture.

63. The Homilies of Clement

The Homilies of Clement were removed from the Bible because they were considered to be of questionable authorship and authenticity.

64. The Genesis Apocryphon

The Genesis Apocryphon was not included in the Bible because it contained apocalyptic literature that was not widely accepted by early Christians.

65. The Jewish Antiquities

The Jewish Antiquities was left out of the Bible because it was written later than many other books in the Old Testament.

66. The Epistle of Titus to Ananias

The Epistle of Titus to Ananias was omitted from the Bible because it was believed to be a later forgery.

67. The Septuagint

The Septuagint was excluded from the Bible because it contained beliefs and practices that were considered heretical.

68. The Gospel of Adam and Eve

The Gospel of Adam and Eve was removed from the Bible because it was seen as a later addition to the New Testament that was not of apostolic origin.

69. The Secret Book of James

The Secret Book of James was not included in the Bible because it was considered to be a later forgery.

70. The Apocryphon of John

The Apocryphon of John was left out of the Bible because it contained teachings that were deemed to be too mystical and obscure.

71. The Protevangelium of James

The Protevangelium of James was omitted from the Bible because it was believed to be a later addition to the New Testament.

72. The Book of Peresisa

The Book of Peresisa was excluded from the Bible because it was considered more of a moralistic work than inspired scripture.

73. The Treatise on the Resurrection

The Treatise on the Resurrection was removed from the Bible because it was deemed to be too speculative and esoteric in its teachings.

74. The Prayer of Manasseh

The Prayer of Manasseh was not included in the Bible because it was considered to be a later addition to the Old Testament.

75. The Letter to the Alexandrians

The Letter to the Alexandrians was left out of the Bible because it contained stories that were not considered to be historically accurate.

Overall, the removal of these books from the Bible was largely due to their content being deemed non-canonical, heretical, apocryphal, or unauthentic by early church leaders. Despite their exclusion, these books still provide valuable insights into the religious beliefs and practices of early Christianity.

What are the 7 hidden books of the Bible?

There is‍ a popular‍ notion amongst some religious scholars and ‍enthusiasts ⁢that there are seven hidden books of the Bible. These books, according to the theory, were intentionally hidden or ⁤removed from the official biblical canon for various reasons.

However, ‍it is essential to understand that‍ this notion is not supported by historical ‌evidence or accepted by mainstream biblical scholarship. The books present in the Bible are ‍the result⁣ of a​ comprehensive selection process ⁢that took place over centuries.

The books ⁤of ‌the Bible, whether included or excluded, are not⁢ hidden but rather preserved in ‍various ancient manuscripts‌ and ‌early translations. The books that are considered canonical have ‍been accepted and recognized by‍ different religious ‍traditions ‍based ⁢on their theological significance⁢ and historical authenticity.

Therefore, it is important‌ to approach claims about hidden books of⁢ the Bible with skepticism and critical ⁢thinking. While there ⁤may be apocryphal or non-canonical texts that offer insights into early Christian thought,​ their exclusion from the official canon is⁣ not an act of intentional concealment.

What are the ⁢14 missing books of the⁤ Bible?

The notion of the “14 missing books‌ of the Bible” is a common​ misunderstanding and does not accurately reflect the canon‌ of any specific religious tradition. The‍ Bible consists of different collections of ‌books depending on the denomination and religious tradition.

For example, the Catholic Church includes additional books, known as the Deuterocanonical⁤ books or the ‍Apocrypha, in its Bible. ‍These books were ‌not included in the Protestant⁤ canon and are ‍therefore referred to as “missing books” ‍by some. The Deuterocanonical books include Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, ⁣and First and ​Second Maccabees.

However, it is important to note​ that ​these books⁣ are not “missing” in the⁣ sense that they have been lost or hidden⁤ but rather not included in certain‍ canons of the Bible. The decision ‍to‍ include or exclude certain books​ was based on various factors, ‌including their historical⁣ authenticity, theological significance, ⁢and adherence to established religious doctrines.

Therefore, it is important to approach claims about missing books​ of the Bible ⁢with an understanding of the different canons and their theological⁢ basis rather than assuming⁣ a literal absence of ⁤certain texts.

Why was the ‌Book of Enoch removed from the Bible?

The Book of ‌Enoch is ⁤considered one of the most influential apocryphal texts⁢ in early Christianity and the Jewish tradition. ⁣It ‍is an ancient⁤ Jewish religious ‌work attributed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. The book ‌contains ⁤visions, prophecies, and descriptions of‌ various heavenly realms and beings.

While‌ the Book of Enoch was highly regarded⁤ by some early Christian ‍communities, it was not included in the canons that‍ eventually became the Bible. The reasons for its exclusion are complex and can be traced back to several factors.

One⁤ of the main reasons for the exclusion of the Book of Enoch ​is its disputed authorship. Although the book claims to be written by Enoch himself, scholars believe that it was likely composed by multiple authors over a period of ⁤time. Its unclear ⁣authorship and uncertain historical ⁢context have raised questions about its authenticity and authority.

Additionally, the Book‌ of ⁢Enoch contains elements that deviate from the ‍theological and doctrinal principles ​established by the early Christian communities. Some ‌of its teachings and concepts were considered to be in conflict⁤ with the mainstream views of the time.

Therefore, although ⁣the Book of Enoch holds historical and cultural significance, its exclusion from the Bible can⁣ be attributed ‍to the theological considerations of the religious⁤ communities that established the canon of sacred texts.

How Many Books Are In The Original Bible

1. The Shepherd of Hermas – This book was written around 140 AD by Hermas and contains instructions for living a good life according to God’s word and for repentance. It also includes visions and revelations from God, which help guide people toward salvation. This book was popular during its time period but eventually fell out of favor with Christians due to its lack of popularity among other early church leaders such as Irenaeus who saw it as “apocryphal.”
2. The Epistle to the Laodiceans: This epistle was written in approximately 150 AD by an unknown author who claimed to be Paul himself. It attempts to correct certain errors that had been made by other early writers such as Marcion or Valentinus, who believed that there were two gods—one good and one evil–and so they rejected anything that seemed like it would contradict this idea (such as Jesus being both human and divine). Instead of correcting these errors, however,

Right here on Churchgists, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on books of the bible left out by king James, how many books were removed from the bible, how many books are in the original bible and so much more. Take the time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.

10 Books Removed From The Bible

I believe you are talking about the so-called Apocrypha. That term refers to books that were written in Greek within the Jewish community in the centuries before Christ. Those books are distinct from the Old Testament because they were written in Greek, not Hebrew, and they are distinct from the New Testament because they were written before Christ came, not after. So there is already something about them that sets them apart as different from the books that all Christians accept as inspired Scripture.

However, after much discussion and debate in the few centuries following Christ, regional councils in the western Roman Empire at Hipppo in 393 and Carthage in 397 agreed to include these books in the canon of Scripture as long as the central authority in Rome approved of this decision.

No action was taken in that regard for over 1,000 years. But finally, in 1546, the Council of Trent, largely in response to the way Martin Luther had separated out these apocryphal books and placed them between the testaments in his German translation of Bible, decreed that they were as fully canonical as the others. Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic Church still describes these books as deuterocanonical, meaning that they belong to a second group of books “whose Scriptural character was contested in some quarters,” as opposed to the protocanonical books, the collection of “sacred writings which have been always received by Christendom without dispute.”

The Council of Trent also decreed that the Vulgate was the authoritative text of Scripture. That actually sent something of a mixed message about the Apocrypha, because St. Jerome’s prologues were always included in the Vulgate, and in his prologue to the book of Kings, in which he surveyed the entire Old Testament, he specified that the books that had been translated from Greek, rather than from Hebrew, are “set aside among the apocrypha” (inter apocrifa seponendum) and “are not in the canon” (non sunt in canon). He made similar comments in the prologues to several of the apocryphal books themselves. So while the Roman Catholic Church’s embrace of these books is explicit, its position on them is not without internal tensions.

The Eastern Orthodox Bibles include all the books in the Catholic Apocrypha, along with several more. However, it classifies all these apocryphal books as Anagignoskomena (“worthy to be read”), meaning that they are read during services of worship but that they are not as authoritative as the other books. Orthodox theologians sometimes call the apocryphal books deuterocanonical to indicate their secondary authority, using this term differently from Catholics, for whom it describes how these books were received after first being disputed.

And Protestants, ever since Martin Luther, have not considered the Apocrypha canonical, except for Protestants in the Anglican/Episcopalian tradition.

So maybe the real question is not why some books were removed from the Bible, but why some books that were different from both the Old Testament and the New Testament were added to the Bible. The answer is that, as the Eastern Orthodox say, they are “worthy to be read.” They provide important information about what happened in the years between the testaments; they tell inspiring stories of how people remained faithful to God during difficult trials in those times; and they add to the collection of wise advice for living that is found in the canonical wisdom books.

So it is certainly not a sin to read them. Even Protestants, who do not consider them to be inspired Scripture, say that they are edifying, meaning that reading them can strengthen our faith and devotion to God. As a Protestant myself, I do not have these apocryphal books in the Bibles that I use regularly for study and devotion. But I do have copies of these books in some other Bibles that I own. I have read the apocryphal books and gotten a lot out of them.

I hope this provides you with some helpful background on the issue. As I said, it would certainly not be a sin to read those books, and I think they would help you learn some useful things if you did read them. If you belong to a community of Christians, and if this issue is important within that community, you could explain to anyone you told about reading the books that you were not reading them as Scripture but as edifying literature that has come down to us from within the tradition of our faith. I hope no one will be upset about that.

Complete Bible With All Books

The Canon
The Bible as we have it today, which consists of 66 books, took a very long, thoughtful process to come together. The church was able to discern which of the books were indeed inspired by God and which did not belong in the Bible, so how did they know which ones belonged and which ones didn’t? Apparently, it was the early Church fathers who heavily influenced what books would be in the Bible and what books would be rejected. Trusted men of God like Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, Eusebius, Athanasius, Jerome, Augustine, and others led the slow and careful acceptance of the books in the New Testament as we know it today.

It was very early in the church’s history that the vast majority of books were accepted by the church as Scripture, mainly because the church leadership and membership had both accepted them as being from God. The New Testament books also fit the context of what was in the Old Testament, especially since many of the quotes from the New Testament authors were quotes taken directly from the Old Testament. This may explain why the early church, predominantly Jewish, was able to accept the New Testament books so easily.

Lost Books
Some alleged “lost books” of the Bible that had somehow been lost, have recently surfaced with the claim that these too are Scripture, and some even have other gospels that they believe should be in the Bible, but the vast majority of Bible scholars reject them, and for very good reason. One example is the Gospel of Judas, which completely contradicts the four gospels we have, like when Judas was said to have betrayed Christ because he was commanded to do so by the Lord, but other flagrant falsehoods in this book include Jesus supposedly marrying Mary Magdalene and even claiming to have had children by her, but there is no biblical or historical evidence to support this, so it was an easy decision to reject the Gospel of Judas today.

Other fake gospels or books of the Bible include the Secrets of Enoch, the Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan, Psalms of Solomon 4, the Gospel of Philip, the Apocalypse of Peter, and the Gospel of Mary, and you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to see that these books are not consistent with the 66 books of the Bible. They clearly don’t fit contextually and doctrinally with the Scriptures. Many other books, such as 1 Maccabees, the Wisdom of Solomon, and other such books are what we call the Apocrypha, and these books have never been accepted as inspired by God, and all of these books were flatly rejected by the Jews.

They have some interesting historical facts, but they also have glaring errors, and Jesus and the apostles never once quoted from these books, and the Jews rejected them as Scripture, and have, to this day, refused to believe them as being part of the Old Testament. Maybe this is why the Apostle Paul said, “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal 1:8), and these books preach another gospel—a gospel not from God.

Examples of False Scriptures
Today, and for thousands of years, the Apocrypha was not considered part of the holy canon, and for good reason. These books contain a large number of doctrinal errors, like in Tobit there is the command to use magic (Tobit 6:5-7), that forgiveness of sins comes from almsgiving (Tobit 4:11; 12:9), and that we are to make offerings of money for the sins of the dead (2 Maccabees 12:43–45). All of these clearly contradict the biblical doctrine that our sins are forgiven only through Christ and His shed blood and putting our trust in Him. Not only do these books contain serious doctrinal errors, they also contain historical errors. For example, the Book of Judith states that Nebuchadnezzar was the king of the Assyrians when he was actually the king of the Babylonians, and the Baruch states that the Jews would serve in Babylon for seven generations (Baruch 6:2), but Jeremiah 25:11 clearly states it will only be 70 years, so these are not just minor issues… They are serious doctrinal issues with dozens of historical errors, so they are not trustworthy at all and should not be considered part of the inspired Word of God, which is perfect and without error. The 66 books of the Bible are not a product of man but the inspired Word of God (1 Tim 3:16).

Tested by Time
We can know that the 66 books in the Bible that we currently have are the inspired Word of God because of the dozens of prophecies that were written hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of years before the events happened, and they took place exactly as prophesied.

The Old Testament was widely accepted as inspired by God and has long since been considered to be the very Word of God. By the year AD 180, all of the New Testament books in the Bible (with the only single exception being 2 Peter) were directly quoted by church leaders, so the early church was clear on what was considered Scripture and what was not, and even though some churches hesitated over the books of James, Jude, 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, Hebrews, and Revelation, all other books in the Bible were universally accepted by the church, and it wouldn’t be long before all 27 books of the New Testament would be accepted as God’s Word. It’s also important to note that the early church leaders never once used non-canonical or apocrypha books in their writings or teachings, and they never treated these other books with the same kind of reverence and authority that they did the New Testament books.

The early church was not that far removed from studying the teachings of Jesus, which at that time were called “the apostle’s doctrine” (Acts 2:42), so even in the first century church, they stressed the teachings of Jesus, and they were of such supreme importance that the gospel authors were inspired by God to record Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Conclusion

I believe we can trust the Bible that we have today…the Bible, which contains 66 books written by approximately 40 authors, because it has been shown to be the living, active Word of God that can even penetrate our thoughts, intentions, and motives of the heart (Heb 4:13). The many fulfilled prophecies, the thousands of archaeological discoveries, and the endurable Word of God provide more than enough for us to know that when we pick up the Bible, it is God speaking to us; it is His inspired Word; and it is all that we need to know how to be saved. With anything other than these 66 books, you’re taking chances—chances I’m not willing to take. I want the truth. How about you?