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| <~~~ BACK Questions Q: Why do some, but not all, Bibles contain a section called "Apocrypha?" A: Between the time the Old Testament was written and the early writings of the New Testament were penned, many "religious" works were written. Some were read in synagogues or early churches. These writings are what are called the "apocrypha." (Apocrypha originally meant "hidden.") Many religious scholars never considered the apocryphal books part of the Bible proper; they considered them interesting additional writings, but not inspired by God. Martin Luther wrote that the apocrypha "are not held equal to the Sacred Scriptures and yet are useful and good for reading." By this time, most Protestant Bibles no longer included the apocrypha, but in 1546, the Roman Catholic Council of Trent approved the apocryphal books, and they are included in Roman Catholic Bibles, usually interspersed among the Old Testament books. While Jesus and the apostles frequently quote from the Old Testament, they never quote any books of apocrypha. In addition, there are some clear errors in many of the apocryphal books. For these reasons (and others), the majority of Christians consider the apocrypha interesting reading, but not the word of God. For example, the book Maccabees offers a mostly historically accurate account of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes during the second century BC (167-135 BC); the book Judith, on the other hand, is thought to be an obvious folk tale about a woman who uses her feminine charms to deceive the military. In addition, there are books of apocrypha that are usually readily acknowledged as fictional; the Gospel of Thomas, which tries to tell the story of Jesus as a boy, is one example. (The trouble with this one is that it's not in harmony with the Bible, and even has Jesus being cruel to other children!) For more information about "lost" books of the Bible, check out http://www.geocities.com/shareagapeweekly/ShareAgapeSept8b GOT A QUESTION? I invite you to ask it. What stumps you? I'll do my best to find an answer! To ask a question, email me at [email protected]. (c) 2003 by Kristina Seleshanko |
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