From time to time this topic comes up and we decided it finally needed to be addressed at dontperish.com via our teaching blog. This is a important topic as truth matters!
What is the Apocrypha and should it be considered inspired truth with the rest of scripture?
Recently we ran across a conservative Christian website that was quoting from the Apocrypha claiming it was once in all bibles but now is gone from most English ones. They were giving these books recognition to be considered with holy scripture claiming that Jesus read from them. Their views were indeed "early church father/Roman Catholic leaning" as they made the Apocrypha part of their bible in the dark ages.
This is a VERY dangerous slippery slope to get near ( approving of the Apocrypha as truth ) and we will tell you way below:
First, what is the Apocrypha? ( it means hidden writings)
It is a collection of 12-15 books ( written between 400 and 200 BC ) that the early church fathers/Roman catholic faith quoted & placed into their holy scriptures/cannon as claimed God inspired truth during the dark ages when the RC faith ruled with blood and violence over the people.
Some background:
In documented history you have the well accepted Old Testament books and then you have the also well recognized New Testament Books. These books had all the history, truth, qualifications of authorship, proof of being God inspired and thus they were placed together into what we know as the Holy Bible today.
The Apocrypha does not have the well accepted complete qualifications ( date authorship ) of being holy inspired script and thus starting with the ancient Jews and then with the early church fathers, it was quoted at times but NOT recognized as inspired but simply historical writings.
It is true it was included in the first King James and other English bibles in the 1400-1600's.
But it must be noted that even then they were considered history books but NOT inspired script. They simply placed it between the old and the new. No doubt they indeed all were in error placing such suspect books near inspired writings. Today most all bibles do NOT include these very suspect books.
FACT:
These suspect once hidden books promote roman catholic doctrines like purgatory and works for salvation so of course they were/are striving to include them. This should make you VERY suspect of them. Remember.... it was the popes and Rome that keep the scriptures hidden from men for over 1000 years so they could control them and lord over them in the dark ages. That is NOT of God but of a sinful man made system.
Scholars will tell you that is was unbiblical early church fathers then the unbiblical pagan Roman Catholic Faith that gave these books their life. Then Martin Luther broke from the pope but he continued on with these books even after the reformation happened.
Did you know the reformers were NOT fully biblical men so this should be no surprise to you that these suspect writings were included in their bibles. ( Luther and Calvin were both heretics and murderous men see this link for proof: http://www.dontperish.com/tradition-built-on-murderers.html )
In time, the Puritans lobbied to get the Apocrypha removed in the 1800's and it was. It comes as NO surprise to us that the early Protestants kept it in their bibles. These are the same men that were killing people in God's name, lifting up pagan holidays like Christ-mass and baptizing infants for salvation. They were NOT biblical in many ways!
So the truth is it was early chuch fathers/pagan Rome and then unbiblical reformers that quoted or included the Apocrypha with God's true Word. ( though the reformers never believed it was inspired at all )
Now that we have some history down lets discuss why the Apocrypha is to be rejected today as inspired truth.
Some key points to consider........
1) The fact they were hidden books shows they are NOT of God as God does not HIDE His truth from mankind.
2) Even the writers of the Apocrypha fail to say they are inspired texts.
3) They contradict God's true Word in many ways teaching lying, assasination, suicide, witchcraft and works/alms to pay for ones sins.
Here is an example:
"For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting."
Tobit 12:9
What does God's TRUE Word say cleanses us:
"But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
1 John 1:7
4) The Apocrypha was said to be included with the Old Testament writings but NOT one of its books is written in Hebrew and the entire OT Word was written in Hebrew.
Note: The ancient Jews did NOT recognized the Apocrypha at all as inspired scripture.
God's true word says the Jews were the keepers of God's oracles.
Romans 3:2
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
Note: If they the Jews were the keepers clearly they would have had the Apocrypha if it was of God.
5) The Apocrypha was not accepted into holy scripture until the false roman catholic system rose to power. (Early church fathers rejected it as inspired.) This is also suspect!
6) No Apocrypha books are EVER quoted in the New Testament by Apostles or Jesus but the Old Testament books are quoted hundreds of times. ( Jude only quoted Enoch but he did not quote the Apocrypha at all )
7) The historical past of the Apocrypha is very suspect as it lacks the massive ancient manuscript evidence that the bible books clearly have to validate them!
The evidence is overwhelming.
Today to make the claim the Apocrypha should be equal with Holy Scripture is absurd to say the lest. They lack historical proof, they are not in line with God's Word, they have suspect allies in a false pagan system as the roman catholic church and they have no divine inspiration to them.
If you look at the clear accurate history and truth you will easily see it was the early church fathers / pagan Roman Catholic faith and then the unbiblical reformers that lifted these writings up and then allowed them to stay in place so long. If we test all things it is easy to see the lies from God's Word/truth. But then we can only see clear if we have the spirit of God with us.
See the gospel to make sure your born of God will you?
God be praised
What is the Apocrypha and should it be considered inspired truth with the rest of scripture?
Recently we ran across a conservative Christian website that was quoting from the Apocrypha claiming it was once in all bibles but now is gone from most English ones. They were giving these books recognition to be considered with holy scripture claiming that Jesus read from them. Their views were indeed "early church father/Roman Catholic leaning" as they made the Apocrypha part of their bible in the dark ages.
This is a VERY dangerous slippery slope to get near ( approving of the Apocrypha as truth ) and we will tell you way below:
First, what is the Apocrypha? ( it means hidden writings)
It is a collection of 12-15 books ( written between 400 and 200 BC ) that the early church fathers/Roman catholic faith quoted & placed into their holy scriptures/cannon as claimed God inspired truth during the dark ages when the RC faith ruled with blood and violence over the people.
Some background:
In documented history you have the well accepted Old Testament books and then you have the also well recognized New Testament Books. These books had all the history, truth, qualifications of authorship, proof of being God inspired and thus they were placed together into what we know as the Holy Bible today.
The Apocrypha does not have the well accepted complete qualifications ( date authorship ) of being holy inspired script and thus starting with the ancient Jews and then with the early church fathers, it was quoted at times but NOT recognized as inspired but simply historical writings.
It is true it was included in the first King James and other English bibles in the 1400-1600's.
But it must be noted that even then they were considered history books but NOT inspired script. They simply placed it between the old and the new. No doubt they indeed all were in error placing such suspect books near inspired writings. Today most all bibles do NOT include these very suspect books.
FACT:
These suspect once hidden books promote roman catholic doctrines like purgatory and works for salvation so of course they were/are striving to include them. This should make you VERY suspect of them. Remember.... it was the popes and Rome that keep the scriptures hidden from men for over 1000 years so they could control them and lord over them in the dark ages. That is NOT of God but of a sinful man made system.
Scholars will tell you that is was unbiblical early church fathers then the unbiblical pagan Roman Catholic Faith that gave these books their life. Then Martin Luther broke from the pope but he continued on with these books even after the reformation happened.
Did you know the reformers were NOT fully biblical men so this should be no surprise to you that these suspect writings were included in their bibles. ( Luther and Calvin were both heretics and murderous men see this link for proof: http://www.dontperish.com/tradition-built-on-murderers.html )
In time, the Puritans lobbied to get the Apocrypha removed in the 1800's and it was. It comes as NO surprise to us that the early Protestants kept it in their bibles. These are the same men that were killing people in God's name, lifting up pagan holidays like Christ-mass and baptizing infants for salvation. They were NOT biblical in many ways!
So the truth is it was early chuch fathers/pagan Rome and then unbiblical reformers that quoted or included the Apocrypha with God's true Word. ( though the reformers never believed it was inspired at all )
Now that we have some history down lets discuss why the Apocrypha is to be rejected today as inspired truth.
Some key points to consider........
1) The fact they were hidden books shows they are NOT of God as God does not HIDE His truth from mankind.
2) Even the writers of the Apocrypha fail to say they are inspired texts.
3) They contradict God's true Word in many ways teaching lying, assasination, suicide, witchcraft and works/alms to pay for ones sins.
Here is an example:
"For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting."
Tobit 12:9
What does God's TRUE Word say cleanses us:
"But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
1 John 1:7
4) The Apocrypha was said to be included with the Old Testament writings but NOT one of its books is written in Hebrew and the entire OT Word was written in Hebrew.
Note: The ancient Jews did NOT recognized the Apocrypha at all as inspired scripture.
God's true word says the Jews were the keepers of God's oracles.
Romans 3:2
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
Note: If they the Jews were the keepers clearly they would have had the Apocrypha if it was of God.
5) The Apocrypha was not accepted into holy scripture until the false roman catholic system rose to power. (Early church fathers rejected it as inspired.) This is also suspect!
6) No Apocrypha books are EVER quoted in the New Testament by Apostles or Jesus but the Old Testament books are quoted hundreds of times. ( Jude only quoted Enoch but he did not quote the Apocrypha at all )
7) The historical past of the Apocrypha is very suspect as it lacks the massive ancient manuscript evidence that the bible books clearly have to validate them!
The evidence is overwhelming.
Today to make the claim the Apocrypha should be equal with Holy Scripture is absurd to say the lest. They lack historical proof, they are not in line with God's Word, they have suspect allies in a false pagan system as the roman catholic church and they have no divine inspiration to them.
If you look at the clear accurate history and truth you will easily see it was the early church fathers / pagan Roman Catholic faith and then the unbiblical reformers that lifted these writings up and then allowed them to stay in place so long. If we test all things it is easy to see the lies from God's Word/truth. But then we can only see clear if we have the spirit of God with us.
See the gospel to make sure your born of God will you?
Please see these links that will help you in the truth of God's Word and into eternal life to come.
God be praised