For today's article I'm going to cover 5 big reasons as to why the Apocrypha isn't considered inspired scripture by the protestant church. Without further ado, let's get started!
First I think that it's needful to explain what the apocrypha is for those babes in Christ or other christians who haven't studied on such a matter. The Apocrypha is a collection of several Jewish historical books which include 1 & 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, and 1/2 Maccabees.
Why Are These Books Aren't Considered Scripture
REASON # 1- It contradicts Biblical doctrines.
Examples: The Apocrypha teaches that you can pray for the dead, and can atone for their souls with money (2nd Maccabees 12: 45-46).
The bible however says the opposite, that we cannot redeem our brother with wealth (Psa 49:6-8).
The Apocrypha says that you can pay for (purge away) your own sins by giving Alms (Tobit 12:9).
This flat out contradicts Ephesians 2:8-9 which tells us that we are saved by Grace through faith, not of works.
The Apocrypha teaches that God made the world out of formless matter (Wisdom 11:17), instead of nothing as the bible teaches (Heb 11:3).
REASON #2- The Ancient Jews Also Reject It as Scripture
Consider the following quote from The Jewish Historian Josephus "For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from and contradicting one another, [as the Greeks have,] but only 22 books..." The reason he didn't say 39 as in our OT is because the jews grouped their books differently than we do today. For instance 12 of the minor prophets were grouped together as "the twelve", our 1&2 Samuel was considered just one book, it's the same with 1&2 kings, Ezra & Nehemiah, Ruth and Judges, 1&2 Chronicles.
Continuing Quote " which contain the records of all the past times; which are justly believed to be divine; and of them five belong to Moses, which contain his laws and the traditions of the origin of mankind till his death. This interval of time was little short of three thousand years; but as to the time from the death of Moses till the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, who reigned after Xerxes, the prophets, who were after Moses, wrote down what was done in their times in thirteen books. The remaining four books contain hymns to God, and precepts for the conduct of human life. It is true, our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time; but only twenty-two books."
REASON # 3- Jesus didn't endorse it
You will find Nowhere in the New Testament where Jesus quotes from, references, or even affirms the Apocrypha's divine inspiration.
See also: Mat 23:35, Luk 24:44
REASON # 4- The New Testament writers never Quote from it either
Out of 263/295 Old Testament quotes found in the New Testament, not one of these is from an Apocryphal book.
REASON # 5 Many Roman Catholics rejected it until the 16th century.
For this last point I just want to mention that even Catholic scholars didn't esteem the Apocrypha as highly as scripture until the late 16th century. It was in 1546 during the council of Trent that RCC officially accepted them as cannon.
So in Conclusion The apocrypha, although considered historical books, should not be considered inspired like the rest of the biblical canon.
The Beat by Allen Parr: 5 REASONS Why the Apocrypha is NOT INSPIRED and Should be REJECTED!
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