Apocryphal books

[EPHRIAM777]

Originally posted by JohnR7 [/i]
There are people on this forum who are quoting Apocryphal books as if they were scripture. These are books that were never a part of the Jewish Hebrew canon and they were not included in the canon we have today of Books inspired by God. Some of these books include Enoch, Maccabees, The Wisdom of Solomon, Judith, Tobit, etc.

For me, we need to be very careful about this. As Paul warns us 1 Tim. 1:4 "nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith."

Titus 1:14  Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

For me there are plenty of Books in the Bible that we know are inspired by God. Why would we spend time on books that have not been cannonized and are know not to be fully inspired?



Eph asks...

JR...how come the Roman branch of the Christian church has different books that they claim are "inspired"....

Now I myself use the KJV...because I have no trouble with the English written that way...But why do some have different books included in their cannon...

As a matter of fact...How did we come to have the Bible we have today..?

How did some get inspired and some not...?


[nodis]PM TheBear if you have any problems.[/nodis]

 

[Trento]

As a matter of fact...How did we come to have the Bible we have today..?

 
 
 

THE CANONS OF THE 217 BLESSED FATHERS WHO ASSEMBLED AT CARTHAGE
(A.D. 345-419)

 

CANON XXIV (Greek. xxvii)

 

 

That nothing be read in church besides the Canonical Scripture.ITEM, that besides the Canonical Scriptures nothing be read in church under the name of divine Scripture.But the Canonical Scriptures are as follows:

Genesis.
Exodus.
Leviticus.
Numbers.
Deuteronomy.
Joshua the Son of Nun.
The Judges.
Ruth.
The Kings, iv. books.
The Chronicles, ij. books.
Job.
The Psalter.
The Five books of Solomon.
The Twelve Books of the Prophets.
Isaiah.
Jeremiah.
Ezechiel.
Daniel.
Tobit.
Judith.
Esther.
Ezra, ij. books.
Macchabees, ij. books.

THE NEW TESTAMENT.

The Gospels, iv. books.
The Acts of the Apostles, j. book.
The Epistles of Paul, xiv.
The Epistles of Peter, the Apostle, ij.
The Epistles of John the Apostle, iij.
The Epistles of James the Apostle, j.
The Epistle of Jude the Apostle, j.
The Revelation of John, j. book.

Let this be sent to our brother and fellow bishop, Boniface, and to the other bishops of those parts, that they may confirm this canon, for these are the things which we have received from our fathers to be read in church.

 

 JR...how come the Roman branch of the Christian church has different books that they claim are "inspired? 

 
 The Church Fathers with varying degrees  embraced the larger Old Testament Alexandrian/Septuagint canon not the Hebrew Palestinian canon. This canon included the proto-canonical books of the Palestinian canon and the deutero-canonical books of Judith, Tobit, I/II Macabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch and the minor additions in Daniel(Three Youths, Susanna, Bel & the Dragon) and Esther. 

I will quote the earliest Fathers who were instructed by the Apostles and used these books.
 
"Having then this hope, let our souls be bound to Him who is faithful in His promises, and just in His judgments. He who has commanded us not to lie, shall much more Himself not lie; for nothing is impossible with God, except to lie. Let His faith therefore be stirred up again within us, and let us consider that all things are nigh unto Him. By the word of His might He established all things, and by His word He can overthrow them. 'Who shall say unto Him, What hast thou done ? or, Who shall resist the power of His strength?'Wisdom 12:12,ll:22 When and as He pleases He will do all things, and none of the things determined by Him shall pass away? All things are open before Him, and nothing can be hidden from His counsel. 'The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handy-work. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. And there are no words or speeches of which the voices are not heard.'Ps. 19:1-3"
Clement of Rome,To the Corinthians, 27:5(c A.D. 80),in ANF,I:12
 
"Stand fast, therefore, in these things, and follow the example of the Lord, being firm and unchangeable in the faith, loving the brotherhood, and being attached to one another, joined together in the truth, exhibiting the meekness of the Lord in your intercourse with one another, and despising no one. When you can do good, defer it not, because 'alms delivers from death.'Tobit 4:10,12:9 Be all of you subject one to another?1 Pt 5:5 having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles,'1 Pt 2:12 that ye may both receive praise for your good works, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you. But woe to him by whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed!Isa 52:5 Teach, therefore, sobriety to all, and manifest it also in your own conduct.
Polycarp,To the Phillipians,10(A.D. 135),in ANF,I:35