Apocrypha Part 1: Introduction

There is an air of mystery over the apocryphal books. Online commentators, as well as misinformed novelists, paint them as hiding the suppressed truth of Christianity. And if only people knew this, then we’d be ‘truly free’. Or they use it to prove their pet esoteric theories like ancient aliens and giant races.

The actual truth is rather mundane. The apocryphal books are not banned by the church. They weren’t banned by Constantine, the Pope or Martin Luther. They are simply books which are not read in church. Christians are welcome to read them at home, but not use them in the church services. They are not considered Scripture, but they are useful to read. Though some are more useful than others.

The Anglicans believe the apocryphal books should be read as an example of how to live as Christians but shouldn’t be used "to establish any doctrine”.

What is the Apocrypha?

Which books are within the Apocrypha is dependent upon the church denomination or tradition. The Protestants have the smallest canon of Scripture, and therefore the largest number of apocryphal books. They are followed by the Catholic Church and then the various Orthodox churches. With the Ethiopian Orthodox Church having the largest canon.

Historically, the choice of books within a canon probably derived from what was used by the local Christian community. For example, the Armenian Apostolic Church includes 2 Ezra and 3 Ezra amongst their canon. These were likely traditionally used in the early Armenian Christian communities and then included in their agreed canon of Scripture.

All the denominations and traditions have the same main books, like Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, the Gospels, etc and they all treat these as Scripture.

Why read the Apocrypha?

Growing up as a Protestant Christian, I only heard about these books when a controversial theologian or author would use them to try and disprove the Bible’s teachings.

I was never encouraged to read them, and was told that all I needed to know how to live as a Christian was within the Scriptures.

In recent years, I have started to read these ‘forbidden texts’. But, in a way they were meant to be read. Alongside Scripture, encourages myself in the Faith and to use it to understand the New Testament.

A few centuries ago, a major discovering was found at the ancient city of Ugarit. Many stone tablets were uncovered, which told the story of the Baal cycle, and other information about the Phoenicians. This find helped unpack the culture of the Old Testament. Not just proving Baal was a Near-Eastern god (many detractors of the Bible used to say he was made up by the biblical authors), but provided details on the cultural context of the Old Testament.

Those of us who are fans of Lord of the Rings will understand the importance of the Silmarillion in setting the scene of the story. It gives insight into the meaning of place names, heroes and villains. Without it, we wouldn’t truly understand the depth of the world Tolkien created. It is the same for the Ugarit texts. They provide the cultural and theological context for the OT Scriptures.

The Apocryphal books have the same function when it comes to the New Testament. They were written from the 2nd Temple period into the time of the early Church. Some were probably written around the time of Christ’s birth. Others after the beginning of the Church.

These books paint a picture of what the theological and cultural life was like for Jews and Christians, and is useful in helping us gain a deeper understanding of early Christianity.

Apocrypha in the New Testament

One unnerving element to the New Testament is how it quotes the 2nd Temple literature and themes.

For example, when John the Baptist sees Jesus for the first time, he says:

John 1 v 29

Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

This is a direct quote from the Testament of Joseph. His hearers and John the Apostle’s contemporary readers would instantly know this phrase was linked to the Messiah. This wasn’t just some random phrase John the Baptist came up with, but was a deep theological idea from an Apocryphal book.

Another example is in Jude, where he writes,

Jude 9

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

This is believed to have come from the Assumption or Testament of Moses. Only two thirds of this book is known and so it is likely this story is found in the lost third section.

And Jude also quotes First Enoch,

Jude 14-15

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

In this series we will unpack some of the key apocryphal books. Digging deeper into why they were preserved and how they can help us grow in our faith as Christians.