Seminar 1: "Between the Testaments"

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Part 4:   OTHER WOULD-BE SCRIPTURES - THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS
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The Apocrypha comes from the Greek word "Hidden."  Today we think of
it as meaning "false," but it really is a word that describes a
particular body of Greek writing from the INTERTESTAMENTAL PERIOD.
The Apocrypha contains books such as...

I Esdras     The Wisdom of Solomon   Song of the Three Holy Children
II Esdras    History of Sussana      The Prayer of Manasses
Tobit        Bel and the Dragon      Ecclesiasticus
Judith       I & II Maccabees        Additions to Esther
Baruch       III & IV Maccabees      Epistle of Jeremiah
Psalm 151    Fourth Ezra             Prayer of Azariah

These books are available over the Internet for your reading.


Apocrypha

The Jews of the Dispersion in Egypt placed high value on these books
and included them in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the
Septuagint, but they were rejected later by the Jews of Palestine.
Today the Jews themselves repudiate the Apocrypha.

There is nothing in the Apocryphal books that cannot be duplicated in
the canon of Scripture. There is evidence that early Christians used
the Apocryphal books, or at least were familiar with them, yet they
were never esteemed as highly as the inspired books of the Old and New
Testament.  Jude is the only one who mentions anything contained in
the Apocryphal books when he referred to Enoch, the seventh from Adam,
having prophesied of the end of the age. (Jude 14,15)  Others see Paul
as having alluded to them as well in 2 Tim. 3:8. Eph. 5:14, Heb. 11:24.
(Other possible citings from Apocryphal literature are found in John
7:38, James 4:5-6)

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH has long used the Apocryphal books and in
1546 A.D. declared 11 of them to be canonical.  For this reason they
appear today in the Roman Catholic Bible. The Apocryphal books
remained in use until the Reformation.  Since the Reformation most
Protestant Christians have decided to follow the Hebrew canon and
disallow the Apocryphal books.

While not Scripture, it is not harmful for Christians to read the
Apocryphal books, if for no other reason than to be familiar with
Jewish history and traditions. It is admitted that these books have
value only in their historical and literary value.

Their canonicity has been rejected by the Protestants for the
following reasons:

  1) They were never quoted by Jesus, and only Jude ever alluded to
     them.
  2) The early church Fathers of the first century regarded them as
     uninspired.
  3) They did not appear in the ancient Hebrew canon.
  4) They are inferior in quality and content as compared to the
     canonical books. Some contain errors and teachings contrary to
     the inspired Scriptures.




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Part 5: MORE WOULD-BE SCRIPTURES - THE PSEUDEPIGRAPHA
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There was another group of spurious writings, not Hellenistic, but
Palestinian in nature. These were the Pseudepigrapha writings, so
called because except for one they bear false names of authorship.
They have been characteristically described as missionary,
anti-heathen, and Apocalyptic in nature.  They contained strong
Messianic and prophetic overtones predicting the threefold events of
the end,

1) the coming of Messiah
2) the rebuilding of the Temple,
3) and the gathering of the lost tribes from all lands.

The disciples and the friends of Jesus, even all of the family of Jews
dispersed or living in the land were pregnant with the expectation of
the soon appearing of the glorious deliverer, the Messiah.

It is difficult if not impossible to put them into a chronological
sequence.  Many have been lost since the intertestamental period. Here
is a list of those writings. These are available for your reading on
the Internet.


Pseudepigrapha

1. Book of Jubilees
2. The Book of Adam and Eve
3. Life of Adam and Eve-Slavonic Version
4. A Fragment of the Apocalypse of Moses
4. The Martyrdom of Isaiah
5. First Enoch
6. The Letter of Aristeas
7. The Apocalypse of Adam
8. The Revelation of Esdras
9. The Second Treatise of the Great Seth
10. The Testament of Abraham





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READING ASSIGNMENTS:
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1.  Read the complete story of Alexander in Jerusalem from Joshephus'
    Antiquities of the Jews, Book XI, Chapter VIII

2.  Choose and read portions from one of the Apocryphal Books.
    Report on your impressions of it in our e-mail discussions. (Or you
    may choose one of the books of the Pseudepigrapha. I recommend
    The Book of Adam and Eve!)