Apocrypha Deuterocanonical books

The Apocrypha originated as highly esteemed books that weren’t Scripture. There were 12 (or 15, depending on how they are divided): Tobit, Judith, Wisdom (of Solomon), Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, 1 Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees

Septuagint and were formally affirmed as canonical by the Council of Trent in 1546. Protestant traditions generally exclude them from the biblical canon, viewing them as useful for edification but not divinely authoritative.

5-Reasons to Reject the Apocrypha Books

1. Lack of Hebrew Originals and Jewish Canon: The reformers, adhering to the principle of sola scriptura (Scripture alone), argued that the Old Testament canon should be based on the Hebrew scriptures used by Jesus and the Jewish people. Most Deuterocanonical books were written in Greek, not Hebrew, and were not part of the Jewish canon (the Masoretic Text) that was affirmed by Jewish scholars after the time of Christ.

2. Doctrinal Concerns: Certain teachings in these books conflicted with key Reformation doctrines. For example, 2 Maccabees 12:46, which supports praying for the dead, was used to justify the Catholic doctrine of purgatory—a concept rejected by Protestants who believe salvation and forgiveness of sins are achieved solely through faith in Christ during one's lifetime.

2 Macc 15:13–14 speaks of the dead praying for the living

…And Oni′ as spoke, saying, “This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremiah, the prophet of God.”…

Tobit 12:9 and Sirach 3:3 speak of good works atoning for evil deeds

For almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin. Those who perform deeds of charity[a] and of righteousness will have fullness of life; Whoever honours his father atones for sins,

2 Macc 12:40–45 speaks of purgatory

…and they turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out…

3. Historical and Textual Criticism: Reformers like Martin Luther and scholars such as Jerome expressed doubts about the authenticity and authority of

these texts. While Jerome included them in the Latin Vulgate, he noted they were not part of the Hebrew canon and were suitable for edification but not for establishing doctrine.

As a result, the reformers relegated these books to a separate section, often titled "Apocrypha," stating they were useful for reading and instruction in life but not for establishing Christian doctrine.

The book of Jeremiah exists in two primary versions: the Masoretic Text, the standard Hebrew text behind our Old Testament, and the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation made from a different Hebrew source. They differ significantly in length and arrangement — and the Dead Sea Scrolls contain both. Andrew walks through the problem and offers a straightforward explanation.

Length. The Septuagint version runs roughly an eighth shorter than the Masoretic Text — about 2,700 fewer words. Nothing in the shorter version conflicts with the longer one, and nothing in the additional material touches doctrine.

Arrangement. Both versions begin and end the same way, but the middle differs. The oracles against the nations sit at the end of the book in the Masoretic Text (chapters 46–51); in the Septuagint they appear after chapter 25, and in a different sequence.

Authority. Fragments from Cave 4 at Qumran confirm that shorter Hebrew texts corresponding to the Septuagint circulated alongside the longer tradition, and the community there treated both as authoritative. Neither is the sole "original" — each reflects a distinct stage in the book's transmission.

Andrew's explanation. Jeremiah served forty years: the first half speaking, the second half dictating to his scribe Baruch as Judah moved through the final phase of the covenant curses — Carchemish, three deportations, the fall of Jerusalem, and the blinding of Zedekiah. When Jeremiah and Baruch were carried off to Egypt, the work almost certainly had to be dictated again from the beginning. That second telling would naturally come out shorter and differently arranged. Same prophet, same word, two editions.

Along the way: the Great Isaiah Scroll and what it proved about the reliability of the Hebrew text, why the Synoptic Gospels offer a useful parallel, and the short chapter God addressed to Baruch personally — you sought great things for yourself; do not. I will give you your life.

Part of the Hot Topics series on The Bible in 3D. This is Part 2 of three on Bible Difficulties. Next: the Apocrypha.

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The Bible in 3D is a Christ-centered Bible teaching podcast from Cogworks Media, hosted by Andrew.

🔗 More shows and ways to give: cogworksmedia.org
Cogworks Media is a 501(c)(3) public charity — gifts are tax-deductible.

Some passages in your Bible carry a footnote: the earliest manuscripts do not include these verses. Andrew opens a new three-part sub-series on Difficulties in the Bible by walking through the three most famous examples — what they say, how they got there, and why none of it should shake your confidence in Scripture.

The three passages

John 7:53–8:11 — The woman caught in adultery. "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." Absent from the earliest Alexandrian manuscripts, yet almost certainly a true account the early church knew so well that a copyist preserved it.

John 5:2–9 — The healing at the Pool of Bethesda. Verse 4, describing an angel stirring the water, comes from the later Byzantine text behind the King James. Andrew explains the Sheep Gate and the sacrificial trade behind it, and what likely disturbed the water in reality.

Mark 16:9–20 — The long ending of Mark. The earliest manuscripts end at 16:8, with an empty tomb and frightened women. Twelve verses were added later. Why Mark ends so abruptly, who John Mark was, and how to read the "signs" of verses 17–18 with care.

Also in this episode: how Matthew and Luke drew on Mark; why Mark may have been written to be memorized; the young man who fled naked from Gethsemane; and Peter's mercy toward the man who once walked away.

Part of the Hot Topics series on The Bible in 3D. Next up: the Old Testament and the "Jeremiah problem," followed by the Apocrypha.

—
 The Bible in 3D is a Christ-centered Bible teaching podcast from Cogworks Media, hosted by Andrew.

🔗 More shows and ways to give: cogworksmedia.org
 Cogworks Media is a 501(c)(3) public charity — gifts are tax-deductible.

External and Internal Evidence for the Bible

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