APOCRYPHA

BASIC R.C. BELIEF

The books called, by Protestants, the Apocrypha, are called deutero-

canonical by the Roman Catholics, and are: Tobit, Judith, Sirach, Wisdom,

Baruch, I and II Maccabees. There are also additions to Daniel and Esther.

From ETERNAL LIFE, Catholic Enquiry Centre, Imp. Georgius Craven, page 190.

"(II Machabees) is classified in Protestant Bibles as apocryphal, that is,

good and useful for instruction but not having the same authority as the

other books of the Bible... the Church since the days of the Apostles has

always classed it as truly part of the Bible."

CHRISTIAN COMMENT

The definition of "apocryphal" is "of doubtful authorship, false,

counterfeit, sham." There is no documentation of apostolic use of the

Apocrypha. St. Jerome included it in his Latin translation, but did not

give it the same standing as other scripture. The first conciliar statement

of its authenticity was at Trent, hence these writings being called

"deutero-canonical", that is, recognized as canonical at a later date. If

it had been recognized as canonical during Apostoloic or even post-

Apostolic times, it would have been recognized as canonical by the Councils

of Carthage and Hippo when they defined the canonicity for the New

Testament.

While arguing about the canonicity of these books is not primary in Roman

Catholic evangelism, we have the following valid reasons for not accepting

them:

(1) The Palestinian Jews rejected the Apocrypha (Romans 3:2)

(2) The Lord Jesus and the Apostles never quoted from the Apocrypha.

(3) The Apocrypha contains some wild stories (see Judith, Tobit)

(4) The Apocrypha does not claim inspirtaion (II Macc 15:38)

(5) The Apocrypha contains false prophecy (Baruch 6:2)

(6) The Apocrypha contains a false salvation message (Tobit 12:8,9).

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