Apocrypha
The Apocrypha (Greek: ἀπόκρυφα) are a collection of texts that are usually excluded from most Biblical canons, usually because the text was not well-known or was not compatible with the other texts that were already thought to be inspired. Some of them are included by the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church.
Perspectives
There is disagreement even among the Christian denominations that do include the apocrypha on what texts are actually included in Apocrypha. The Deuterocanon is usually included in Old Testament Apocrypha, but the apocryphal candidates for the New Testament are debated.
The Sanhedrin decided to cut the books from the Hebrew Bible (c. 80 AD), but they remained in most Christian Bibles until the Protestant Reformation. When Christianity became the state religion of the Rome in the 4th-century, the Romans decided to cut out all of the same books that the Sanhedrin had cut out.
Catholic position
Some Catholics argue that these books should be considered inspired because they are referenced by the early Church fathers and are included in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible which Jesus and the Apostles would have used.
King James Bible
The translators of the King James Bible said that these books were written to prepare people for Jesus in the same way that John the Baptist did. There are also hints in the Book of Mormon.
Old Testament Apocrypha
The Old Testament apocrypha typically consist of these books, though the names might differ based on tradition, and some books might not be included in some collections of apocryphal texts:
- First Book of Esdras
- Second Book of Esdras
- Third Book of Esdras
- Fourth Book of Esdras
- Book of Tobit
- Book of Judith
- Book of Wisdom
- Book of Sirach
- First Book of Baruch
- Second Book of Baruch
- Third Book of Baruch
- Fourth Book of Baruch
- Book of Susanna
- First Book of Maccabees
- Second Book of Maccabees
- Third Book of Maccabees
- Fourth Book of Maccabees