1. (1542-1560AD) - The Roman Catholic Church accepted the Apocrypha as part of the counter-Reformation period.
2. (1517) - Martin Luther's 95 Theses began the Reformation.
3. Extra-Biblical Literature (the Apocrypha)
a. Jews rejected the Apocrypha.
b. Christ and the Apostles rejected them.
c. Obviously not inspired (Hobeth was legendary, Judith had Nebuchadnezzar as king of Assyria and living in Nineveh). The Catholic Church was looking for ways to justify indulgences. In the Book of Maccabees (12:40), the prayers for the dead were rejected by the Jews but used manipulatively by the Catholics.
d. Faulty doctrine and faulty morals. Often teaches that the end justifies the means. Judith cut off a guy's head and saved everyone.
e. Maccabees says that Ephiphany was killed one way, but another book says that he died another way.
f. I Maccabees 14:41 says looking forward to the faithful prophet.
4. Additional chapters were added to Esther and Daniel by these books for the Catholic Bible. Daniel saves a beautiful woman accused of adultery (Susanna). The steaks and the idols was also solved by "detective" Daniel.
5. Pseudopigraphical Writings - False writings that are attributed to someone else. The Wisdom of Solomon was not written by Solomon because it was written between 200BC and 100BC. The Jesuits were responsible for incorporating Apocrypha. They are the ones that believed the end justifies the means.
6. Legendary Stories (Judith and Tobit) - Tobit mentions angel Raphael.
7. Genuine Treatises (Ecclesiastica) - it is genuine but not inspired. Deals with morality and wisdom for Jewish people. I and II Maccabees tells genuine history of Maccabee period.
8. Apocrypha gives some historical information, some positive morality, and has some value. It shows Jewish concerns for angels and demons.
9. Pseudipigrapha - false Jewish writings which are not accepted by anyone.
a. Fourteen books of the Apocalypse (unveilings) - book of Enoch and several others.
b. Historical or Legend
c. Testaments of the twelve Patriarchs
d. Treatises (III and IV Maccabees, Letters of Azariah) and the Septuagint (LXX)
e. Worship Hymns - similar to the Psalms
10. Qumrum Literature (around the Dead Sea) - not accepted by Jesus
a. Manual of discipline - way of life for Qumrum people
b. Emascus document
c. War Scroll
Tom of Bethany "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
Lesson 6 - Christian Apocryphal Literature
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