Is The Apocrypha Just the “Bad Books” of the Bible?

If you ask many Protestant Christians how many books are in the Bible, they will likely tell you that there are 66 books in the Bible – 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. However, if you ask other believers in different traditions of the Christian faith, you will likely hear a vastly different number concerning the total number of books. As a general rule of thumb, if you ask Catholic believers, they will tell you there are 73 books in total; Greek Orthodox believers will tell you that there are more than 75 books in total; and Ethiopian believers will tell you there are more than 80. So, why the discrepancy? The answer is both straightforward and complex. The reality is that there are other books of the Bible that have been in use by various Christian traditions dating back to the early church – modern Protestant Christians label these books as belonging to the Apocrypha. But aren’t the books of the Apocrypha just the “bad books” that shouldn’t be trusted as biblical truth? Not quite.

It may help to understand what Apocrypha means. The word itself simply means “things hidden.” In the ancient world, this word referred to religious writings that were regarded almost as scripture – books that were meant for private study by believers of the day. Today, it means different things to different people. To Protestant Christians, the following books are apocryphal: 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Additions to Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Sirach, Epistle of Jeremiah, Song of the Three Children, Story of Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasseh, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, and Psalm 151. However, many of the early church fathers included some of these books in their lists of canonical works. I’ll give a few examples.

Melito, an early Christian bishop born in 100 AD, included 1-2 Esdras, the Wisdom of Solomon, and the Epistle of Jeremiah. Notably, he excludes Esther, Nehemiah, and Lamentations from his list.

Origen, an early Christian theologian born in 185 AD, included 1-2 Esdras, the Epistle of Jeremiah, and the Maccabees. Interestingly, he includes a book simply called “Paul,” believed to be all of his letters in one gigantic book. Notably, he excludes 2-3 John, James, and 2 Peter as being disputable. 

Cyril of Jerusalem, an early Christian bishop born in 313 AD, included 1-2 Esdras, Baruch, Epistle of Jeremiah, and Daniel combined with the story of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon at the end. Notably, he excludes the book of Revelation, considering its authorship disputable.

The Codex Vaticanus, believed to be the oldest extant copy of what was intended to be a full bible, includes 1 Esdras, Esther with additions, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, Epistle of Jeremiah, Daniel combined with the story of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon at the end, Judith, and Tobit. Notably, this codex doesn’t contain 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Romans, and Revelation.

These books were often used in early church gatherings until the church councils met to discuss the books and whether they should be included as canon. The theologian Dr. Eben De Jager explains that up until the 19th century “Protestant Bibles included the apocryphal books of the Septuagint … The British and Foreign Bible Society were very influential in the 1800s. They removed the apocryphal section from the Protestant Bible. They did so to save on the cost of printing Bibles.” This decision led to the exclusion of the Apocrypha from many British and American Bibles from then on. So, if the Apocrypha was removed due to costs, why the stigma? From a historical standpoint, there have always been some concerns about the validity of some of the books and their value as spiritual books. The Protestant reformer Martin Luther was the first to publish a version of the Bible that separated the Apocrypha out from the other books of the Bible with the preface stating: “APOCRYPHA, that is, Books which are not to be esteemed like the Holy Scriptures, and yet which are useful and good to read.” 

In saying this, Luther reflected the thoughts of the early church father Athanasius who wrote: “there are other books besides these not indeed included in the Canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness. The Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Sirach, and Esther, and Judith, and Tobit, and that which is called the Teaching of the Apostles, and the Shepherd. But the former, my brethren, are included in the Canon, the latter being read.” This said, what should our current stance be as believers? I always encourage believers to be curious and lifelong students. If we claim to know everything, then we’re doomed to fail. I would encourage you to read the books I’ve discussed here. They give us a glimpse into the mindset found into what is often referred to as the intertestamental period – the period of time leading up to the appearance of the Savior!