Have they taken books out of the Bible?
Channel: Galen Currah
Date: 14/12/2017

Have they taken books out of the Bible?
What to do with the Book of Enoch?
An Historical Perspective
wordwatchers.currah.us

Many are the videos that accuse churches of having removed from the Holy Bible certain sacred texts or books.

It is true that Catholic editions of the Bible include books called Apocrypha. Some Protestant editions of the Bible include those books, but Evangelical editions do not.

Between the fifth centuries BCE and the second century CE, the Jews composed, copied and read many books in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, besides those that they now include in their Tanach or Hebrew Bible. 

It is presently in vogue to make a big deal of the presence or absence of the Book of 1 Enoch, a Jewish book that the first Christians read, and from which a passage is quoted in the New Testament (Jude 1:14; 1 Enoch 1:9). 

These days, much confusion arises from a failure of many folk to classify ancient books in the way that the early Christians did. One should learn the following kinds of books.

Bible. βιβλίον, biblion.

A bible was a collection of books. In the early days, Jewish and Christian books circulated separately. After the second century, two or more of those books would be written together and even be bound in a bible.

Scripture. γραφή, graphé.

Jews believe that God inspired the books written by the Hebrew prophets. Christians believe that God also inspired the books written by Jesus’ apostles. These books they called Scripture.

Canon. (κανών, kanōn)

All of the inspired Scriptures together are called the Canon, because they form the basis for faith and obedience to God. Rabbinical councils and church councils recognized which books belong in the Canon.

Testament. (διαθήκη, diathéké)

The Jews call their inspired books the Tanach, an abbreviation of the three Hebrew words for Law (Torah), Prophets (Naviim) and Writings (Chethovim), or the Hebrew Bible.

The Christians call the Hebrew Bible the Old Testament, and the apostles’ inspired books the New Testament. Thus, there is an Old Testament canon and a New Testament canon.

Literature. γράμμα, gramma.

All other books and writings that believers appreciate and read repeatedly they call literature, or the sacred books.

Sacred books. ιερά γράμματα, iera grammata. 

These ancient books deal with biblical themes and characters. Some Scriptures employ language from these books, and rarely quote from them. Believers read them for information and for edification. However, neither Jews nor Christians believe these sacred books to be inspired by God.

“Apocrypha” (αποκρυφα) 

These 14 books were included as an appendix to the Old Testament in Greek and Latin versions, but not included in the Hebrew canon.

“Pseudepigrapha” (ψευδεπίγραφα)

These Jewish writings from the first century BCE to the first century CE claim to have been divinely revealed but have been excluded from the Hebrew canon.

Holy Bible. Ιερό Βιβλίον, Iero Biblion.

The Holy Bible is an edition of the Scriptures of both Old and New Testaments. It may also contain one or more of the apocryphal or pseudopegraphical books, usually in a separate section. 

Thus, if your Tanach, your Testament or your Holy Bible does not contain certain sacred books, no one has removed Scripture from the Bible.

So, if you want the apocrypha or the pseudepigrapha in your Bible, then purchase, borrow or steal one that has them.