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Topic:
Thoughts And Things Of The Bible -- Apocrypha
From Easton's Bible Dictionary
The word "apocrypha" means hidden, spurious, and is the
name given to certain ancient books which found a place in the LXX. and
Latin Vulgate versions of the Old Testament. The word is appended to all
the great translations made from them in the sixteenth century, but
which have no claim to be regarded as in any sense parts of the inspired
Word.
(1.) These ancient books are not once quoted by the New Testament
writers, who frequently quote from the LXX. Our Lord and His apostles
confirmed by their authority the ordinary Jewish canon, which was the
same in all respects as we now have it.
(2.) These ancient books were written not in Hebrew but in Greek, and
during the "period of silence," from the time of Malachi,
after which oracles and direct revelations from God ceased, till the
Christian era.
(3.) The contents of the ancient books themselves show they were no part
of Scripture. The Old Testament Apocrypha consists of fourteen books,
the chief of which are the Books of the Maccabees (q.v.), the Books of
Esdras, the Book of Wisdom, the Book of Baruch, the Book of Esther,
Ecclesiasticus, Tobit, Judith, etc. The New Testament Apocrypha consists
of a very extensive literature, which bears distinct evidences of its
non-apostolic origin, and is utterly unworthy of regard.
From Smith's Bible Dictionary
Old Testament Apocrypha -- The collection of books to which this term
is popularly applied includes the following (the order given is that in
which they stand in the English version); I. 1 Esdras; II. 2 Esdras;
III. Tobit; IV. Judith; V. The rest of the chapters of the book of
Esther, which are found neither in the Hebrew nor in the Chaldee; VI.
The Wisdom of Solomon; VII. The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, or
Ecclesiasticus; VII. Baruch; IX. The Song of the Three Holy Children, X.
The History of Susanna; XI. The History of the destruction of Bel and
the Dragon; XII. The Prayer of Manasses king of Judah; XIII. 1 Maccabee;
XIV. 2 Maccabees. The primary meaning of apocrypha, being "hidden,
secret," seems, toward the close of the second century to have been
associated with the signification "spurious," and ultimately
to have settled down into the latter. The separate books of this
collection are treated of in distinct articles.
The New Testament Apocrypha-- (A collection of legendary and spurious
Gospels, spurious Acts of the Apostles, and spurious Epistles. They are
so entirely inferior to the genuine books, so full of nonsensical and
unworthy stories of Christ and the apostles, that they have never been
regarded as divine, or bound up in our Bibles. It is said that Mohammed
obtained his ideas of Christ entirely from these spurious gospels.--ED.)
Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries
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