Expert: Brenda Martin - 12/27/2010

Question
Ok, I have asked this question before within my congregation and have not received a satisfying answer so here it is. The books of the bible where put together under the direction of Constantine, there where many books left out of the bible (there were 600 in all), we know this because some books are cited in scriptures, even from James(Enoch), why is it wrong to read and study these books and to view them as gods word? We know that man has twisted the scriptures and will be punished, but why do we completely ignore the other books that where written before and after Christ death especially when there are references in the bible we have today of those works? I am considering getting baptized but I am confused about some things and I want to make sure that I am making the right choice.

Answer
"THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE WERE PUT TOGETHER UNDER THE DIRECTION OF CONSTANTINE?"

The Roman Catholic Church claims responsibility for the decision as to which books should be included in the Bible canon, and reference is made to the Council of Carthage (397 C.E.), where a catalogue of books was formulated. The opposite is true, however, because the canon, including the list of books making up the Christian Greek Scriptures, was already settled by then, that is, not by the decree of any council, but by the direction of God’s holy spirit—the same spirit that inspired the writing of those books in the first place. The testimony of later non-inspired cataloguers is valuable only as an acknowledgment of the Bible canon, which God’s spirit had authorized.

Jewish tradition credits Ezra with beginning the compiling and cataloguing of the canon of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), and it says that this was completed by Nehemiah. Ezra was certainly well equipped for such a work, being one of the inspired Bible writers himself as well as a priest, scholar, and official copyist of sacred writings. (Ezra 7:1-11) There is no reason to doubt the traditional view that the canon of the Hebrew Scriptures was fixed by the end of the fifth century B.C.E.

These 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures were accepted as inspired Scripture by Christ Jesus and the early Christian congregation. It was only from these writings that the inspired writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures quoted.

The writing as well as the collecting of the 27 books comprising the canon of the Christian Greek Scriptures (New Testament) was similar to that of the Hebrew Scriptures. Christ “gave gifts in men,” yes, “he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelizers, some as shepherds and teachers.” (Eph 4:8, 11-13) With God’s holy spirit on them they set forth sound doctrine for the Christian congregation and, “by way of a reminder,” repeated many things already written in the Scriptures.—2Pe 1:12, 13; 3:1; Ro 15:15.

Outside the Scriptures themselves there is evidence that, as early as 90-100 C.E., at least ten of Paul’s letters were collected together. It is certain that at an early date Christians were gathering together the inspired Christian writings.

By the end of the second century there was no question but that the canon of the Christian Greek Scriptures was closed, and we find such ones as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian recognizing the writings comprising the Christian Scriptures as carrying authority equal to that of the Hebrew Scriptures. Irenaeus in appealing to the Scriptures makes no fewer than 200 quotations from Paul’s letters. Clement says he will answer his opponents by “the Scriptures which we believe are valid from their omnipotent authority,” that is, “by the law and the prophets, and besides by the blessed Gospel.”—The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. II, p. 409, “The Stromata, or Miscellanies.”

"THERE WHERE MANY BOOKS LEFT OUT OF THE BIBLE"

There are 66 inspired books that make up the bible; additional writings are Tobit, Judith, Wisdom (of Solomon), Ecclesiasticus (not Ecclesiastes), Baruch, 1 and 2 Maccabees, supplements to Esther, and three additions to Daniel: The Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna and the Elders, and The Destruction of Bel and the Dragon. The exact time of their being written is uncertain, but the evidence points to a time no earlier than the second or third century B.C.E.

While in some cases they have certain historical value, any claim for canonicity on the part of these writings is without any solid foundation. The evidence points to a closing of the Hebrew canon following the writing of the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi in the fifth century B.C.E. The Apocryphal writings were never included in the Jewish canon of inspired Scriptures and do not form part of it today.

(ENOCH) IS CITED IN SCRIPTURE SO WHY IS IT WRONG TO READ AND STUDY THESE BOOKS AND TO VIEW THEM AS GODS WORD?

The Book of Enoch is an apocryphal and pseudepigraphic text. It is falsely ascribed to Enoch. Produced probably sometime during the second and first centuries B.C.E., it is a collection of extravagant and unhistorical Jewish myths, evidently the product of exegetical elaborations on the brief Genesis reference to Enoch. This alone is sufficient for lovers of God’s inspired Word to dismiss it.

These books you speak of do not harmonise with the rest of scripture & the Apocryphal writings abound in false, imaginary stories, such as the one about Daniel’s killing a great dragon with a mixture of pitch, fat, and hair (Addition to Daniel 14:22-26, Dy), and another about Tobias’ getting curative and demon-exorcising powers out of the heart, gall, and liver of a monstrous fish.—Tobias 6:2-9, 19, Dy. they do not bear evidence of having been inspired by God.

All the best
Brenda