Somewhat of a frustrating article. It keeps stating that the “Catholic” Bible is better than the “Protestant” Bible because it does contain much of the Apocrypha and that the Apocrypha is important, but it doesn’t say why it is important.
If the Septuagint, which contains the Deuterocanonicals in question, was quoted 2/3 of the time in the New Testament when referring to the Old Testament I think they should deserve a hearing.
I as Catholic of course hold them as inspired because the Church says they are. ;0)
Further, it does not state why the Protestants choose not to value either the Apocrypha or the Pseudepigrapha and not rising to the level of scripture or cannon.
At the core of the Protestant resistance to the Apocrypha are two basic issues; 1) The works are of unknown authorship and 2) There are practices that are in variance to the teachings of the New Testament
One of the major reasons that the Protestants do not accept the Pseudepigrapha is because there is a claim of authorship that is false.
By no ways or means am i even near the scholarly level of the author but I do know that the deliberate removal of the Books led to division and sometimes outright ridicule of Catholic and Orthodox Christians Scriptural based practices and beliefs as in praying for the dead—
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Maccabees+12%3A41-46&version=DRA
Change the order, change the books from the one outlined in Isaiah and the pattern disappears. This tells you what the intended structure is for Scripture.
Would you rather have half a meal or a whole meal with all the entrees?
Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
There was no “catholic Bible” in english until the KJV came along, and the catholics adopted it and renamed it the Douay Rheims (with some small changes).
Catholic Bibles of various sorts existed in latin, but in the catholic dominant countries few people were so literate as to be able to read latin, so effectively they had no Bible.
The Apocrypha are mostly historic books with little or no spiritual guidance, but some have tried to fashion doctrinal issues from them. None of those supposed doctrinal points from the Apocrypha are found supported anywhere in the general 66 canon.
Yes, you are so right..very frustrating, I’m with you SusyQue.
Again to all skeptics and naysayers...God does not make mistakes. The King James version has been the rock basis for complete scripture and inspiration for centuries now. It was commissioned “by God, through the Holy Spirit” so that the word could be read and understood by all people in clear and poetic verse, being excruciatingly faithful to the oldest and most accepted manuscripts and Gospels. The Catholics Love pomp and circumstance and talk of venerating saints. A couple of extra ancient texts that may or may not have been inspired scripture is ok with them, as it makes for interesting reading and reflection. Not to say those books are not true or have any value to them, but for some reason with all their detailed solemn masses, God may have wanted to break away from the constraining structure of the Catholic church and bring men and women closer to him through a Bible that had no more or no less teaching than what mankind needed for a more personal way of study, belief and worship. A.K.A. The King James Version. I’m not saying the Catholic church is in the wrong in any way. Some people Love the quiet, meditative and long practiced Latin Mass...The books of the Apocrypha make for interesting reading, as do some of the other “Lost books of the Bible”. The New International Version, the New American Standard versions and a few select others are accurate translations for a modern world, but I still find myself quoting scripture from time to time in the language of the old King James.
What worries me more than the addition or omission of the Apocrypha and or other books, is the blatant “Re-translation” of accepted scripture to fit political correctness. Changing the meaning of verses completely or adding or subtracting words to fit their own self interests or lifestyle scares me more than any “conspiracy” surrounding the Apocrypha.