Apocrypha

The word “apocrypha” comes from the Greek, meaning "to hide" or "to uncover." The Apocrypha are those books which, though historically interesting, are not included in the scriptural canon. It is used in a technical sense to refer to certain Jewish books written in the Hellenistic-Roman period that that came to be included in the Old Greek Jewish scriptures (and thus in the Eastern Christian biblical canon) as well as in the Latin Vulgate Roman Catholic canon. However, it is not in the Jewish or Protestant biblical canons.

In the case of the Old Testament, the Church inherited these Scriptures from the Jews. We never had to determine a canon of Old Testament Scriptures because the first apostles were Jews and used the existing Jewish collection of Scriptures. Jesus Himself referred to the accepted Scriptures and by the way He described them we can understand that He was referring to what would later be known as the “Septuagint.”

• Matthew 5:17 HCSB "Don't assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
• Luke 16:29-31 HCSB "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' 30 "'No, father Abraham,' he said. 'But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31 "But he told him, 'If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'"
• Luke 24:27, 44 HCSB Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures… Then He told them, "These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

Peter also considered the Old Testament to be directly inspired by God’s Holy Spirit.

• Acts 3:21-24 HCSB Heaven must welcome Him until the times of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about by the mouth of His holy prophets from the beginning. 22 Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He will say to you. 23 And it will be that everyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from the people. 24 "In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also announced these days.

As the early church community recognized the canon of divinely inspired writings, there were some general tests that each book had to pass in order for them to be recognized. Below are some of the key questions that were asked of the books.

1. Was the book written by a prophet or an apostle of God? If not, then was the book written by someone endorsed by a prophet or apostle?
2. Were there any acts of God that confirmed the writer as being sent from God? For example, Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible and God performed many great nature miracles through him. Paul wrote many books and accompanied them with miraculous works, including raising someone from the dead.
3. Did the writings agree with the truth about God as attested in the other already accepted writings by prophets and apostles? For example, in the third chapter of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Jesus is purported to have created pigeons out of clay and brought them to life. However, John 2:11 tells us, “Jesus performed this first sign in Cana of Galilee. He displayed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”
4. Did the book or letter written have a power from above? In other words, was there something about this writing that had the power to change lives and felt by the community of faith to have the power of the Holy Spirit within it?
5. Did the general community of faith accept the letter or book as divinely inspired?

When people try to get us to consider literature that contradicts the Scripture or the clear teachings of the Master or His apostles, we are directed by God to not to give undue regard to such literature.

• Colossians 2:8 HCSB Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.
• 1 Timothy 1:3-6 HCSB As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach other doctrine 4 or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God's plan, which operates by faith. 5 Now the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 6 Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion.
• 1 Timothy 4:1-2 HCSB Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.
• 1 Timothy 4:7 HCSB But have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness,
• 1 Timothy 6:3-5 HCSB If anyone teaches other doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness, 4 he is conceited, understanding nothing, but having a sick interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slanders, evil suspicions, 5 and constant disagreement among men whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.
• 1 Timothy 6:20-21 HCSB Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent, empty speech and contradictions from the "knowledge" that falsely bears that name. 21 By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith. Grace be with all of you.
• 2 Timothy 2:14-16 HCSB Remind them of these things, charging them before God not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness.
• 2 Timothy 4:2-4 HCSB proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.
• Titus 1:9-16 HCSB holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it. 10 For there are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those from Judaism. 11 It is necessary to silence them; they overthrow whole households by teaching for dishonest gain what they should not. 12 One of their very own prophets said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. 13 This testimony is true. So, rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith 14 and may not pay attention to Jewish myths and the commandments of men who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work.
• 2 Peter 1:16, 20-21 HCSB For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty… First of all, you should know this: no prophecy of Scripture comes from one's own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, moved by the Holy Spirit, men spoke from God.