Reasons for rejecting the Aprocraypha
REASONS WHY THE APROCRAYPHA IS NOT SCRIPTURE
1. THE ABSENCE OF ANY COMMENTARIES ON THE APROCRYPHA BOOKS
2. THE FAILURE TO FIND ANY APROCRYPHA BOOKS WRITTEN ON MORE VALUABLE MATERIAL.
The type of material used to write on showed the authors value of the material. They were not written on valuable writing material
3. THEY WERE NOT WRITTEN IN TALL SCRIPT.
The failure to find any apocrypha books written is special (TALLER) script, as were the Canonical books shows they were not part of script.
4. JESUS NEVER QUOTES FROM THEM
Jesus quotes from the sections of the Old Testament The Law, The Prophets, and the Poems but he never quotes from the Apocrypha.
5. JESUS DOES NOT REFER TO THEM AS BEING IN THE CANNON OF SCRIPT.
Jesus said "IF THESE THINGS WERE NOT SO I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU.
6. JOSEPHUS REJECTS THEM
Josephus explicitly excludes any book written between 400 B.C. -100 A.D. Apocrypha books were written between 200 B.C. -100 A.D.
7. THE JEWS REJECT THEM
The Jews have not considered any book to be inspired since Malachi.
8. THE CHURCH FATHERS REJECTED THEM
The church fathers never included them in the cannon.
9. THE APOCRYPHA WAS NOT ADDED UNTIL 1546 A.D.
These books were not added officially to the Bible until 1546 A.D. by the Roman Catholic Church.
They were added because of their need to prove Purgatory was taught in script. There is no reference to it any the Old Testament so they added these books to verify what they had been teaching.
10. THE WRITING THEMSELVES DO NOT CLAIM TO BE INSPIRED
They do not contain the Formula's used in the Inspired books= "THUS SAITH THE LORD"
11. THE WRITINGS HAVE ERRORS IN THEM
12. THE WRITINGS TEACH IMMORAL PRACTICES CONDEMNED IN THE O.T.
13. THE WRITINGS CONTAIN SOME MYTH
14. THE WRITINGS WERE NOT ACCEPTED AS PART OF THE CANNON BY ANYONE B.C.
15. THE WRITINGS ARE SO DISJOINTED & UNINTELLIGIBLE THEY CANOT BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF SCRIPT.
16. THE WRITERS CONTRADICT THEMSELVES
17. THE WRITERS DO NOT BEAR APOSTOLIC OR PROPHETIC AUTHORITY
18. THE O.T. WAS CLOSED BEFORE THESE BOOKS WERE WRITTEN
19. THE N.T. NEVER QUOTES THEM
20. THE APOSTLES NEVER MENTION THEM
21. THE N.T. NEVER REFERS TO THEM AS IT DOES TO THE O.T.
22. They are in the LXX but not in the Hebrew Bible.
23. They were read in the early church services but not at the same point were scripture was read.
REASONS WHY THE APOCRAYPHA IS NOT SCRITURE
A. PRAYERS AND OFFERINGS FOR THE DEAD
In II Maccabees 12:41-46, not only are prayers offered for the dead, but monetary offerings are brought on their behalf and even recommended!
"IT IS THEREFORE A HOLY AND WHOLESOME THOUGHT TO PRAY FOR THE DEAD, THAT THEY MAY BE LOOSED FROM SIN” V 46 Douay version this is contrary to all Scriptures John 3:18,36! You simply cannot buy the unsaved dead out of their unsaved status, not can you improve their condition by prayer!
B. SUICIDE JUSTIFIED
II Maccabees 14:41-46 deals with a revolt against the Syrians, led by the Maccabean brothers. Here we find an attempted suicide that was not successful until the third try. The sacred Scriptures would relate such an incident without praise and without the implication that it should be admired or imitated.
The Bible teaches that to take one's own life is to superimpose human volition over divine volition Ps 31:15; but the Apocrypha justifies this suicide and calls it a noble death.
C. ATONEMENT AND SALVATION BY ALMSGIVING.
At least two of the books in the Apocrypha state that sins may be atoned for and salvation may be obtained by giving large donations. Interesting, isn't it? Especially in view of I John 1:9 and such passages as Eph 2:8,9 & Titus 3:5! Ecclesiasicus 3:33 (must be distinguished from Ecclesiastes) speaks of atonement by almsgiving. Tobit 4:11 states that salvation can be purchased:
"FOR ALMS DELIVER FROM ALL SIN, AND FROM DEATH AND WILL NOT SUFFER THE SOUL TO GO INTO DARKNESS.
D. CRUELTY TO SLAVES JUSTIFIED.
In Ecclesiasticus 33:25-29 we read that the best way to treat a slave is to pile the work on him, and that, if need by, cruelty to slaves is fully justified. How does that compare to God's admonition in Deut. 23:15,16? "THOU SHALT NOT DELIVER UNTO HIS MASTER THE SERVANT (SLAVE) WHICH IS EXCAPED...UNTO THEE. HE SHALL DWELL WITH THEEE...THOU SHALL NOT OPPRESS HIM.
E. THE DOCTRINE OF EMANATIONS.
This is a cosmological concept characteristic of Neoplatonism and Gnosticism. It explains the world as an "out flowing" from One Absolute source but never uses the word "God." This is frequently encountered in Indian metaphysics. In contrast to "creation," "emanation" is entirely impersonal and metaphorical.
Nowhere in the Word of God is there any teaching on emanation; but you find it in the Apocrypha, in the Wisdom of Solomon 7:25 where we read that "...SHE [WISDOM] IS A VAPOUR OF THE POWER OF GOD, AND A CERTIAN PURE EMANATION OF THE GLORY OF ...GOD."
What we have here is a rehash of Neoplatonism. Platonic philosophy presented the idea of a material universe and the Demiurge as its creator but explained the physical world as possessing only relative reality. Plato also taught that knowledge is partly a matter of recollections of a previous life with all souls preexisting.
F. THE PREEXISTENCE OF SOULS
Is also mentioned in the next chapter 8:19,20. This is the teaching of the doctrine of TRADUCIANISM, which claims that the soul, as well as the body is produced in procreation by the parents. Now we know that ultimately only God can give soul-live.
G. OTHER FALLACIES AND BLASPHEMEIS IN THE APOCRYPHA.
The apocrypha advocates hatred of the Samaritans. So if you follow the teachings of the Apocrypha, you must hate the Samaritans before you can be saved. Since there are no Samaritans left today for us to hate, where does that put us as far as salvation is concerned? In Prov. 6, lying is second on the list of the seven "worst" sins; in the Apocrypha, lying is sanctioned. The Bible strictly prohibits anything connected with witchcraft Deut. 18:10-12, but magical incantations are encouraged in the Apocrypha. So is assassination, which is a violation of the laws of divine establishment Matt 19:18.
In the Apocrypha, seven angels are said to have the power of intercession. In view of Rom. 8:34, I Tim 2:5 and Heb 7:25, this is outright blasphemy!