The Bible | Apocrypha
The Apocrypha is the name used for the extra-biblical writings that are contained in the Catholic Bible. They are the books of Tobit, Judith, I and II Maccabees, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), and Baruch. They also entail chapters added to the book of Daniel, chapter 13, the story “Susanna” and chapter 14 the account of “Bel and the Dragon”, and “The Song of the Three Young Men” inserted into the third chapter. The book of Esther is also expanded by 107 verses. By inserting these additions into the Bible, the Catholic Church has contaminated and adulterated the Written Word of God as our sole authority. This fits well within the Roman Catholic system because the Catholic Church does not rest in the written Word as its final authority. The Bible is perfect and perfectly fitted for our salvation for which it was designed. In adding more books and verses to the perfect Word of God, the Catholic Church is endangering the souls of men and women.
The Catechism Says:
#120 “It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned which writings are to be included in the list of the sacred books. This complete list is called the canon of Scripture. It includes 46 books for the Old Testament (45 if we count Jeremiah and Lamentations as one) and 27 for the New. The Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther [with 107 extra verses], 1 and 2 Maccabees, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, [inserted additions to Daniel, Bel and the Dragon and the Song of the three Holy Children] Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi.”
The Bible Says:
The Lord Jesus Christ and the writers of the New Testament never ascribe to any of Apocryphal books. The distinctive “it is written” or the equivalents such as “thus saith the Lord” are commonly used in the New Testament when referring to quotations in the Old Testament. It is extremely significant that almost all of the canonical books of the Old Testament are thus authenticated in the New Testament by cross-referencing. There are no references in the New Testament to the Apocryphal books, let alone including them as Scripture.
The apostle Paul in the book of Romans states,
What advantage then hath the Jew?…Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God (Romans 3:1-2).
Historically, the Jews have never accepted anything more than the canonical books of the Old Testament; they have refused to combine the books of the Apocrypha with the oracles of God.
The Catechism Says:
#958 “Communion with the dead…the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and ‘because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins’ [2 Maccabees. 12:45] she offers her suffrages for them.”
The Bible Says:
Deuteronomy 18:10-11 There shall not be found among you any one… that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
A necromancer is one who calls up the dead. The pagan practice of communion with the dead is forbidden in the Bible.
Summary of issue
The Apocrypha contains errors, fables, superstitions, magic, deceit, and wrong doctrine such as praying for the dead. All of these things are totally at variance to the pure word of God in the canonical books.
The fact that the Church of Rome has added books that contain such false doctrine shows that she does not believe in the integrity truth and absoluteness of the Scripture; rather her love is for her tradition. I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. Revelation 22:18