In the sermon titled 'Of the Holy Scriptures 1689 SLBC Chap. 1, Par. 3,' Eric Bechler discusses the nature and authority of the Holy Scriptures and examines the Apocrypha's role in the biblical canon. The sermon emphasizes the Scriptures as a complete, sufficient, and infallible source of spiritual truth, forming the fundamental rule of faith and life for believers. The Apocrypha, comprising books not included in the Jewish or Protestant canon but present in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate, is explored in detail. The speaker outlines multiple reasons for its exclusion from the Protestant canon: its Greek origin, lack of claims to divine inspiration, non-recognition by Jewish tradition or early Christian authorities, absence of quotations by Jesus or the Apostles, and inconsistencies with canonical scriptures. The sermon further warns against the dangers of adding to or diminishing the Holy Scriptures, urging believers to remain rooted in the canonical texts to avoid deception by false teachings. It concludes by encouraging frequent engagement with the Scriptures to internalize God's word and maintain spiritual vigilance.

The focus of chapter one that we've been talking about is the Holy Scriptures. In the first paragraph we looked at a couple weeks ago, we believe and they are described as a closed system of truth, complete, sufficient, certain, and infallible for all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. They're not to be added to nor diminished They contain all the spiritual truths God intended to reveal. The second paragraph we looked at listed out the 39 books in the Old Testament the 27 books in the New Testament 66 books total given by the inspiration of God, God breathed to be the rule of faith and life. This morning we continue by looking at what is called the Apocrypha.

What is the Apocrypha and why do we or should we care? And let's answer the second question first. Why should we care? This is about the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. This is our rule of faith and life.

This is our measure and our standard against which we hold up all thoughts, words, and actions. Recall our favorite phrase, what sayeth the scriptures. Without having confidence or a certainty of what is included in the scriptures, how could we know God's Son? How could we know God's will? We could be led astray by false teaching, or heaven forbid, leave other people astray.

So any discussion about what is in scripture is a really big deal for us. So back again to what is the Apocrypha. Apocrypha comes from an ancient Greek word meaning hidden, or the hidden things. There are books that were included in the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, but they're not included in the Jewish or Protestant canon. So how many are there?

Typically there's considered 14 books or additions to books already in the canon such as Esther and Daniel. I'll read the list of them and make a couple of comments to them. Ecclesiasticus, The Wisdom of Solomon, First Maccabees. First Maccabees includes the Antiochus epiphanies desecration of the temple and is the source of all information regarding Hanukkah, which the Jews celebrate. Second Maccabees, a mixture of fiction and history.

Tobit, a fictional story. Belle and the Dragon, a teaching on idolatry that was added to the end of Daniel. Judith, a mythical tale. Esther, this was verses that were apocalyptic added to Esther. Baruch, he was assumed to be the secretary of Jeremiah.

The prayer of Manasseh. The song of the three holy children. This is an addition to the third chapter of Daniel. The history of Susanna is an addition as a prefix to the book of Daniel. First estrus and finally second estrus.

In 382 AD the Council of Rome confirmed these books as canonical. In reaction to the Reformation and Martin Luther's views, the Council of Trent in 1546 further confirmed nearly all the Vulgate, which included the Apocrypha, as canonical. In Martin Luther's 1534 Bible, it was the first time that there was a separation of the Apocrypha from the Old and New Testament. It was placed in between the two testaments with a notice clearly stating that these books are not divinely inspired. The Geneva Bible followed suit in 1599 And actually the 1611 King James Version also did the same thing and included the Apocrypha.

I would emphasize that all of these Bibles which place the Apocrypha in between the Testaments made it clear that these were not part of the canon and were strictly for historical value. So what are our reasons for not including these into the canon of Scripture? There are many discussions and papers and books I saw on the internet and throughout that detail all the ins and outs of this whole discussion. For our purposes I will provide just a summary of the concerns that were raised and which should satisfy for our purposes. Number one, they were written in the Greek language.

Not one of them is in the Hebrew language, which was alone used by the inspired historians, prophets, or poets of the Old Testament. Number two, not one of the writers lay any claim to inspiration. In fact, in 1 Maccabee 4, it indicates that there weren't even any prophets at the time. He quotes, until a prophet should appear. And in 1 Maccabees 9.27, since the time prophets ceased to appear among them, nowhere in these do we find it is written.

Nowhere do we find God says. Nowhere do we find scripture says. If we go back to 2nd Peter 1 19 through 21 we also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. You will do well to pay attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one's own interpretation, for no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Number three, these books were never acknowledged as sacred scriptures by the Jews to whom the oracles of God were committed, we read in Romans 3, 2, and therefore were never sanctioned by our Lord. I'll quote Josephus, it is true our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very particularly this is approximately the time of Malachi but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers, because there has not been an exact succession of prophets since that time. We have not in a numeral multitude of books among us disagreeing from and contradicting one another, but only 22 books which contain the records of all the past times, which are justly believed to be divine. 22 books. I'll just comment on that really quick.

In the Hebrew Bible there's 22 books. In the Old Testament there's 39. They actually are comparable because in the Hebrew Bible they combine books. All the minor prophets are in one scroll. Ezra and Nehemiah they're in one scroll.

First and second king, first and second Chronicles, these are combined. So there's not a disagreement there between the 22 books in the Hebrew Bible and our canon for the Old Testament. Number four, none of them were ever quoted by Christ or the Apostles, Nor is there a single word found in all the New Testament from which it can be inferred that such books were in existence. Number five, they were not allowed a place among the sacred books during the first four centuries of the Christian church. Number six, they contain fabulous statements and statements which contradict not only the canonical scriptures But themselves as in the two books of Maccabees Antiochus epiphanies is made to die three different deaths and in as many different places Number seven they inculcate doctrines at variance with the Bible, such as prayers for the dead in 2nd Maccabees chapter 12, giving money to atone for sins in Tobit 410, a sinless perfection.

Finally, number eight, they teach immoral practices such as lying, suicide, assassination, and magical incantation. If you remember our discussion from last week, this is quite different from all the support we read through for the 66 books we have in the canon of Scripture. It's very important that we be not deceived and that we do not fall for false teachings. If we refer to 1 John 4 verse 1, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but tries the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. First John 4, 6, we are of God.

He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. And finally in Colossians 2, 6 through 8, as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy in vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." In summary, the books commonly called the Apocrypha not being of divine inspiration are no part of the canon or rule of scripture, and therefore are of no authority to the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other human writings.

I'll close with a couple more verses here. In 2nd Timothy 3, 15 through 16, and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. In 1st Thessalonians 2.13, for this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when he received the word of God, which he heard of us, he received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." So God has given these holy scriptures. They're inspired.

There's always efforts to add to or diminish from the scriptures. The Apocrypha is one such case. We need to know our scriptures. We need to be able to know them to be able to hold them up to potential false teachings. If you don't know the scriptures, you will be deceived.

You will fall. So I would encourage you, make sure your Bible never gets dusty. Make sure you read it as often as you can. You can read it every year, that's great. If you can read it several times even in a year, that's great too.

Even if a couple verses each day, whatever you can do, put God's word in your heart. Amen.