Changes

==Protestant doctrine: "these books were added to the Bible in the 4th century"==

==Protestant doctrine: "these books were added to the Bible in the 4th century"==

Protestant doctrine constantly affirms that the apocryphal books were ''added'' to the Bible in the 4th century by the Catholic Church because they contain texts which support traditional Catholic and Orthodox teaching and practice, such as the intercession of saints and prayers for the dead, and the performance of good works and almsgiving as a means of deliverance from death and purging of every sin (''see'' [[Apocrypha#External links|'''The Great Heresies''']], External links ''below''). Since the Apocrypha were already in the Septuagint Old Testament from before the time of the apostles, and have been an integral part of the Greek Bible as read in the ancient Church and preserved by Eastern Orthodoxy from the 1st century to this day, it is difficult to see how they had been "added". Eastern Church leaders rejected the proposed Protestant canon of 66 books in the Bible.<ref>[http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_luther.aspx Luther Had His Chance] (orthodoxinfo.com)</ref>

Protestant doctrine constantly affirms that the apocryphal books were ''added'' to the Bible in the 4th century by the Catholic Church because they contain texts which support [[Apostolic Tradition|traditional]] Catholic and Orthodox teaching and practice, such as the intercession of saints and prayers for the dead, and the performance of good works and almsgiving as a means of deliverance from death and purging of every sin (''see'' [[Apocrypha#External links|'''The Great Heresies''']], External links ''below''). Since the Apocrypha were already in the Septuagint Old Testament from before the time of the apostles, and have been an integral part of the Greek Bible as read in the ancient Church and preserved by Eastern Orthodoxy from the 1st century to this day, it is difficult to see how they had been "added". Eastern Church leaders rejected the proposed Protestant canon of 66 books in the Bible.<ref>[http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_luther.aspx Luther Had His Chance] (orthodoxinfo.com)</ref>

Protestant doctrine also points out that none of the Apocrypha are quoted in the New Testament, presenting this fact as an additional indication that the New Testament writers did not regard them as inspired scripture. Jesus and the New Testament writers quote from all Old Testament Books ''except Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes,'' and the ''Song of Solomon''. This does not mean they are not inspired, and they are accepted by Protestants as canonical scriptures of the Holy Bible.

Protestant doctrine also points out that none of the Apocrypha are quoted in the New Testament, presenting this fact as an additional indication that the New Testament writers did not regard them as inspired scripture. Jesus and the New Testament writers quote from all Old Testament Books ''except Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes,'' and the ''Song of Solomon''. This does not mean they are not inspired, and they are accepted by Protestants as canonical scriptures of the Holy Bible.

*[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ Official King James Bible online: Apocrypha Books]</ref> Those who do comparative studies of Old Testament texts quoted in the New Testament have frequently been puzzled by the sometimes obvious discrepancies they have noticed, in particular the quotation cited in Hebrews 1:6 "And let all the angels of God worship him", a text not found anywhere in the Hebrew Masoretic text of the [[Tanakh]], but is found in the Septuagint in Deuteronomy 32:43, and which some scholars have proposed as a possibly inexact, rough parallel [[paraphrase]] of [http://biblehub.com/psalms/97-7.htm Psalm 97:7].'''<ref>See [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm multiple commentaries on Hebrews 1:6].</ref>''' Protestant doctrine has traditionally affirmed that the books of the Apocrypha were not originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, presenting this as an additional indication that they cannot be regarded as sacred inspired scripture.  

*[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ Official King James Bible online: Apocrypha Books]</ref> Those who do comparative studies of Old Testament texts quoted in the New Testament have frequently been puzzled by the sometimes obvious discrepancies they have noticed, in particular the quotation cited in Hebrews 1:6 "And let all the angels of God worship him", a text not found anywhere in the Hebrew Masoretic text of the [[Tanakh]], but is found in the Septuagint in Deuteronomy 32:43, and which some scholars have proposed as a possibly inexact, rough parallel [[paraphrase]] of [http://biblehub.com/psalms/97-7.htm Psalm 97:7].'''<ref>See [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm multiple commentaries on Hebrews 1:6].</ref>''' Protestant doctrine has traditionally affirmed that the books of the Apocrypha were not originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, presenting this as an additional indication that they cannot be regarded as sacred inspired scripture.  

However, Biblical researchers in the 20th and 21st centuries have also discovered that most of the Apocrypha, except the Book of Wisdom (originally written in Greek?), were in fact originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic (Syriac) prior to the Christian era.<ref>[http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/apocrypha/ Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Apocrypha] <br/>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/apocrypha.html The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha] (jewishvirtuallibrary.org)</ref><ref name=HebrewAramaic/> The New Testament quotes from all of the Old Testament Books except Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, and the New Testament books themselves were originally written in Greek.<ref>''The Gospel According to Matthew'' alone among the scriptures of the New Testament was probably originally written by Matthew in Hebrew or Aramaic, according to the earlier tradition cited by Eusebius Pamphilus in his ''Ecclesistical History'' (Book III, Chapter XXIV). —''The Ecclesiastical History Of Eusebius Pamphilus: Bishop Of Caesarea, In Palestine'', C. F. Cruse, 1874, London: George Bell and Sons, York Steet, Covent Garden. pages 97—98.</ref> This does not mean they are not inspired.

However, Biblical researchers in the 20th and 21st centuries have also discovered that most of the Apocrypha, except the Book of Wisdom (originally written in Greek?), were in fact originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic (Syriac) prior to the Christian era.<ref>[http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/apocrypha/ Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Apocrypha] <br/>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/apocrypha.html The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha] (jewishvirtuallibrary.org)</ref><ref name=HebrewAramaic/> The New Testament quotes from all of the Old Testament Books except Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, and the New Testament books themselves were originally written in Greek.<ref>''The Gospel According to Matthew'' alone among the scriptures of the New Testament was probably originally written by Matthew in Hebrew or Aramaic, according to the earlier [[Apostolic Tradition|tradition]] cited by Eusebius Pamphilus in his ''Ecclesistical History'' (Book III, Chapter XXIV). —''The Ecclesiastical History Of Eusebius Pamphilus: Bishop Of Caesarea, In Palestine'', C. F. Cruse, 1874, London: George Bell and Sons, York Steet, Covent Garden. pages 97—98.</ref> This does not mean they are not inspired.

See [[Septuagint#Table of LXX quotes and allusions in the New Testament|Septuagint: Table of LXX quotes and allusions in the New Testament]].

See [[Septuagint#Table of LXX quotes and allusions in the New Testament|Septuagint: Table of LXX quotes and allusions in the New Testament]].

The "[[Apostolic Fathers]]" include the [[Didache]] and the [[Epistles of Ignatius]] and the [[Shepherd of Hermas]] from the early 2nd century.

The "[[Apostolic Fathers]]" include the [[Didache]] and the [[Epistles of Ignatius]] and the [[Shepherd of Hermas]] from the early 2nd century.

The later [[Gnostic]] writings and gospels such as the [[Gospel of Thomas]], found hidden in the abandoned monastery library at [[Nag Hammadi]] in Egypt, were written after the New Testament period. These books were of disputed status in the early Church as to whether they were scriptural or not, and were not included by the regional Third Council of Carthage and by the later General Council of Trent in the list of canonical scriptures. The Early Church fathers were concerned only with books relevant to the Christian faith, books which concerned salvation and growing in the Lord, following the oral tradition of the apostles ([http://biblehub.com/multi/2_thessalonians/2-15.htm 2&nbsp;Thessalonians 2:15]).

The later [[Gnostic]] writings and gospels such as the [[Gospel of Thomas]], found hidden in the abandoned monastery library at [[Nag Hammadi]] in Egypt, were written after the New Testament period. These books were of disputed status in the early Church as to whether they were scriptural or not, and were not included by the regional Third Council of Carthage and by the later General Council of Trent in the list of canonical scriptures. The Early Church fathers were concerned only with books relevant to the Christian faith, books which concerned salvation and growing in the Lord, following the oral [[Apostolic Tradition|tradition of the apostles]] ([http://biblehub.com/multi/2_thessalonians/2-15.htm 2&nbsp;Thessalonians 2:15]).

== References ==

== References ==