7 Missing Bible Books: Why Did Protestants Remove Them from the Bible?

Have you ever held different Bibles in your hands and noticed something interesting? You might see that some Old Testaments, especially those cherished in Catholic and Orthodox churches, seem a little fuller, a bit more extensive. They contain wonderful books and additions that you might not find in most Protestant Bibles.¹ that’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity to learn! It can make you wonder, “What are these special books? Why are they a part of some Bibles and not others? Were they ‘taken out’ by some, or ‘put in’ by others?” Well, get ready for some good news, because God wants you to have peace and understanding!

This article is here to bring clarity and shine a light on these common questions. These precious writings are known by a couple of names, like the “Deuterocanonicals” or the “Apocrypha” – and don’t let those big words intimidate you! They simply tell a part of a fascinating story. It’s a journey through history, a story that includes ancient translations of God’s Word, important gatherings of early Church leaders, major moments like the Protestant Reformation, and different, heartfelt ways people came to recognize the list of books God inspired – what we call the Bible’s canon. And through it all, you can be sure God was guiding His people!

So, what are these books that make some Old Testaments a little longer? It mainly comes down to seven unique works, along with some beautiful additions to books you might already know.

These seven books are:

• Tobit – a story of faith and angelic help!
• Judith – a tale of courage and deliverance!
• Wisdom (also known as the Wisdom of Solomon) – full of insights about God’s wisdom!
• Sirach (also called Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach) – packed with wise teachings!
• Baruch (which often includes the inspiring Letter of Jeremiah as its sixth chapter) – a call to faithfulness!
• 1 Maccabees – a history of fighting for faith!
• 2 Maccabees – another look at that incredible fight, with powerful lessons!3

And that’s not all! There are also some extra inspired passages in the books of Esther and Daniel that are treasured in Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments, though you generally won’t find them in Protestant Bibles.³ The additions to Daniel, for example, include the uplifting story of Susanna, the amazing account of Bel and the Dragon, and the powerful Prayer of Azariah.

These books have different names, and those names can tell us something important because they often show the perspective of the group using the term. It’s all part of understanding the bigger picture!

• Deuterocanonical Books: This is a term you’ll often hear from our friends in the Catholic Church and many Eastern Orthodox Churches.⁷ “Deuterocanonical” simply means “second canon.”4 It doesn’t mean less important! It just means their place in God’s inspired Word was discussed and joyfully affirmed by the Church a little later than some other books that everyone agreed on from the start. For Catholics, these books are fully and equally God’s inspired Word – every bit as powerful and true!7 The name itself points to a beautiful process where the guided by God, recognized these writings.
• Apocrypha: Our Protestant brothers and sisters often use this term for the same books.² “Apocrypha” comes from a Greek word that means “hidden” or “not widely known.”2 When Protestants use this term, it generally means they see these books as valuable for history or for encouraging your spirit not as God’s divinely inspired Word for establishing doctrine.² It’s good to know that “Apocrypha” can also refer to a much wider group of ancient religious writings, some of which aren’t part of this specific set and are generally not accepted by any major Christian tradition.² But in our discussion, “Apocrypha” refers to these special deuterocanonical books.

Here’s a simple way to see these books at a glance:

Common Name(s)	Catholic/Orthodox Status	Typical Protestant Status	Brief Genre/Description
Tobit	Deuterocanonical	Apocryphal	A faith-filled story about a devout Israelite living far from home, showing us God’s faithfulness, the blessing of charity, angelic guidance, and divine healing.19
Judith	Deuterocanonical	Apocryphal	An exciting story of a brave Jewish widow whose daring faith saved her people from a mighty army.21
Wisdom (of Solomon)	Deuterocanonical	Apocryphal	A book full of wisdom, praising God’s divine Wisdom, talking about living right, life beyond this one, and God’s justice, often with beautiful insights.23
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)	Deuterocanonical	Apocryphal	A wonderful collection of wise sayings for every part of life, about how to live, treat others, and honor God, always reminding us to respect the Lord.25
Baruch (often includes Letter of Jeremiah)	Deuterocanonical	Apocryphal	Believed to be from Jeremiah’s helper, this book has prayers, confessions, and calls to wisdom. The Letter of Jeremiah is a strong message against false gods.27
1 Maccabees	Deuterocanonical	Apocryphal	A historical account of a courageous Jewish stand (the Maccabean Revolt) against a powerful empire in the 2nd century BC, all about fighting for religious freedom.29
2 Maccabees	Deuterocanonical	Apocryphal	Another inspiring history of that same Maccabean Revolt, but this one really highlights God’s amazing intervention, the bravery of those who died for their faith, and the hope of rising again.31
Additions to Esther	Deuterocanonical	Apocryphal	Special sections found in the Greek version of Esther (but not the Hebrew) that make the story even more focused on God, with prayers and mentions of His help.33
Additions to Daniel (Susanna, Bel & Dragon, Prayer of Azariah)	Deuterocanonical	Apocryphal	Extra stories and prayers included in the Greek version of Daniel, like Susanna’s victory, Daniel showing the truth about idols, and the prayer of Daniel’s friends in the fiery furnace.4

It’s also good to know that our Eastern Orthodox friends accept a few more deuterocanonical books than the Catholic Church. Their Bibles often include 1 Esdras (sometimes called 3 Esdras), 3 Maccabees, Psalm 151, and the Prayer of Manasseh, and sometimes 4 Maccabees is in an appendix.⁴ But don’t worry about all the details! This article will mostly talk about the seven books and the additions to Esther and Daniel, because those are the main ones that make Catholic and Protestant Old Testaments different. The fact that there are even slight variations shows us that understanding God’s Word has been a journey of discovery throughout history!

The reason Catholic and Orthodox Bibles have these Deuterocanonical books is a beautiful story of continuous use and acceptance, going all the way back to the earliest days of Christianity. God has a way of preserving what He values!

The Powerful Influence of the Septuagint (LXX)

One of the biggest keys is something called the Septuagint. Imagine this: a few centuries before Jesus walked the earth, the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament) were translated into Greek.⁷ This was a blessing for Greek-speaking Jewish people, especially in places like Alexandria, Egypt, where Greek was the everyday language.¹¹ And here’s the amazing part: the ancient copies of the Septuagint that we still have today included these deuterocanonical books right alongside the other Old Testament books.⁴

So, when Christianity began to spread like a wildfire, especially to people who spoke Greek, the Septuagint became the main Old Testament for those early believers.⁴ Think about it – even the writers of the New Testament often quoted from this Septuagint when they talked about the Old Testament!4 The thinking in Catholic and Orthodox traditions is so encouraging: since the Apostles and the very first Christians used an Old Testament that had these books, and they never said, “Watch out for these!”, it was natural for these books to be received as God’s sacred Word.⁷ The Old Testament that many early Christians knew and loved was a broader collection than the Hebrew list that was finalized later. God was working through it all!

Early Church Practice and Godly Councils

Because the Septuagint was so widely used, many respected early Church Fathers – those wise Christian leaders and thinkers of the first few centuries – quoted from the Deuterocanonical books. They often treated them just like Scripture in their writings and when they preached God’s Word.⁴

As the Church grew, local groups of leaders, called councils, began to formally list the books they recognized as inspired by God and authoritative. Some of the most important were:

• The Council of Rome (way back in 382 AD)
• The Synod of Hippo (in 393 AD)
• The Councils of Carthage (in 397 AD and 419 AD)

These councils, especially those in North Africa where great men of God like St. Augustine had a big influence, confirmed lists of biblical books that included these Deuterocanonical books.⁴ They weren’t trying to invent a new list; they were simply acknowledging with joy the sacred writings that were already being used and considered God’s Word in the Church.

The Council of Trent (1546) – A Clear Affirmation!

For the Catholic the status of these Deuterocanonical books was declared with absolute certainty at the Council of Trent in the 16th century.⁷ This council made a formal statement listing all the books of the Old and New Testaments, and yes, this list included the Deuterocanonicals! This declaration was, in many ways, a response to the Protestant Reformation, a time when the Reformers questioned whether these books were truly Scripture.⁷ It’s so important to understand this from the Catholic perspective: Trent didn’t “add” these books to the Bible. Instead, it powerfully confirmed the Church’s long-held tradition about which books belonged in the Old Testament.⁷ Believing that the guided by the Holy Spirit, has the ability to recognize and define the canon is a central part of this beautiful understanding.

Our Eastern Orthodox Friends

Eastern Orthodox Churches also believe the Deuterocanonical books (and, as we mentioned, a few more) are God’s canonical Scripture.⁴ Their reasons are similar: these books were in the Septuagint, used by the early Church Fathers, and confirmed by their own church gatherings, like the Synod of Jerusalem in 1672.⁴⁵

This timeline helps us see God’s hand in history:

Date (Approximate)	Event	Significance for Deuterocanonicals
3rd–1st Cent. BC	Septuagint (LXX) Translation	This Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, which included the Deuterocanonical books, became a blessing for many.7
1st Cent. AD	Apostolic Use of LXX	New Testament writers and early Christians often used the LXX, which contained these books, showing their familiarity.7
382 AD	Council of Rome	Under Pope Damasus I, a list of God’s books was produced, and it included the Deuterocanonicals.7
393 AD / 397 AD	Councils of Hippo / Carthage	These North African councils, with leaders like Augustine, affirmed a canon that included the Deuterocanonicals.7
1442 AD	Council of Florence	Reaffirmed the traditional list of inspired books, including the Deuterocanonicals.42
1546 AD	Council of Trent	The Catholic Church, with great clarity, defined the canon of Scripture, including the Deuterocanonical books.7
1672 AD	Synod of Jerusalem (Eastern Orthodox)	Confirmed the Orthodox canon, which joyfully includes the Deuterocanonicals and some additional texts.45

This journey through time shows us that the Catholic and Orthodox inclusion of these books is built on their continuous presence in the Church’s Old Testament (mainly through the Septuagint) and the Church’s prayerful discernment over many, many years. God is so faithful!

The reason Protestant Bibles generally don’t include the Deuterocanonical books (or Apocrypha, as they often call them) comes from some very specific beliefs and historical understandings that became really important during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. It’s all about seeking God’s truth!

The Powerful Principle of Sola Scriptura

A core belief of the Protestant Reformation was Sola Scriptura, which is a Latin phrase meaning “Scripture alone.”8 This principle declared that the Bible is the one and only perfect source of authority for our Christian faith and how we live. For the Reformers, this meant that only books clearly seen as God’s inspired Word should be used to establish what we believe. This led them to take a fresh look at the existing list of biblical books and to ask questions about those whose scriptural status had been debated or seemed less certain.⁸ They wanted to be sure they were standing on God’s unshakeable Word!

A Focus on the Hebrew Canon

In their desire to return to what they believed were the original foundations of Christianity, the Protestant Reformers put a lot of importance on the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament (also known as the Tanakh).⁸ They pointed out that the Deuterocanonical books were not part of this ancient Hebrew collection, which was carefully preserved by the Jewish people in Palestine.¹ An argument often made was that since the Jewish people were the first ones to receive and take care of the Old Testament Scriptures (as Paul mentions in Romans 3:2), their list of books should be seen as the authority for defining the Old Testament.⁵⁵

What Key Reformers Believed

• Martin Luther (1483-1546): This man of God played a huge role. When he translated the Bible into German (finished in 1534), he didn’t just throw these books out. Instead, he moved them from where they were in the Old Testament (in the Latin Vulgate, the common Bible at that time) and put them in a special section between the Old and New Testaments.⁷ He called this section “Apocrypha” and wrote that these are “books which are not regarded as equal to the holy Scriptures, and yet are profitable and good to read.”41 Luther had questions about whether their teachings always lined up with other Scriptures, especially things like praying for those who have passed on and the idea of purgatory, which seemed to get support from 2 Maccabees.⁷ His strong beliefs, especially about being made right with God by faith alone, made him look very carefully at any texts that seemed to support practices or beliefs he felt weren’t biblical.
• John Calvin (1509-1564): Calvin also believed the Apocrypha were not divinely inspired and so not part of the canon, though he agreed they could be helpful for encouragement.⁵⁹ He argued that their inclusion didn’t have the “consent of the primitive Church,” often thinking of early leaders like Jerome who had some doubts.⁶² Calvin also felt that the books themselves didn’t have the same inner mark of God’s authority as the canonical books. For example, he pointed to the author of 2 Maccabees asking for forgiveness if his work wasn’t perfect (2 Maccabees 15:38), which Calvin thought was different from how God’s inspired Word would sound.⁶²
• Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531): Another leading Reformer, Zwingli, had a similar view. He emphasized that only Scripture inspired by God has ultimate authority and didn’t see the Apocrypha as canonical in that same way.⁵⁵ While he and others did produce translations that included these books (like the Zurich Bible), they were generally seen as good for reading and learning always to be understood in light of the main Scriptures and not as a basis for core beliefs.⁶¹

Concerns About Certain Teachings

A big reason for the Protestant rejection of these books was that they contained some teachings and practices that the Reformers felt went against what was taught in the universally accepted Scriptures. These included:

• Praying for those who have died and the idea of purgatory: This seemed to be supported by 2 Maccabees 12:42-45.⁶
• The idea that angels and saints who have gone to heaven can pray for us: This was suggested in Tobit 12:12.¹²
• The thought that giving to the poor or doing good works can make up for sins or earn salvation: This seemed to be implied in places like Tobit 12:9 and Sirach 3:30.¹ These were major points of disagreement during the Reformation, especially about how we are saved, God’s grace, and what happens after this life.

Not Quoted as Scripture in the New Testament

Protestants have always pointed out something very important: while Jesus and the New Testament writers often quoted from the books of the Hebrew Old Testament as God’s authoritative Word (using phrases like “it is written” or “Scripture says”), they never, ever quoted any of the Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal books in that same way.¹ This lack of direct, authoritative quoting by Jesus or the apostles is seen as strong evidence that these books aren’t on the same level.

Questions About History and Consistency

Some Reformers and later Protestant thinkers also had questions about whether some historical details, timelines, or theological statements in the Apocrypha were perfectly accurate or consistent with the rest of God’s Word.¹

So, the Protestant decision to not include these books was driven by a deep commitment to Sola Scriptura, a belief that the Hebrew canon was the true foundation for the Old Testament, concerns about certain teachings in the Apocrypha, and the fact that Jesus and the New Testament writers didn’t explicitly endorse them as Scripture. This wasn’t just a random choice one based on strongly held beliefs about God’s inspired Word. It also showed a fundamental difference in where the ultimate authority to define the canon lies: with the historical Jewish community and the Bible’s own testimony (a common Protestant view), or with the teaching authority of the Church (the Catholic and Orthodox view). And God honors a sincere heart seeking His truth!

When we look at what the early Church Fathers – those respected Christian thinkers and writers from the first few centuries after Jesus – said about the Deuterocanonical books, we find a rich and varied story of views! 7 Their thoughts weren’t all exactly the same. Sometimes it depended on where they lived (like Alexandria in Egypt, a center for Greek learning and the Septuagint, versus Palestine, which was closer to Hebrew traditions), how much Hebrew they knew, or the specific spiritual needs they were addressing. God uses variety to teach us!

Fathers Who Often Used Them as God’s Word

Many early Church Fathers, especially those who mainly used the Greek Septuagint as their Old Testament, quoted the Deuterocanonical books often and treated them like Scripture. What a blessing!

• St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD): Augustine was a giant of faith who generally accepted the Deuterocanonical books as part of God’s Word.⁴ In his amazing work On Christian Doctrine, he gave a list of Old Testament books that’s very much like the one later confirmed by the Council of Trent, and yes, it included the Deuterocanonicals.⁷¹ He was a powerful influence in the North African church meetings (councils of Hippo in 393 AD and Carthage in 397 AD) that formally listed these books as inspired.⁷⁰ When Augustine used these books, he often didn’t make a distinction in authority between them and the books everyone agreed on.⁴
• Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215 AD) and Origen (c. 184-253 AD): These influential thinkers from Alexandria also quoted many of the Deuterocanonical books, often treating them as Scripture.⁴ Origen, even while knowing about the shorter Hebrew list, is said by the historian Eusebius to have listed the Epistle of Jeremiah and Maccabees among the 22 books of the Hebrew Bible (though this might have been a particular understanding he had).⁴
• Other early writers like Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130-202 AD), Tertullian of Carthage (c. 155-220 AD), and Cyprian of Carthage (c. 210-258 AD) also quoted from these books in ways that show they likely saw them as God’s Word.⁴

Fathers Who Had Some Questions or Preferred the Hebrew List

Other Church Fathers, especially those who knew Hebrew well or were closer to the Jewish community in Palestine, sometimes had questions about whether the Deuterocanonical books were fully canonical, or they clearly preferred the shorter Hebrew list.

• St. Jerome (c. 347-420 AD): Jerome is a very important figure here. He’s the scholar who translated the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate)! He knew about the differences between the Hebrew canon and the books found in the Greek Septuagint.¹³
• In his introductions to various Old Testament books, especially the famous Prologus Galeatus (or “Helmeted Preface”) to Samuel and Kings, Jerome made a distinction. He talked about “canonical” books (those in the Hebrew Bible) and “ecclesiastical” books (the Deuterocanonicals).⁷³ He said the Church reads these ecclesiastical books “for the edification of the people, not to give authority to doctrines of the Church.”10 He was the first to consistently use the term “apocrypha” to mean “non-canonical” for these specific books.²
• But here’s the interesting part: even with his personal questions about their doctrinal authority, Jerome did include the Deuterocanonical books in his Vulgate translation!13 It’s said this was because they were already being used in the churches and perhaps because bishops asked him to.¹³ Some even say he later came to accept the Church’s judgment or even defended parts of them.⁷ God works in mysterious ways!
• St. Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296-373 AD): In his well-known 39th Festal Letter (from 367 AD), Athanasius gave a list of Old Testament books he considered canonical, and it matched the 22 books of the Hebrew canon.⁴ Then he mentioned several of the Deuterocanonical books (like Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Judith, Tobit, and also Esther, which was in Hebrew but some debated), along with a couple of other early Christian writings. He said these were “not included in the Canon appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness.”35 But he did include Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah with the book of Jeremiah in his main list.⁴⁴
• Melito of Sardis (d. C. 180 AD): This early bishop, according to Eusebius, actually traveled to Palestine to find out which Old Testament books were used there. The list he came back with is very close to the Hebrew canon and doesn’t include most of the Deuterocanonicals.⁴ (There’s a little debate about whether “Wisdom” in his list meant Proverbs or the Wisdom of Solomon 4).
• Rufinus of Aquileia (c. 345-411 AD), Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313-386 AD), and Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 329-390 AD): These Fathers also presented Old Testament lists that were closer to the shorter Hebrew canon. They often made a distinction between canonical books and those that were good for reading and learning.³⁵

The idea some Fathers had – that some books are for “establishing doctrine” and others are good for “edification” or “instruction” – is a really important point. This “two-level” thinking by some early Christian leaders became a big part of later discussions. It shows us that recognizing God’s Word was a journey, with “varying degrees of recognition” 7 for different books, even some that eventually became part of our New Testament! The discussion about the Deuterocanonicals was part of this wonderful, unfolding story of the Church understanding its sacred writings. God’s wisdom is so deep!

A question many people ask is, “When exactly did these books disappear from Protestant Bibles?” It’s good to know that this was more of a gradual journey than a single event right at the start of the Reformation. God often works step by step!

How the Reformers First Saw Them

The very first Protestant Reformers didn’t immediately or all at once remove these books from their Bibles.

• Martin Luther, in his powerful German Bible translation finished in 1534, didn’t take the books out completely. What he did was gather them from their usual places within the Old Testament (like in the Latin Vulgate) and put them in a special section right between the Old and New Testaments.⁷ He called this section “Apocrypha” and wrote a little note saying: “Apocrypha—that is, books which are not regarded as equal to the Holy Scriptures, and yet are profitable and good to read.”41 This shows he had a thoughtful view: not Scripture for core beliefs still valuable for your spirit!
• Other early Protestant Bible translations did something similar. For example, the very first edition of the famous King James Version (KJV) in 1611 included the Apocrypha as a separate section between the Testaments.¹² This way of doing things continued in many Protestant Bibles for quite a while.

Leaving Them Out Over Time

The complete leaving out of the Apocrypha from most Protestant Bibles happened later, and several things played a part:

• Bible Societies: A big turning point came in the 1800s. Wonderful organizations like the British and Foreign Bible Society (around 1825-1827) and later the American Bible Society decided to stop printing the Apocrypha in the Bibles they shared with the world.¹³

Why Bible Societies Made This Choice:

• Cost and Size: You see, printing those extra books made Bibles bigger and more expensive. Leaving them out made Bibles more affordable to make and easier to carry, especially for sharing God’s Word far and wide through missionary work.¹³
• Strong Beliefs: Many Protestants felt more and more strongly that including these non-canonical books in the same Bible as God’s inspired Word could confuse people about their true status.¹³ Taking them out completely was seen as a way to clearly show what they believed was the Protestant canon.
• Working with Others: Sometimes, when sharing Bibles with different groups, it seemed less complicated to offer Bibles without the Apocrypha.

Church Statements Made it Clearer

Although the early Reformers often had a more flexible view (good for reading not for doctrine), later Protestant statements of faith, called confessions, took a very clear stand that the Apocrypha were not canonical.

• For example, the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647), which is very important in Presbyterian and other Reformed churches, says: “The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority in the church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.”14 This kind of clear statement really solidified their exclusion from the canon in these branches of Protestantism.

So, you see, the “removal” was really more of an “omission” that happened in stages. It started with the Reformers re-thinking their authority, which led to them being put in a separate section. Later on, practical things like cost and distribution, along with firmer theological beliefs written in church confessions, led to them being widely left out of the Bibles most Protestants use. This journey shows a shift from seeing them as “useful but not for doctrine” to “usually not included at all.” And through every step, people were seeking to honor God!

When we talk about which books belong in the Bible, one question that often comes up is whether the books themselves say they are inspired by God. And on this point, our Protestant and Catholic/Orthodox friends have different ways of looking at the Deuterocanonicals. It’s all about how we hear God’s voice!

The Protestant Perspective: Looking for Clear Claims

A common thought from our Protestant friends is that the Deuterocanonical books generally don’t make those clear, direct claims of being God’s Word in the way many other Old Testament books do (like when they say, “Thus says the Lord” or are written by a known prophet).⁹

What’s more, some passages in these books are seen by Protestants as actually stepping back from claiming prophetic authority or inspiration:

• 1 Maccabees 4:45-46: This passage talks about how, after cleaning the temple altar that had been made unholy, they stored the stones away “until a prophet should come to tell what to do with them.”1 This is seen as saying that prophetic guidance was missing at that time.
• 1 Maccabees 9:27: This verse says, “Thus there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the time that prophets ceased to appear among them.” Again, this seems to show that the book itself knew it was written after the time of the prophets.
• 2 Maccabees 15:38: The author finishes his book by saying, “If it is well told and to the point, that is what I desired; if it is poorly done and mediocre, that is the best I could do.” This kind of apology or saying it might not be perfect is viewed by many Protestants as not quite what you’d expect from a text directly inspired by God and without any error.⁶²

There’s also a belief in “prophetic cessation”—the idea that God stopped giving direct prophetic revelation after Malachi (the last prophet in the Protestant Old Testament) until John the Baptist came. If these books were written during that time of perceived prophetic silence, they wouldn’t be seen as having the same prophetic power as the earlier Old Testament writings.⁵⁶

The Catholic and Orthodox Perspective: Recognized by the Church

Our Catholic and Orthodox brothers and sisters approach this question of “claiming inspiration” from a different angle, and it’s beautiful too!

• The Catholic Church teaches that divine inspiration means God is the ultimate author of Scripture, and He worked through human authors who used their own unique skills and styles.⁸² God can use anyone!
• A very important point they make is that no book in the Bible, whether everyone agrees on it or it’s a deuterocanonical one, actually says, “This book is divinely inspired by God” in those exact words.⁸² Claiming to be inspired isn’t usually a set phrase within the text itself.
• Instead, inspiration is understood as a special quality of these sacred writings that the guided by the Holy Spirit, recognizes. This recognition is based on the tradition passed down from the apostles and how these books have been consistently used in the life of the Church.⁷ The thinking often is that a book is first recognized as Scripture (part of the Church’s authoritative collection), and from that, its inspiration is understood (based on verses like 2 Timothy 3:16, which says “All Scripture is God-breathed”).⁸²
• While clear “Thus says the Lord” phrases might be less common in some Deuterocanonicals (though Baruch, for instance, is presented as prophetic), the powerful content of books like Wisdom of Solomon – which speaks so beautifully about divine wisdom and has passages some see as prophetic (like Wisdom chapter 2, describing the suffering of the righteous person) – is considered proof of their inspired character.⁶

So, you see, this discussion about “claims of inspiration” really touches on different ways of recognizing which books belong. Protestant traditions often look for signs within the text itself, like direct claims of God speaking or being written by a known prophet. Catholic and Orthodox traditions put more emphasis on the role of the Church in recognizing which books show the marks of God’s inspiration through their faithful sharing of His truth and their power to build up believers over time. Both are seeking to honor God’s Word!

The question of whether the New Testament writers quoted the Deuterocanonical books is another important point when people talk about whether they belong in the Bible. And just like with other aspects, our Protestant and Catholic/Orthodox friends see the evidence in slightly different sincere, ways.

The Protestant Perspective: Looking for Direct Quotes as Scripture

A main argument from the Protestant side for not including the Apocrypha is that Jesus and the New Testament authors never directly quote any of these books as God’s authoritative Scripture.¹ This means they aren’t introduced with those special phrases usually used to cite Scripture, like “it is written,” “as the Scripture says,” or “the Holy Spirit says through David.”

This is very different from how the New Testament treats the books of the main Old Testament. The New Testament has hundreds of direct quotes from, and references to, those books, clearly identifying them as God’s authoritative Word.¹ While those who support the Apocrypha might point to echoes or similarities to these books in the New Testament, Protestants generally say that just because there’s an echo doesn’t mean it’s being recognized as inspired Scripture.¹² They point out that New Testament writers also sometimes referred to or quoted from other non-biblical Jewish writings (like the Book of Enoch, which Jude quotes in verses 14-15) or even Greek poets (like Paul does in Acts 17:28) that didn’t mean those sources were God’s inspired Word.¹² The big thing here is how it’s cited: the Apocrypha are not cited as Scripture.

The Catholic and Orthodox Perspective: Seeing Connections and Influence

From the Catholic and Orthodox viewpoint, even if there aren’t direct “it is written” quotes of the Deuterocanonicals, the New Testament is filled with many allusions, paraphrases, and ideas that are very similar to these books. This suggests that the New Testament writers knew these books well and that their thinking was shaped by these texts.⁷ God’s truth can resonate in many places!

Some examples often shared include:

• Hebrews 11:35: This powerful verse says, “Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.” Many see this as a clear reference to the amazing story of a mother and her seven sons who bravely died for their faith, as told in 2 Maccabees 7.⁷ This story powerfully shows faith in the resurrection, which is a key theme in Hebrews 11. What an inspiration!
• Romans 1:18-32: When Paul talks about how the Gentile world turned to idol worship and immorality, his words and themes are very similar to passages in the Wisdom of Solomon 13-15, which also talks about the problems of idolatry.¹²
• James 1:19: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” sounds a lot like Sirach 5:11: “Be quick to hear, and be deliberate in answering.” Good advice from both!
• Other passages in Romans, 1 Peter, and elsewhere are also said to show that the writers knew ideas from Wisdom, Sirach, or other Deuterocanonical texts.

The argument here is that the New Testament writers lived in a time and place where these books (as part of the widely used Septuagint) were well-known and helped shape the way people talked about God and faith.⁷ The fact that the apostles didn’t say anything negative about these books, when they were part of the Old Testament version most Christians used, is also seen as very important.

It’s pointed out that several books of the main Old Testament are also not directly quoted in the New Testament (examples often given include Esther, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Ezra, Nehemiah, Obadiah, and Nahum).¹² So, just because a book isn’t directly quoted doesn’t automatically mean it’s not part of God’s Word.

The heart of the difference here is what counts as enough proof of New Testament approval. Protestants tend to look for clear, authoritative quotes as “Scripture.” Catholics and Orthodox see great meaning in the allusions and similar ideas, suggesting these books had a broader acceptance and influence in the early Christian world, largely because the Septuagint was so common. Both are seeking to understand God’s full message!

The Deuterocanonical books are like a treasure chest filled with different kinds of literary gems! They aren’t all the same; they include a wonderful variety of stories, wisdom, and history that reflect the diverse experiences of God’s people, the Jewish people, in the important centuries leading up to and around the time of Jesus.¹¹ Knowing what’s in them can give us such valuable background for both the Old and New Testaments. It’s like finding extra pieces to a beautiful puzzle!

Inspiring Historical Stories:

• 1 and 2 Maccabees: These books are like historical windows into the Maccabean Revolt in the 2nd century BC. This was a time when Jewish people bravely fought against the Seleucid Empire for the freedom to worship God according to their conscience.¹¹
• 1 Maccabees gives us a more straightforward, almost like a news report, account of this revolt. It tells of the leadership of Mattathias and his sons, especially Judas Maccabeus, Jonathan, and Simon. It details their struggles, their amazing victories, the joyful rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem (which is where the festival of Hanukkah comes from!), and how the Hasmonean family line began to lead.²⁹ The big themes here are being faithful to God’s covenant and standing up righteously against those who try to crush faith.
• 2 Maccabees talks about some of the same events but with an even stronger focus on God and faith.³¹ It really highlights God’s miraculous help, how important the Temple was, the incredible heroism of those who died for their faith (like the famous story of the mother and her seven sons in chapter 7 – so powerful!), the promise of rising from the dead, and even prayers for those who had passed on.⁷

Books Full of Wisdom:

These books are like cousins to Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes, filled with timeless wisdom.

• Wisdom of Solomon: Even though it’s named after Solomon, it was likely written much later by a wise Jewish person who spoke Greek.⁸ It beautifully praises Wisdom (often described like a divine helper), talks about God’s justice, the truth that our souls live on, the foolishness of idol worship, and recounts God’s amazing saving acts in Israel’s history, especially the Exodus.⁴ It’s a wonderful blend of Jewish faith and some Greek ways of thinking.
• Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus): Written by a wise man named Jesus, son of Eleazar, son of Sirach, this is a long and rich collection of proverbs, teachings on how to live right, and practical advice for all areas of life. It covers family, friendship, business, religious duties, being humble, and how to find wisdom.¹¹ It strongly teaches that respecting the Lord is where wisdom begins and how important it is to follow God’s Law.

Faith-Building Narratives / Stories with a Lesson:

These are like inspiring novels with strong moral and religious messages.

• Tobit: Set during a time when the Israelites were exiled in Assyria, this is the heartwarming story of Tobit, a righteous and faithful man who becomes blind. It also tells of his son Tobias who, guided by the angel Raphael in disguise (isn’t that amazing?), goes on a journey, finds a wife (Sarah, who had been troubled by a demon), and gets a miraculous cure for his father’s blindness.¹¹ The themes are so encouraging: living a godly life, giving to others, properly burying those who pass, marriage, angelic help, and God’s incredible faithfulness to those who trust Him.
• Judith: This book tells the thrilling story of Judith, a beautiful and incredibly brave Jewish widow. She saves her city, Bethulia, which was under attack, by cleverly tricking and then defeating Holofernes, the general of the invading Assyrian army.¹¹ It’s a powerful story of faith, courage, and how God can deliver His people through someone unexpected!

Prophetic and Visionary Writings/Additions:

• Baruch: This book is said to be by Baruch, who helped the prophet Jeremiah. It contains heartfelt prayers confessing Israel’s sins, deep thoughts on wisdom, calls to be faithful, and wonderful promises of future restoration and comfort for the Jewish people who were in exile.⁴
• Letter of Jeremiah: This is often found as the sixth chapter of Baruch. It’s a strong message against the foolishness of worshipping idols, warning the exiles in Babylon not to be drawn into worshipping false gods.⁴
• Additions to Daniel: These are special sections found in the Greek Septuagint version of Daniel but not in the Hebrew/Aramaic text. They include:
• The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men: A beautiful prayer and song of praise sung by Daniel’s friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, also called Azariah, Hananiah, and Mishael) from inside the fiery furnace!4
• Susanna: The inspiring story of a righteous woman falsely accused of adultery by corrupt leaders, who is saved by the wisdom of young Daniel.⁴
• Bel and the Dragon: Two stories where Daniel cleverly exposes the lies of idol worship, one about an idol named Bel and another about a large serpent or dragon that the Babylonians worshipped.⁴
• Additions to Esther: These are passages woven into the Greek version of Esther that make the story even more clearly religious than the Hebrew version.¹¹ They include prayers by Mordecai and Esther, Mordecai’s dream and what it meant, and copies of royal decrees, all explicitly mentioning God and highlighting Jewish faithfulness.

These summaries show that the Deuterocanonical books are a vast web! They offer historical accounts, wisdom for living, moral lessons, and beautiful expressions of faith from a very important time in Jewish history. They reflect the challenges and the growth in understanding God during the time between the last Old Testament prophets and the wonderful arrival of Jesus Christ. They truly provide a crucial bridge for understanding the world of the New Testament!

One of the main reasons our Protestant Reformer friends and those who followed them had questions about whether the Deuterocanonical books were part of God’s inspired Word was because they found certain teachings and practices in them that they felt were different from, or not clearly supported by, the main Old Testament books and the New Testament. These differences in understanding doctrine are still a key way to see the distinction between Protestant and Catholic/Orthodox beliefs. It’s all about seeking to honor God’s truth!

Key Beliefs and Practices in Question:

Prayers and Sacrifices for Those Who Have Passed On (and the related idea of Purgatory):

• 2 Maccabees 12:39-45 is the passage most often talked about here. It tells how Judas Maccabeus and his soldiers found sacred idol charms on their comrades who had died in battle. They then prayed for these fallen soldiers, and Judas sent money to Jerusalem to offer a sin offering for them. The passage says, “for if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead… Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.”6 What a powerful act of faith!
• Catholic and Orthodox Understanding: This passage is seen as clear biblical support for the practice of praying for the souls of those who have departed and for believing in a state of purification after death (which Catholics call Purgatory). This is seen as a place where souls are cleansed of any remaining imperfections before they can enter the full glory of heaven.
• Protestant Response: Protestants generally don’t hold to the doctrine of Purgatory or believe that prayers for the dead can change their eternal destiny. They often point to passages like Hebrews 9:27: “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” 35, believing a person’s eternal state is set at death. Some Protestant ways of understanding the 2 Maccabees passage suggest it shows a historical practice or a commendable belief in the resurrection, rather than a divinely approved doctrine for the Church today.³⁵ The idea that this passage supported Purgatory was a major reason for Luther’s concerns about 2 Maccabees.⁷

Intercession of Saints and Angels (Asking them to pray for us):

• Tobit 12:12, 15 shows the angel Raphael telling Tobit and Sarah, “when you and Sarah prayed, it was I who brought the record of your prayer before the glory of the Lord… I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One.”12 Imagine an angel taking your prayers to God!
• Catholic and Orthodox Understanding: This is seen as supporting the belief that saints and angels in heaven pray for believers on earth by presenting their prayers to God.
• Protestant Response: Protestants generally emphasize that we have direct access to God through Jesus Christ, who is our one and only mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Although they believe in the ministry of angels, they typically do not practice praying to saints or angels to intercede for them. They see this as lacking direct New Testament support and potentially taking away from Christ’s unique role as our go-between with God.

The Merit of Good Works / Giving to the Poor for Atonement of Sins:

• Passages like Tobit 4:10 (“For almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the Darkness.”) and Tobit 12:9 (“For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life.”) and Sirach 3:30 (“As water extinguishes a blazing fire, so almsgiving atones for sin.”) are sometimes brought up.¹
• Catholic and Orthodox Understanding: These passages can be understood in a way where good works, done with God’s grace, help in our journey of being made right with God and can have a cleansing value for sin, as we cooperate with God’s amazing grace.
• Protestant Response: A central belief of the Reformation is that we are saved by God’s grace through faith alone (sola gratia, sola fide), not by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9 35). While good works are seen as the necessary and beautiful fruit that shows true faith, Protestants don’t believe they can earn salvation or make up for sins. So, such passages in the Apocrypha cause concern if they are seen as teaching that we can be saved by our own efforts. Some Protestants suggest these passages might be talking about the evidence of a truly repentant heart or the earthly blessings of living righteously, rather than earning salvation.³⁵

These doctrinal differences weren’t small issues during the Reformation; they touched on very fundamental parts of how we understand salvation, how we relate to God, and what happens to our souls after this life. The Reformers’ deep desire to base every belief strictly on what they saw as clearly inspired Scripture led them to set aside books that seemed to support teachings they found different from the gospel message they understood from the main, undisputed books.⁷ How these “challenging” passages are understood remains a key area where theological paths diverge everyone is striving to honor God.

Even though these books aren’t considered part of the canon in Protestantism, many wise theologians, historians, and even some of the Protestant Reformers themselves have said there’s great value in reading the Deuterocanonical books, or Apocrypha! Their importance goes far beyond just debates about which books are in or out. There’s a treasure of wisdom here for everyone!

Amazing Historical Insights into the Time Between the Testaments

These books are like a precious window into the period between the Old and New Testaments (roughly 400 BC to the 1st century AD). This time is often called the Second Temple period or the “intertestamental period,” and it was a time of incredible developments in Jewish thinking, culture, and daily life.⁴

• 1 and 2 Maccabees, for example, give us detailed historical stories of the Jewish revolt against the oppressive rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. They tell of the fight for religious freedom, the bravery of martyrs, and how the festival of Hanukkah began.¹¹ Without these books, we’d know so much less about this incredibly important time in Jewish history!

Understanding the New Testament World Better

Knowing about the Deuterocanonicals can make your study of the New Testament even richer! It gives you a clearer picture of the Jewish world where Jesus lived and where the early Christian church first blossomed.⁸

• These books shine a light on ideas, beliefs, and words that were common in first-century Judaism. For instance, they show how Jewish understanding of the resurrection was developing (especially in 2 Maccabees), their views on angels and demons (Tobit), the beautiful idea of Wisdom being personified (Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach), their hopes for the future, and their thoughts on suffering and dying for one’s faith.⁶ Reading these texts helps fill in that time between Malachi and Matthew, showing it wasn’t “400 silent years” but a vibrant period of deep thinking and faithful struggle. It helps the New Testament come even more alive!

Beautiful Literature and Spiritual Encouragement

Many of these books are wonderfully written and offer deep spiritual truths that can build up your faith, no matter what your view is on whether they are official Scripture.

• Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach contain beautiful poetry and powerful thoughts about God, wisdom, and living a righteous life.²³ They are truly inspiring!
• Stories like Judith and the accounts of martyrs in 2 Maccabees give us amazing examples of faith, courage, and devotion to God even when facing terrible opposition.²¹
• The Prayer of Manasseh (often found in Apocrypha collections) is such a moving prayer of repentance.¹⁴
• Even the Protestant Reformers, while not seeing these books as having authority for doctrine, often said they were valuable. Martin Luther himself said they were “useful and good to read.”14 John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli also agreed they could be helpful for edification if read with wisdom and in light of the main Scriptures.⁶¹ The Anglican tradition’s Thirty-Nine Articles say that the Church reads the Apocrypha “for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine.”12 There’s so much good to be found!

Their Impact on Culture

Believe it or not, the Deuterocanonical books have had a real impact on Western culture, inspiring amazing works of art, literature (even authors like Shakespeare!), and music (like Handel’s beautiful oratorios and hymns by Charles Wesley).⁹³ Knowing these texts can help you appreciate these cultural treasures even more.

Valuable for Scholars and Students

Today, biblical scholars increasingly see how important the Deuterocanonical books are for getting a full understanding of biblical literature, Second Temple Judaism, and how Christianity began.⁴ Many academic study Bibles, like The New Oxford Annotated Bible and The HarperCollins Study Bible, include the Apocrypha with helpful introductions and notes, showing just how major they are academically and historically.⁴¹

So, to sum it all up: while Protestants don’t accept these books as God’s divinely inspired Word for setting down core beliefs, there are so many wonderful reasons to read and study them. They open a window to a crucial time in history, give background for the New Testament, contain valuable literary and devotional material, and have even shaped parts of our culture. When you engage with these texts, it can truly enrich your understanding of our broad Judeo-Christian heritage and help you have more informed and respectful conversations with people from different Christian traditions. God wants us to learn and grow!

The differences we see in the Old Testament canons – the lists of books – in Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Bibles are the result of different historical journeys and different ways of thinking about which books are truly God’s inspired Word. Our Catholic and Orthodox friends largely embraced the broader collection of books found in the Septuagint, that Greek translation of the Old Testament that so many early Christians used. They affirmed that these books belonged in the canon through Church councils over many centuries. Then came the Protestant Reformation. Guided by the powerful principle of Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) and a deep desire to return to the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament, the Reformers led to the exclusion of the Deuterocanonical books (or Apocrypha) from their Bibles. They also had concerns about some doctrines and noted the lack of direct New Testament quotes of these books as Scripture.

For every Christian reader today, approaching this topic with a heart eager to learn and a spirit of respect for different traditions can be such a blessing. Becoming familiar with the Deuterocanonical books, even if you don’t consider them canonical Scripture, can give you valuable historical context for the New Testament. It can offer insights into Jewish life and thought during a truly pivotal time, and reveal inspiring stories of faith and wisdom.⁶⁴ a well-informed understanding of this complex issue can not only enhance your own faith but also help you build bridges and have more fruitful, respectful, and loving conversations within our broader Christian family. And that’s something that truly honors God!