Why do some people say the Apocrypha does belong in the Bible?
There are at least three reasons. 1. The Apocrypha was in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament. It was affirmed at the Council of Carthage 397 A.D. and the Council of Trent in 1546. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches have decreed it scripture. Rebuttal: If the Council of Trent was correct in declaring previous tradition wrong on the three extra books, tradition can be wrong on the others too. Since the Council of Trent actually reconvened in three of four different cities, since bubonic plague seemed to follow it, many would see Trent as a reason NOT to accept it. 2. Many early Christian leaders taught it as scripture. Some are: Ambrose, Augustine, Clement of Alexandria, Clement of Rome (Holofernes from the book of Judith in 1 Clement 55), Hippolytus, Irenaeus, Lactantius, Patrick, Sulpitius Severus, Tertullian Cyprian, and Theodotus. Are all these men in error? Rebuttal: Many early Christian leaders did not believed it was scripture. Some are: Ambrose, Amphilochus, Athanasi
