Why should the books of the Apocrypha be rejected as Scripture?
Click here for a more detailed analysis concerning this question. There are several reasons to reject the Apocrypha as Scripture: a.) They were never quoted in the New Testament or referred to by Jesus (all the rest of the OT books are). b.) The Jews never acknowledged them as sacred Scriptures. It was viewed as a closed book by the time of Jesus and these books were not included. c.) None of the apocryphal writers laid claim to inspiration. Whereas two of the writers of the NT, Paul and Peter, did lay claim to inspiration (1 Cor. 7:10, 2 Peter). d.) Some of the books of the Apocrypha do not profess to be Scripture, explicitly stating that it is not (e.g. Ecclesiasticus and 2 Maccabees). e.) Not all Christian churches agree on which are to be accepted. The Roman Catholic canon includes all but 3 & 4 Maccabees, 1 & 2 Esdras, Prayer of Manasseh, and Psalm 151. The Greek Orthodox Bible omits only 2 Esdras and 4 Maccabees. The Protestant Bible omits all of them. f.) They contradict Scriptu
