There may be people out there waiting for me to become a heretic. Or at least to reveal such. Here’s some ammunition.
What do you think about the Apocrypha? Should it be part of the Bible? Is it God’s Word? Have you read it?
I’ve spent the last week reading through it and have almost finished. For the most part, it is clear to me that these books are not God’s Word. In the couple minutes that I have to write this post, I’m not going to be able to defend that more than simply to say that after spending a few decades reading the Bible, the books of the Apocrypha just don’t smell right. (That’s technical academic jargon.)
But that doesn’t mean that the books of the Apocrypha aren’t worth reading. Just like we would read any other book, we can read and profit from these. The fact that they have stood the test of time may indicate something of their value. So I’d encourage you sometime to read these books.
But there’s one book that you should read now. If not now, then soon. Don’t let it be one of those “I ‘ll read later” books that you know you never will.
The book is Sirach, also known as Ecclesiasticus. It was written about 150 years before Jesus. It is similar to Proverbs, but longer. It has a lot of wisdom from a wise man. You can learn from him.
I took quite a few notes as I read through it and I thought I’d do a mini-series here. I ‘ll start with a few verses from the first 10 chapters that I hope will encourage you to read the whole book.
Sirach 2:10 (NRSV) “Consider the generations of old and see: has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed? Or has anyone persevered in the fear of the Lord and been forsaken? Or has anyone called upon him and been neglected?”
Sirach 4:31 (NRSV) “Do not let your hand be stretched out to receive and closed when it is time to give.”
Sirach 6:14-15 (NRSV) “Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter: whoever finds one has found a treasure. 15 Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth.”
Sirach 6:36 (NRSV) “If you see an intelligent person, rise early to visit him; let your foot wear out his doorstep.”
Sirach 8:5 (NRSV) “Do not reproach one who is turning away from sin; remember that we all deserve punishment.”
Sirach 9:10 (NRSV) “Do not abandon old friends, for new ones cannot equal them. A new friend is like new wine; when it has aged, you can drink it with pleasure.”
It’s worth owning a Bible with the Apocrypha (such as the NRSV). Sirach is online here. More info about the book is at Wikipedia.