No, Martin Luther did not remove 7 books from the Bible. In the early 1500s, Martin Luther (the leader of the Protestant Reformation) studied the scriptures and made the belief that all of the books in the Bible were inspired by God.
However, he disagreed with the Catholic Church’s view of certain books in the Bible, such as Maccabees and the Wisdom of Solomon. As a result, he removed these books from his translations, making them unavailable in a Protestant Bible.
He also translated other books from their original Greek or Hebrew. Though Luther did not ‘remove’ these books from the Bible, by translating them for Protestants and leaving them out, he made them inaccessible.
Regardless, Luther did not ‘remove’ these books from the Bible, and ultimately the decision of which books to include in the Bible is up to each individual person and/or religious group.
Why were the 7 books removed from the Bible?
The exact reasons why the books of the Bible were removed from the canon are a matter of debate among theologians. Some say that the 7 books (1 and 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, and the letter of Jeremiah) were not removed from the Bible, but were not included in the original Hebrew and Greek canons, which form the basis of the Protestant Biblical canon.
Others maintain that these books were removed and excluded because early Church leaders did not regard them as Scripture, due to doctrinal or historical discrepancies. Additionally, the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts of these books differ significantly from the Latin versions which were accepted by the Church.
Still others suggest that the books were removed in order to suppress certain religious and philosophical teachings, as well as to control the Church’s message by excluding texts considered too controversial.
Whatever the reason, the seven books of 1 and 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, and the letter of Jeremiah are not part of the Protestant Bible, although they are still accepted as part of the Apocrypha by the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Who decided which books to include in the Bible?
The books that were ultimately accepted into the Bible were decided by many different councils and individuals throughout history. After Jesus’ Crucifixion in 33 A.D., his followers began passing down the stories, teachings, and sayings that made up the original collection of books in the Bible.
This process of oral tradition continued until some of the stories and teachings were written down in the mid-2nd century.
It wasn’t until the 4th century, during the Council of Nicaea, that the first official list of books for the Bible was created. This original list included most of the books that are still in the Bible today, although some were still not included until later councils.
In the 5th century, the Councils of Hippo and Carthage solidified this list and declared the modern list of Old and New Testament books to be accepted in the Catholic Church. The books that were approved by early councils and accepted into the Catholic Bible were later referred to as the “canon” of the Bible.
Protestants later accepted this same list of books to be included in the Bible but also added some additional books referred to as the Apocrypha. These included books that were not part of the Jewish canon but had been preserved in the Greek Old Testament.
Today, many Protestant denominations have taken out a few of the books in the Apocrypha and outright reject others, while other denominations maintain them as part of the Bible.
In conclusion, the books that were included in the Bible were largely determined by the councils and individuals of early Christianity, and are the same books that are held sacred by both Catholics and Protestants today.
Why is Tobit not in the Bible?
Tobit is not in the Bible because it is not part of the accepted books of the Old Testament by the Jews or Protestants. Tobit is an extra-biblical book, meaning it was not included in the canon of scripture by the official Jewish or Protestant leaders.
This means that Tobit is not accepted to be part of inspired scripture, and therefore, it is not part of the Bible.
Tobit contains a number of historical and theological references that prove it was not written during the time of the Old Testament or even during the contemporary culture of the first century. Therefore, this book was not included in the canon.
Additionally, there are some aspects of Tobit that are considered to be contrary to established orthodox belief that does not line up with accepted theology. This has been another reason for not acknowledging Tobit as part of scripture.
In contrast, Tobit does hold a certain amount of importance within the Catholic and Eastern Orthodoxy traditions, which includes it within the canon of scripture and acknowledges it to be inspired by God.
What 7 books are missing from the King James Bible?
The King James Bible, published in 1611, is one of the most popular translations of the Bible in the English language. It does not include seven books that were present in the Septuagint, the 3rd-century Greek translation of the Old Testament and the oldest witness to many of the Old Testament texts.
These books, called the Apocrypha, include 1 & 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, and Baruch. They are not accepted as part of the Jewish canon and Christians have held different opinions about their value or inspiration down through the years; hence, they were excluded from the King James Bible at the time of its publication.
In 1827, English Bible versions began to include them in a section called the Apocrypha. As such, the books missing from the King James Bible are 1 & 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, and Baruch.
Who destroyed the original Bible?
The original Bible did not necessarily get destroyed, but was rewritten or edited throughout its timeline as translations and interpretations of the text occurred. Over the years, various scholars, translators, and editors have made changes to the Bible, which is why there are multiple versions available today.
For example, in the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation introduced an era of “pre-print” Bibles that saw multiple translations, beginning with Erasmus’ Greek translation. Martin Luther used the German language to translate the text into German and his translation became the foundation for other German versions.
William Tyndale also made an English translation in the 1520s and his version was the first to include verses. From the 16th century on, other translations have been written, culminating in the assembly of the King James Version in the early 17th century.
This version remains one of the most referenced versions today. As translations of the Bible have been made, alterations and omissions of original material have occurred. Therefore, while the original material was not destroyed, changes in language and emphasis on certain scriptures have been made over the centuries.
Who rejected Apocrypha?
The Apocrypha is a group of books found in some versions of the Bible but not in others. The exact list of books considered part of the Apocrypha varies depending on the faith tradition, but generally includes books like 1 and 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, and Maccabees 1-4.
These books are not found in the Jewish Bible, the Tanakh, and were not part of the original Christian Bible.
The precise times and reasons why the Apocrypha was rejected vary — when, by whom, and why it was rejected is not always clear. Jewish scholars likely rejected these books because they were not part of the Hebrew Bible, and felt it was inappropriate to include them.
By the Reformation period in the 16th century, the Christian church had split into two factions — the Protestants, and the Catholics. The Protestant church rejected the Apocrypha due to their conviction that only texts found within the Hebrew Bible were inspired by God.
The Catholic church, however, held that the Apocrypha was inspired by God and should be included in the Christian Bible. This disagreement between Protestants and Catholics remains to this day.
What does God say about the Book of Enoch?
The Book of Enoch is not a biblical book, so there is no direct statement from God in regard to the Book of Enoch. It is an extra-biblical Jewish work, written during the intertestamental period somewhere between 200 BC and 100 AD.
It is primarily concerned with the Nephilim, fallen angels, and their actions on earth.
The New Testament makes several references to the Book of Enoch, usually in relation to the Nephilim and the coming judgment. Jude 1:14–15 quotes Enoch 1:9, and there are allusions to the Book of Enoch in 2 Peter 2:4–6 and 2 Peter 2:13.
However, these references do not imply that the New Testament authors accepted the entire work as scripture, or even as historically accurate.
In fact, the Book of Enoch was not accepted into the Jewish canon and is specifically mentioned among the apocryphal works rejected by the Jewish Sanhedrin in 70 AD. Furthermore, the early church leaders, such as Clement of Rome and Irenaeus of Lyons, held an unfavorable view of the Book of Enoch.
Ultimately, it is difficult to say what God says about the Book of Enoch, since it is not canonical and was not accepted as authoritative. As Christians, it is important to seek God’s truth and guidance as we study the book and assess its content.
Does Paul reference the Apocrypha?
Yes, Paul references the Apocrypha in some of his writings. These references can be seen in several of his epistles, including Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians. In Romans and Corinthians, for example, Paul refers to Judith 8:12-13, which appears in the Apocrypha.
He also quotes from Tobit 4:5-6 in Corinthians. In Galatians, Paul refers to Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-11, which is an Apocryphal book. Finally, in Ephesians, Paul draws on Ecclesiasticus 17:17-19, which is from the Apocrypha.
Taken together, these references demonstrate that Paul was familiar with and had an appreciation for the books of the Apocrypha.
What books of the Bible are missing Apocrypha?
The books of the Bible that are missing Apocrypha are the books included in the Protestant canon, which includes only the biblical books found in the Hebrew Bible or Masoretic Text. The Protestant canon includes 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament.
These books are the books of the Law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), the Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve Minor Prophets), and the Writings (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles).
The Protestant canon does not include the Apocryphal books which are found in the Catholic Bible, some of which are 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith, Sirach, Baruch, and others.
What happened with Enoch in the Bible?
The story of Enoch is found in Genesis 5:18-24. He is the son of Jared and the great-grandfather of Noah. According to the biblical account, Enoch lived 365 years, which was remarkable for its time. He was considered the seventh generation from Adam.
The Bible tells us that Enoch did not die, but instead “walked faithfully with God;” and “he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). This event is known as Enoch’s translation, as he was taken from the earth and into heaven.
Enoch is the only person in the Bible to have experienced this type of translation without dying first.
In the book of Hebrews (11:5), we are told that Enoch was an example of faith, as he trusted in God and was obedient to God’s will. It is said that the Lord was pleased with Enoch’s life and that he was commended for his actions.
Some people believe that Enoch did not ascend into heaven but instead became the angel Metatron (or Methuselah). Others believe that his death was a symbolic representation of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Whatever happened to him, it is clear that God viewed Enoch as an example of faith, and his story continues to be an inspiration to many people today.