APOCRYPHA
The apocrypha are certain non-inspired books that were written between the end of the Old Testament and the New Testament. These include 1 and 2 Esdra; Tobit; Judith; the additions to the book of Esther; the Wisdom of Solomon; Ecclesiasticus (not to be confused with Ecclesiastes), sometimes called the Wisdom of Jesus; the Son of Sirach; Baruch; the Letter of Jeremiah; the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men; Susanna; Bel and the Dragon; the Prayer of Manasseh; Book of Judith; and 1 and 2 Maccabees. Some of these books have historical value, but many of them are fiction and have errors. They are not considered part of the Word of God because of the following reasons:
(3) They do not claim divine authorship with statements as we find in the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments, such as “Thus saith the Lord.”
(4) When one reads them, he will readily see they do not attain unto the level of the Bible for power; they have no “ring of authority.”
(5) None of them are quoted by Christ or the apostles, as are other Old Testament Scriptures. Though there are a few quotes in the New Testament that appear similar to them, none of them are said to be quoted from them, and these few places are closer to what was said in the Old Testament.
APOLOGETICS
Apologetics is the study and defense of God and His Word. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares” (Jude v. 3). “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses” (Titus 1:9–11). How are the gainsayers mouths to be “stopped”? By “sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”
APOSTASY
Apostasy is the departure from Bible truths, a “falling away” from the faith (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
APOSTLE
Strong’s gives “A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders, a) specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ, b) in a broader sense applied to other eminent Christian teachers, e.g. 1) of Barnabas, 2) of Timothy and Silvanus.” To qualify for the office of an apostle, one needed to have been baptized by John the Baptist and seen Christ both before and after His death and resurrection (Acts 1:22). Their number was 12, and this number was fixed. Only Judas, who never believed in Christ (John 6:64, 70–71), was replaced after his death. This kept the number at 12, but no other apostles were voted in to replace those who died off later. In heaven there will be only the 12 thrones for apostles (Matthew 19:28). Others who were called apostles in the New Testament, such as Paul, were indeed apostles, called by Christ but not part of the original 12, and this office has ceased (see PASTOR).
The apocrypha are certain non-inspired books that were written between the end of the Old Testament and the New Testament. These include 1 and 2 Esdra; Tobit; Judith; the additions to the book of Esther; the Wisdom of Solomon; Ecclesiasticus (not to be confused with Ecclesiastes), sometimes called the Wisdom of Jesus; the Son of Sirach; Baruch; the Letter of Jeremiah; the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men; Susanna; Bel and the Dragon; the Prayer of Manasseh; Book of Judith; and 1 and 2 Maccabees. Some of these books have historical value, but many of them are fiction and have errors. They are not considered part of the Word of God because of the following reasons:
- They were not included by the Jews in the original Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures. Hebrew canon starts with Genesis, and the last book was Chronicles. They contained all of the same books as the standard 39 books accepted today, but arranged differently. (The 12 minor prophets were contained in one book. Josephus rejected the apocrypha. The Jews teach that the prophetic gifts had ceased in Israel before the apocrypha was written.)
(3) They do not claim divine authorship with statements as we find in the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments, such as “Thus saith the Lord.”
(4) When one reads them, he will readily see they do not attain unto the level of the Bible for power; they have no “ring of authority.”
(5) None of them are quoted by Christ or the apostles, as are other Old Testament Scriptures. Though there are a few quotes in the New Testament that appear similar to them, none of them are said to be quoted from them, and these few places are closer to what was said in the Old Testament.
APOLOGETICS
Apologetics is the study and defense of God and His Word. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares” (Jude v. 3). “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses” (Titus 1:9–11). How are the gainsayers mouths to be “stopped”? By “sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”
APOSTASY
Apostasy is the departure from Bible truths, a “falling away” from the faith (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
APOSTLE
Strong’s gives “A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders, a) specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ, b) in a broader sense applied to other eminent Christian teachers, e.g. 1) of Barnabas, 2) of Timothy and Silvanus.” To qualify for the office of an apostle, one needed to have been baptized by John the Baptist and seen Christ both before and after His death and resurrection (Acts 1:22). Their number was 12, and this number was fixed. Only Judas, who never believed in Christ (John 6:64, 70–71), was replaced after his death. This kept the number at 12, but no other apostles were voted in to replace those who died off later. In heaven there will be only the 12 thrones for apostles (Matthew 19:28). Others who were called apostles in the New Testament, such as Paul, were indeed apostles, called by Christ but not part of the original 12, and this office has ceased (see PASTOR).
