All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the
man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (II Tim 3:16)
There are passages of the Apocrypha that many
Evangelicals find disturbing or problematic. And yet, if we are honest, those
passages have counterparts in the Old Testament.
For instance, much has been made of what seems to be
an occultic use of animal parts in the book of Tobit. But before rejecting this
story, pause for a moment. Think of how Jacob bred his flock (Gen 30:25-43).
Doesn’t it seem that Jacob used folk magic and dowsing techniques? If this
story had not been included in the canon and we read it for the first time
today, wouldn’t we react just as strongly? Don’t Jacob’s actions seem to smack
of God-sanctioned occultic practices just as much as Tobit’s do? Possibly our
reaction to these kind of stories result from our being raised in a secular
culture that scoffs at the miraculous and God working through the physical.
There are unusual things waiting for new readers of
the Apocrypha. Yet there is much that is already familiar to us. It is
genuinely Christian. Some Evangelicals find that, after reading these books,
they return to familiar Scriptures and discover a new depth and authenticity to
them. Others begin to realize that the Old Testament canon is not as black and
white issue and they were taught.
All Scripture is Not Equal
Such a statement may come as a shock. If anything
sounds like an attack on Scripture, this does.
Some background is necessary. In pre-Christian
synagogue worship, when Scripture was read, the congregation responded
differently to various sections of the Old Testament. The historical books
“ranked” lowest, and above that came the Psalter and the Prophets. But when the
Law was read, everyone in the synagogue stood. Here, for them, was the core of
God’s revelation and, above all other books, the Law of Moses merited full
attention.
Is this ordering of Scripture so strange? We do it
ourselves, although we do not readily admit it. If we consider all the sermons
we have heard, cataloguing the references used, we will find that some books
typically merit more thought and discourse than others. In many Protestant
churches Romans and Galatians are focused upon while II Peter, James, and Jude
are not. In the Old Testament, the Psalms are read more frequently than
Numbers. If any church or tradition really sought to cover Scripture equally
they would have to slate four times more sermons on the Old Testament than on
the New!
By Joel
Kalvesmaki
***
Joel
Kalvesmaki is Editor in Byzantine Studies at Dumbarton Oaks, overseeing the
production of Dumbarton Oaks’ flagship Byzantine publications, print and
digital. He is active in the digital humanities and his research covers
intellectual history in late antiquity, with a focus on ancient number
symbolism and the writings of Evagrius Ponticus.
Source: http://pemptousia.com/2015/01/all-scripture-is-inspired-by-god-problems-in-the-apocrypha/
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