Question 35: What Are The Apocrypha?

An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

Question 35: What are the Apocrypha?

The Apocrypha are ancient Jewish writings not included in the Hebrew canon but found in some early versions of the Old Testament. Anglicans do not accept them as Scripture but value them for instruction and moral example, as long as they are not used to establish doctrine. (Luke 24:44, Romans 3:2, 2 Timothy 3:16, Article VI of the Thirty-Nine Articles)

Full Scripture References

“He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.’” — Luke 24:44 (BSB)

“First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the oracles of God.” — Romans 3:2 (BSB)

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” — 2 Timothy 3:16 (BSB)

Expanded Explanation of Catechism Question

The Apocrypha is a collection of Jewish writings composed between the Old and New Testaments, sometimes called the “intertestamental books.” These include books such as 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, and Ecclesiasticus (Sirach). While they were included in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) and valued in some early Christian communities, they were not part of the Hebrew Bible and were not received as canonical Scripture by most of the early Church Fathers.

The Anglican tradition, following the Reformers and the witness of the early Church, distinguishes between canonical Scripture and the Apocrypha. Article VI of the Thirty-Nine Articles states that the Apocrypha may be “read for example of life and instruction of manners,” but “not to establish any doctrine.” This means the Apocrypha can be appreciated for spiritual and moral encouragement, much like good Christian literature today, but it does not carry the authority of God’s inspired Word.

The Book of Common Prayer includes readings from the Apocrypha in its lectionary, especially during liturgical seasons like All Saints’ and Advent. These selections are used with discernment and always under the clear understanding that they are not equal to Scripture. For instance, texts like the Wisdom of Solomon or Ecclesiasticus offer valuable reflections on wisdom, virtue, and reverence for God, though they are not used to teach doctrine or bind the conscience.

Reformers like Thomas Cranmer and later Anglican theologians upheld this careful approach. Bishop J.C. Ryle summarized it well: “The Apocrypha may be read as profitable, but never as authoritative.” Anglicanism, in line with both Protestant and patristic witness, holds to the 66-book canon of Scripture as sufficient and final. The Apocrypha may edify, but it does not reveal Christ with the clarity and power of inspired Scripture.

In short, the Apocrypha holds historical, literary, and devotional value. It provides insights into Jewish thought, the cultural background of the New Testament, and the moral challenges of God’s people. But it must always be read as secondary to the inspired canon—useful for wisdom, not for doctrine.

Early Church Fathers On Catechism Question

St. Jerome (c. 347–420 AD) wrote: “As, then, the Church reads Judith, Tobit, and the books of Maccabees, but does not admit them among the canonical Scriptures… let the reader be warned.” — Preface to the Books of Solomon

Jerome, who translated the Latin Vulgate, distinguished clearly between the Apocrypha and the Hebrew canon.

St. Athanasius (c. 296–373 AD) listed the Old Testament canon and noted: “There are other books, not included in the canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those newly received into the Church.” — Festal Letter 39

Athanasius permitted the Apocrypha for devotional use but not for doctrinal authority.

St. Rufinus of Aquileia (c. 345–411 AD) stated: “These are the canonical books… there are also other books, which are not canonical, but read in the Church for the edification of the people.” — Commentary on the Apostles’ Creed

Rufinus echoed the two-tier view of Scripture and the Apocrypha—edifying but not authoritative.

St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) had a more inclusive view, but even he acknowledged: “Let them be read, but with caution, and not on the same level as those writings acknowledged by the whole Church from the beginning.” — On Christian Doctrine, 2.8

Augustine valued the Apocrypha, but also recognized the difference between them and the universally acknowledged books.

Martin Luther (1483–1546 AD), echoed in Anglican thought, said: “These books are not held equal to the Scriptures, but are useful and good to read.” — Preface to the Apocrypha

Luther’s view influenced the Anglican position, preserving the usefulness of the Apocrypha while maintaining the authority of the canonical Scriptures.

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