THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CANONICAL AND APOCRYPHAL BOOKS In Article 6 a distinction was made between the Canonical and the Apocryphal books. As it is confessed in Article 4, the canonical books are the 39 Old Testament books, originally written in Hebrew, and the 27 New Testament books, originally written in Greek. During the years which separated the Old and New Testament times, some Jewish writers wrote some 15 books in Greek. Later on the 39 Old Testament books were translated from Hebrew into Greek. This translation was called 'the Septuagint.' Into this translation were inserted these additional 15 Greek books. The early church had to make a decision whether or not these 15 books were canonical, and it decided against this. However, when a man by the name of Jerome translated the Septuagint (the O.T. plus the apocrypha) into Latin, he chose to include the apocrypha in his final edition. As a result, the apocrypha in time simply came to be accepted by the Church (of Rome). Hence, by the time of the Great Reformation in the sixteenth century, the Reformers inherited Bibles with the Apocrypha included. So they had to consider whether or not to continue to accept the Apocrypha, or return to the conviction of the early church. (Even till today, the Roman Catholic Church accepts the Apocryphal books, and even uses these books to prove points of doctrine. For example, the doctrine of purgatory is derived from the Apocrypha. ) DeBres, together with the other reformers, maintained what he confessed in Article 4, that only the 66 Old and New Testament books are canonical and that the additional 15 books are not the Word of God, but are apocryphal. (The term 'apocryphal' means 'hidden', and probably refers to the obscure origin of these books.) If they are not the Word of God, if they are not given by God, they consequently cannot be used for the regulation, foundation and confirmation of our faith. Therefore, one does not read them in order to find out what one must believe. One may read them out of interest or curiosity, just like one reads any other book, but they do not have the same authority as the canonical books. One may take instruction from them in as far as what is contained in them is in agreement with the Bible. This approach to the Apocrypha was accepted by the Reformation and therefore Protestant Bibles do not include the Apocrypha. (The first official Dutch translation of the Bible, the 'Staten Vertaling' did include the Apocryphal books, but they were inserted at the back of the Bible to indicate that they were not part of the Bible). CHARACTERISTICS OF THE APOCRYPHA Those who read the apocryphal books will sense quickly enough that they contain a different 'spirit' than we are used to from the inspired books of the Bible. 1. They reflect typically Jewish sentiments as opposed to Scriptural sentiments. For example, they show a contempt for women. The canonical books, on the other hand, do teach the notion of submission to the man, but they do not condone a contempt for women. 2. The Apocrypha emphasises good works as being necessary for earning salvation, whereas the Bible explains good works to be the evidence of gratitude for the free gift of salvation. 3. The Apocrypha contains distinct historical inaccuracies. For example, in the Apocrypha, Nebuchadnezzar is said to have lived in Nineveh, whereas in fact Nineveh was destroyed years before Nebuchadnezzar's time. 4. Many writings within the Apocrypha are fantasy. FOR INTEREST: THE APOCRYPHAL BOOK OF SUSANNA. Printed below, as an example of apocryphal writing, is one of its shortest books. There dwelt a man in Babylon, called Joacim:2 And he took a wife, whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Chelcias, a very fair woman, and one that feared the Lord.3 Her parents also were righteous, and taught their daughter according to the law of Moses.4 Now Joacim was a great rich man, and had a fair garden joining unto his house: and to him resorted the Jews; because he was more honourable than all others. 5 The same year were appointed two of the ancients of the people to be judges, such as the Lord spake of, that wickedness came from Babylon from ancient judges, who seemed to govern the people.6 These kept much at Joacim's house: and all that had any suits in law came unto them. 7 Now when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went into her husband's garden to walk.8 And the two elders saw her going in every day, and walking; so that their lust was inflamed toward her.9 And they perverted their own mind, and turned away their eyes, that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments.10 And albeit they both were wounded with her love, yet durst not one shew another his grief.11 For they were ashamed to declare their lust, that they desired to have to do with her.12 Yet they watched diligently from day to day to see her. 13 And the one said to the other, Let us now go home: for it is dinner time.14 So when they were gone out, they parted the one from the other, and turning back again they came to the same place; and after that they had asked one another the cause, they acknowledged their lust: then appointed they a time both together, when they might find her alone. 15 And it fell out, as they watched a fit time, she went in as before with two maids only, and she was desirous to wash herself in the garden: for it was hot.16 And there was no body there save the two elders, that had hid themselves, and watched her.17 Then she said to her maids, Bring me oil and washing balls, and shut the garden doors, that I may wash me.18 And they did as she bade them, and shut the garden doors, and went out themselves at privy doors to fetch the things that she had commanded them: but they saw not the elders, because they were hid. 19 Now when the maids were gone forth, the two elders rose up, and ran unto her, saying,20 Behold, the garden doors are shut, that no man can see us, and we are in love with thee; therefore consent unto us, and lie with us.21 If thou wilt not, we will bear witness against thee, that a young man was with thee: and therefore thou didst send away thy maids from thee. 22 Then Susanna sighed, and said, I am straitened on every side: for if I do this thing, it is death unto me: and if I do it not I cannot escape your hands.23 It is better for me to fall into your hands, and not do it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord. 24 With that Susanna cried with a loud voice: and the two elders cried out against her.25 Then ran the one, and opened the garden door.26 So when the servants of the house heard the cry in the garden, they rushed in at the privy door, to see what was done unto her.27 But when the elders had declared their matter, the servants were greatly ashamed: for there was never such a report made of Susanna. 28 And it came to pass the next day, when the people were assembled to her husband Joacim, the two elders came also full of mischievous imagination against Susanna to put her to death;29 And said before the people, Send for Susanna, the daughter of Chelcias, Joacim's wife. And so they sent.30 So she came with her father and mother, her children, and all her kindred. 31 Now Susanna was a very delicate woman, and beauteous to behold.32 And these wicked men commanded to uncover her face, (for she was covered) that they might be filled with her beauty.33 Therefore her friends and all that saw her wept. 34 Then the two elders stood up in the midst of the people, and laid their hands upon her head.35 And she weeping looked up toward heaven: for her heart trusted in the Lord.36 And the elders said, As we walked in the garden alone, this woman came in with two maids, and shut the garden doors, and sent the maids away.37 Then a young man, who there was hid, came unto her, and lay with her.38 Then we that stood in a corner of the garden, seeing this wickedness, ran unto them.39 And when we saw them together, the man we could not hold: for he was stronger than we, and opened the door, and leaped out.40 But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but she would not tell us: these things do we testify. 41 Then the assembly believed them as those that were the elders and judges of the people: so they condemned her to death. 42 Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, O everlasting God, that knowest the secrets, and knowest all things before they be:43 Thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me, and, behold, I must die; whereas I never did such things as these men have maliciously invented against me. 44 And the Lord heard her voice.45 Therefore when she was led to be put to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young youth whose name was Daniel:46 Who cried with a loud voice, I am clear from the blood of this woman. 47 Then all the people turned them toward him, and said, What mean these words that thou hast spoken? 48 So he standing in the midst of them said, Are ye such fools, ye sons of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth ye have condemned a daughter of Israel?49 Return again to the place of judgment: for they have borne false witness against her. 50 Wherefore all the people turned again in haste, and the elders said unto him, Come, sit down among us, and shew it us, seeing God hath given thee the honour of an elder.51 Then said Daniel unto them, Put these two aside one far from another, and I will examine them. 52 So when they were put asunder one from another, he called one of them, and said unto him, O thou that art waxen old in wickedness, now thy sins which thou hast committed aforetime are come to light.53 For thou hast pronounced false judgment and hast condemned the innocent and hast let the guilty go free; albeit the Lord saith, The innocent and righteous shalt thou not slay.54 Now then, if thou hast seen her, tell me, Under what tree sawest thou them companying together? Who answered, Under a mastick tree.55 And Daniel said, Very well; thou hast lied against thine own head; for even now the angel of God hath received the sentence of God to cut thee in two. 56 So he put him aside, and commanded to bring the other, and said unto him, O thou seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath perverted thine heart.57 Thus have ye dealt with the daughters of Israel, and they for fear companied with you: but the daughter of Juda would not abide your wickedness.58 Now therefore tell me, Under what tree didst thou take them companying together? Who answered, Under an holm tree.59 Then said Daniel unto him, Well; thou hast also lied against thine own head: for the angel of God waiteth with the sword to cut thee in two, that he may destroy you. 60 With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and praised God, who saveth them that trust in him.61 And they arose against the two elders, for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth:62 And according to the law of Moses they did unto them in such sort as they maliciously intended to do to their neighbour: and they put them to death. Thus the innocent blood was saved the same day. 63 Therefore Chelcias and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna, with Joacim her husband, and all the kindred, because there was no dishonesty found in her.64 From that day forth was Daniel had in great reputation in the sight of the people.
THE SUFFICIENCY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE This article concerns itself with the fact that the Word which God gave us is all we need. This Bible is enough. I don't need any more or any less. It is perfectly complete, containing all that I need to know in order to be able to live for my God in this life. It contains all I need to know for my salvation. This canonical Bible provides the complete standard for the regulation, foundation, and confirmation of my faith. "We believe that this Holy Scripture fully contains the will of God and that all that man must believe in order to be saved is sufficiently taught therein. The whole manner of worship which God requires of us is written in it at length." Having confessed this I need never worry that in the course of life I will face times when I will be at a loss as to what I must do on the ground that God hasn't told me. This gives immense comfort. God doesn't just teach me a fraction of what I need to know. No, He loves me so much that He has seen to it that He has told me everything He considers necessary for me to know. What care and what mercy my God shows me in revealing to me all I need to know to live for Him! This is not to say that I necessarily understand all of God's Word. Some parts are indeed hard to understand (2 Peter 3:15,16). More to the point, though, is the fact that I am but a finite person, and sinful too. So I cannot understand all the deep things of God. However, this does not negate the fact that the Bible is complete. The failure of my understanding does not lie with God. It is my failure if I cannot understand or remember God's Word. Where does one turn to for help in the struggles of this life? One turns to the Bible. Read Paul's advice to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3. What should Timothy do in the difficult circumstances described by Paul in the verses 1-9? Says Paul in verse 14, "you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them." From whom did Timothy learn them? From Paul, the man chosen by God to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, and so ultimately Timothy learned these things from God Himself. In the midst of the hatred of this world Timothy is to hold on to the things he has learned from God, for herein is the direction and guidance Timothy needs in all the difficulties of life. So it is for Timothy (and us too) to read God's Word regularly, in the midst of the struggles we encounter day by day. What is the purpose of Scripture? "... Holy Scriptures…are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:15-17). By Scripture the man of God may be complete. The Word of God was able to equip Timothy fully in the face of the hatred and persecution of his day. This was true for Timothy, it was true for deBres and his congregation, and it is true for me too - irregardless of what my circumstances are. I don't need anything in addition to God's Word, for God's Word "is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Ps 119:105). Admittedly, our hearts readily tempt us to say that the Bible is not enough. We are easily tempted to say that what God says in His Word doesn't make any sense in our circumstances. We even tell ourselves that God understands that we find the Bible's directives to be too difficult for us. Yes, the temptation is there to deny that the Bible is sufficient. DeBres too had to battle against people who said that the Bible is not sufficient. These people were the Roman Catholics and the Anabaptists of his day. Since there is nothing new under the sun, we can learn from the errors of deBres' day so that in turn we can be armed against acting or thinking as if God's Word is not sufficient for us. THE AUTHORITY, CLARITY, SUFFICIENCY, AND NECESSITY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 1. The Authority of Scripture 1.1. The Roman Catholic Church denies that the Bible has the final authority, and ascribes this authority to the Church. For example, since the Pope says that Mary was without sin, one is to believe Mary's perfection on the ground that the Pope (and in him the church) has spoken. The Pope becomes the final authority. 1.2 The Anabaptists ascribe the final authority to the Holy Spirit. It is thought that the Holy Spirit tells people in His own sovereign way what course of action must be taken, for example when it comes to choosing a vocation or assuming an office in Church. What I think the Holy Spirit tells me is what I do. In theory, then, the Holy Spirit is raised above the Word of God. But in practice (since anyone can claim to receive a message from the Holy Spirit and nobody can verify it), man is made the final authority. REFUTATION: The Bible is canonical. If it is written in the Bible, then only is it true. We do well here to take note of Article 7: "We may not consider any writings of men, however holy these men may have been, of equal value with the divine Scriptures; nor ought we to consider custom, or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times and persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of God, since the truth is above all; for all men are of themselves liars, and lighter than a breath." We too can easily fall for the Roman Catholic error of ascribing the final authority to 'holy' men. Augustine, Calvin, Schilder, etc. do not have the final say regarding what is truth. Remember that all men of themselves are liars. Even large bodies of men (synods) do not have the final say regarding any point of doctrine, since even a large body of persons remains a body of sinful persons. All authority lies with the Bible and with the Bible alone. It is for that reason that all communicant members are given a copy of the Acts of Synod. All communicant members are responsible (according to gifts) to stay abreast of developments in the churches, and to ensure, as best as possible, that the churches together remain faithful to the revelation God has given in holy Scripture. This will require prayerful reading and study by all of us. Authority lies not with people or with Synods, but with the Bible. All are subject to it. Nor must we fall for Anabaptist tendencies and base our decisions and actions on what "I think." When it comes to the truth, there is no room for personal opinions or feelings. We must base all our decisions and actions on what the Bible says. 2. The Clarity of Scripture 2.1 The Roman Catholic Church says that the Bible is unclear at face value. In order to understand it one requires the interpretation of the Church. So, in deBres' time, the Roman Catholic church forbade the membership to have a copy of the Bible, and instructed the membership instead to listen to the priests, since the priests were equipped to interpret this dark book 2.2 The Anabaptists also deny that the Bible is clear. They claim that the Holy Spirit will reveal to each of us what it means. Instead of reading and listening to the Bible, then, one needs to remain open to what the Spirit might be saying to you. REFUTATION: Is God's love and care for me such that He has given me a Word which is too difficult for me to understand? No, for that would not correspond with the kind of God He is. He has given me His Word which is clear. Yes, admittedly, I struggle to understand certain passages. The Bible itself acknowledges that some things are difficult to understand:"Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:15b, 16). However, the point is that the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of all God's own so that all may understand the drift of the Scripture. Yes, some passages, or some issues may be difficult to understand, but the Bible as a whole is clear. This means for us that we are not to shy away from the Bible, on the assumption that we can't understand it. It is for us instead to be prayerfully busy with the Scripture God in His care for us has given. 3. The Sufficiency of Scripture 3.1 The Roman Catholic Church maintains that the Bible is not enough. One needs the interpretation of the Church in addition to it. For many years it disallowed its members to have their own Bible. Only since approximately the last 30 years are members permitted to have a Bible of their own, but the official interpretation of the Roman Catholic Church is required alongside it. 3.2 The Anabaptists maintain that the Bible is not sufficient. One needs the Holy Spirit to give additional revelation. REFUTATION: "We believe that this Holy Scripture fully contains the will of God and that all that man must believe in order to be saved is sufficiently taught therein." So: in the midst of life's struggles, turn always and again to the Scripture. Certainly, one may (and should) consult commentaries and Bible handbooks, but the Bible first of all is important. 4. The Necessity of Scripture 4.1 As far as the Roman Catholic Church is concerned, one at bottom doesn't need Scripture, as long as one listens to what it is the Church teaches. 4.2 As far as the Anabaptists are concerned, one again ultimately doesn't need Scripture as long as one listens to the Holy Spirit. REFUTATION: In contrast to the Roman Catholics and Anabaptists of their day, who were quite content to leave their Bibles closed, deBres and his fellow believers treasured the Bible. They reasoned that if God gives His Word to us, then it must be necessary. Since the Holy Spirit works faith by the means of studying God's Word, then each person must utilise that means. DeBres and his congregation were busy with the Bible, they studied it. It is by His Word that God leads me and gives me direction for the questions and challenges facing me, no matter what my situation is. To find my answers to these questions and challenges I read the Bible first and foremost. To leave the Bible closed, to consider that the Bible is not really necessary for me in order to get through my day, is typically Anabaptist. I have confessed that the Bible is sufficient for the DAILY regulation, foundation, and confirmation of my faith. I must live this confession. I must be busy with the Bible, make it my business to study it with a concerted effort. Being busy with the Scripture is simply a matter of living consistently with the faith we are allowed to confess. To leave the Bible closed, or to study it intermittently, is to deny the matter learned from Scripture and confessed in Art 7
