18
Nov '24
The Book of Enoch
18
Nov '24
Introduction: Why is the Book of Enoch not included in the Bible? There are a number of books called the Apocrypha that are excluded from Holy Scripture. But why, one may ask? The short answer is that there was a certain criteria for each recognizable inspired writing, and the Book of Enoch did not measure up. By the way, the canon (the straight rule—66 books) was closed after the Book of Revelation was compiled.
Consider the following:
1. All Scripture in the Bible claims to be inspired (God-breathed) (2 Tim. 3:16) – “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
The word “all” means every single part of the whole.
2. Jesus Christ affirmed the writings of the Old Testament, beginning with Moses (Gen.-Deut.) and the prophets, etc. (Luke 24:27) – “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Jesus, along with other biblical writers, quoted verses from other books and mentioned other authors—Noah, Lot, Daniel, Solomon, Moses, etc. The Book of Enoch was not mentioned.
3. While the Book of Jude mentions Enoch, it does not endorse the Book of Enoch, indicating it would have been a credible, inspired book included in Scripture (Jude 1:14) – “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.”
4. One reason the Apocrypha was not included in Scripture was because of its controversial content. A rule of thumb is that Scriptures would never contradict other Scripture.
5. There is a difference between fact and fiction (while the Book of Enoch has some interesting accounts, it also has some questionable things as well). Other apocryphal books do the same. Therefore, those books were rejected for inclusion in the Bible.
6. Peter verifies in his second epistle—refuting false teaching—how we got our Bibles (2 Pet. 1:16-21) – “We have also a more sure word of prophecy… knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
Peter pinpoints the process by which we got our Bibles; i.e., holy men were “moved” (picked up and carried, similar to a sailboat being carried along by the wind).
Conclusion: God, the Holy Spirit, included what we have in the sixty-six books of the Bible. Apparently, that was all He wanted us to have. While it is permissible to read other writings—i.e., the Book of Enoch, commentaries, and other literature—keep in mind that there is a vast difference between Holy Spirit-inspired Scripture, which is inerrant, versus the potential error when written by mere humanity.
Love y’all,
Pastor Randy