The Big Leagues and the Apocrypha

I grew up in awe of Major League baseball players, and to me they were like gods. They weren’t just bigger, stronger, and faster than everyone else. Big-leaguers had an aura of boy-like charm and confidence, and they performed nothing less than magic on the baseball field. It’s sinful idolatry, I know, but what I’m getting at is that I perceived them to be a completely different and better category of human beings.  

I also perceive a separation between the Bible and all other books. I don’t think that’s idolatry. The canonized scriptures, 66 books from Genesis to Revelation, are like the big leagues of ancient texts. Not only are they fascinating, informative, and well-written, but they are inspired by God (1 Tim 3:16) and have layers upon layers of depth of which I hope to, one day, scratch the surface. They’re magical in a way other books, even the greatest works of literature, can’t compare.

My buddies and I have been reading the Apocrypha, the deuterocanonical books included in the scriptures of Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians. These fifteen books (in my copy) are full of good and interesting things, just like a lot of other books and people. The collection was mostly written during the so-called “silent” 400-year intertestamental period between Malachi and John the Baptist.

“Silent” is a horrible misnomer. I’m fascinated by what transpired between the old and new testaments. The Jews had to learn not one, but two new languages. Thanks in part to Queen Esther, Nehemiah, and some Persian kings, they worshiped at a new temple in a refortified city. Thanks to the Hasmoneans, they maintained a relatively independent kingdom, which resulted in the creation of synagogues, pharisees, and even the Old Testament we have today. Did you ever wonder why Jesus and his disciples spoke different languages than everyone in the Old Testament? It all happened during the “silent years”.

Nevertheless, as interesting as the Apocrypha is, it doesn’t have the power of the Holy Bible. There are great stories, prayers, and words of wisdom, but in my assessment, it’s obvious these books aren’t God-breathed. They mostly seem to promote the nation of Israel and its rich history of being followers of the one true God. I don’t see much of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which I do see in the writings so perfectly assembled in my Bible.

I don’t mean to make this article a criticism of the Apocrypha as much as a reminder that there are books, and then there is the Bible. There are normal people, and there are big-leaguers. When I read the Apocrypha, I’m gaining wonderful insight into the hearts and minds of ancient people longing for the glory of a kingdom under God’s anointed king.

The best part of reading the Apocrypha, or any good book for that matter, is that it reminds me what a gift we have in the Bible. Another benefit is the insight it gives about the world Jesus entered. The promises of the Old Testament had not been fulfilled for hundreds of years, and the world was crashing down on the Jews. They were grasping to God’s covenant while navigating the invasion of sinister worldly kingdoms. Reading the Apocrypha, it’s evident the arrival of Jesus came at just the right time in history, as Galatians 4:3-4 says:

In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elements of the world. When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Today, we live in a similar situation as the intertestamental Jews. We are waiting for Jesus to return to permanently establish his kingdom. We wrestle with the same temptation to ally with worldly kingdoms in order to grasp power and influence. We struggle while we cling to hope in a God who sees a thousand years as a day (2 Pet 3:8-9).

Cling to God’s promises. They are written beautifully and lovingly in your Bible. With God’s word, you have full access to a higher plane of books. When you read the Bible, you get to experience the big leagues.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Apocrypha, check out this thorough explanation found at bibleproject.com.