olistentoit.”
“No,Idon’tthinkthat’snecessary.Thesetwosentencesestablishfairlyunequivocallywhathewasalludingto.JosefuswasaJewishhistorian,andthesentence‘theywereneveraeptedintothecanon’mayhavemeantthattheywereneverintheHebrewcanon.”
“Andthatmeans?”
Shelaughed.
“PastorFalkwassayingthatthispersonwasenthralledbyesotericsources,specificallytheApocrypha.TheGreekwordapokryphosmeans‘hidden,’andtheApocryphaarethereforethehiddenswhichsomeconsiderhighlycontroversialandothersthinkshouldbeincludedintheOldTestament.TheyareTobias,Judith,Esther,Baruch,Sirach,thesoftheMaabees,andsomeothers.”
“Fivemyignorance.I’veheardaboutthesoftheApocryphabuthaveneverreadthem.What’sspecialaboutthem?”
“There’sreallynothingspecialaboutthematall,exceptthattheycameintoexistencesomewhatlaterthantherestoftheOldTestament.TheApocryphaweredeletedfromtheHebrewBible—notbecauseJewishscholarsmistrustedtheircontentbutsimplybecausetheywerewrittenafterthetimewhenGod’srevelatoryworkwasconcluded.Ontheotherhand,theApocryphaareincludedintheoldGreektranslationoftheBible.They’renotconsideredcontroversialin,forexample,theRomanCatholihurch.”
“Isee.”
“However,theyarecontroversialintheProtestantChurch.DuringtheReformation,theologianslookedtotheoldHebrewBible.MartinLutherdeletedtheApocryphafromtheReformation’sBibleandlaterCalvindeclaredthattheApocryphaabsolutelymustnotserveasthebasisforconvictionsinmattersoffaith.Thustheircontentscontradictorinsomewayconflictwithclaritasscripturae—theclarityofScripture.”
“Inotherwords,censoreds.”
“Quiteright.Forexample,theApocryphaclaimthatmagianbepractisedandthatliesincertaincasesmaybepermissible,andsuchstatements,ofcourse,upsetdogmaticinterpretersofScripture.”
“Soifsomeonehasapassionforreligion,it’snotunthinkablethattheApocryphawillpopupontheirreadinglist,orthatsomeonelikePastorFalkwouldbeupsetbythis.”
“Exactly.EncounteringtheApocryphaisalmostunavoidableifyou’restudyingtheBibleortheCatholicfaith,andit’sequa