SavedByGrace
Well-Known Member
There is another problem, of a more serious nature, and that is the contents of the Greek LXX Version. It is clear from what evidence that we have of the LXX, that the oldest copy of this Version, also contained some books, that are non-canonical, known as the “Apocrypha”. These books never formed part of the Original Hebrew Canon of the OT, and were not regarded as “Scripture” (Inspired), as we see:
“When we look through early Christian literature for evidence about the New Testament Canon we do not always recall how recently an authoritative Canon of Old Testament books had come into existence. To be sure, something of a nucleus of books universally accepted had long been utilised; its existence is attested not only by the writings of Philo and Josephus, by the Qumran Scrolls, and by the writers of apocalyptic literature, but also by the Greek translations produced during and after the second century B.C. We may mention the statement by Josephus (C.Ap. i, 38-40) to the effect that there are twenty-two books 'rightly given credence'. The prologue to Ecclesiasticus had spoken of' the law and the prophets and the other ancestral books'. According to 2 Esdras 14:45-8 there were twenty-four books generally known, along with seventy others kept secret; the Babylonian Talmud (Baba Bathra 14b) mentions only the twenty-four. Apparently this number was accepted at a rabbinic council held at Jamnia in Palestine toward the end of the first century A.D.” (P R Ackroyd and C F Evans; The Cambridge History of the Bible, Vol. I, pp.229-300)
The Roman Catholic church has an additional 7 books, Tobias, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, First and Second Machabees; also certain additions to Esther and Daniel. While the so called “Orthodox” church lists 8 additional books, I Esdras, II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, I Maccabees, II Maccabees, III Maccabees, IV Maccabees.
A number of the early Church “fathers”, actually quote from some of the OT Apocrypha books, which were part of their LXX Version, and even regarded them as “scripture”. Thus, we have:
Barnabas (A.D. 80)
“For the prophet saith concerning Israel; Woe unto their soul, for they have counseled evil counsel against themselves saying, Let us bind the righteous one, for he is unprofitable for us.” (The Epistle of Baranbas 6:7) => “Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions” (Wisdom 2:12)
Clement of Alexandria (150-215)
“Those, then, will not escape the curse of yoking an ass with an ox, who, judging certain things not to suit them, command others to do them, or the reverse. This Scripture has briefly showed, when it says, What you hate you shall not do to another.” (Clement, The Stromata (Book II, ch. xxiii) => “And what you hate, do not do to anyone. Do not drink wine to excess or let drunkenness go with you on your way” (Tobit 4:15)
“Excellently, therefore, the Divine Scripture, addressing boasters and lovers of their own selves, says, "Where are the rulers of the nations, and the lords of the wild beasts of the earth” (Clement, THE INSTRUCTOR BOOK II, ch. iii) => “Where are the rulers of the nations, and those who lorded it over the animals on earth” (Baruch, 3:16)
“A fool raises his voice in laughter," says the Scripture” (Clement, THE INSTRUCTOR BOOK II, ch. iii) => “A fool raises his voice when he laughs, but the wise smile quietly.” (Sirach, 21:20)
Irenaeus (120-200)
“And Jeremiah the prophet has pointed out, that as many believers as God has prepared for this purpose, to multiply those left upon earth, should both be under the rule of the saints to minister to this Jerusalem, and that [His] kingdom shall be in it, saying, Look around Jerusalem towards the east, and behold the joy which comes to you from God Himself.” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies (Book V, Chapter 35.i) => “Look toward the east, O Jerusalem, and see the joy that is coming to you from God.” (Baruch, 4:36)
Origen (185-254)
“But that we may believe in the authority of holy Scripture that such is the case, hear how in the book of Maccabees, where the mother of seven martyrs exhorts her son to endure torture, this truth is confirmed; for she says, I ask of you, my son, to look at the heaven and the earth, and at all things which are in them, and beholding these, to know that God made all these things when they did not exist.” (Origen de Principiis book 2 ch 1.5)
Tertullian (155-220)
“For, when one reads of God as being ‘the searcher and witness of the heart’” (Tertullian Concerning the Soul ch 15) => “For the spirit of wisdom is benevolent, and will not acquit the evil speaker from his lips: for God is witness of his reins, and he is a true searcher of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue” (Wisdom 1:6)
Cyprian (200-258)
“since Holy Scripture meets and warns us…And again: And fear not the words of a sinful man, for his glory shall be dung and worms. Today he is lifted up, and tomorrow he shall not be found, because he is turned into his earth, and his thought shall perish.” (Cyprian of Carthage Letter, 54.3) => “And fear not the words of a sinful man, for his glory is dung, and worms:To day he is lifted up, and to morrow he shall not be found, because he is returned into his earth; and his thought is come to nothing.” (1 Maccabees 2:62-63)
These Church fathers did use the Greek LXX OT, and show that in their copies in the first century, that these Apocrypha books were part of this Version. If, as it is argued by some, that the LXX Version is equally “Inspired” as the Original Autograps of the Hebrew Old Testament were, then this same “Inspiration” extends tom these Apocrypha books, and there must be regarded as “Scripture”, as some of the Church fathers did, and the Bible used by the Roman Catholic church, and the “Orthodox” church, are the right one, and that used by others, that contain the 66 Books of the OT, are not the complete Word of God!
The Jews, to whom the OT really belong, have never, as far as the evidence tells us, accepted any of the additional Apocrypha books, as part of the OT Canon. It is clear from the testimony of Philo, and Josephus, and the council held at Jamnia, all in the first century A.D., when the Lord Jesus walked among us, and the time of the New Testament being written, that the Old Testament that they would have used, would have been acceptable to the Jews of their time. There is no evidence that the OT in the first century, ever did contain any of the books that are known as the OT Apocrypha, which are found in the earliest editions of the LXX.
The evidence is conclusive, that the LXX, as with other “translations” of the Bible, are not “Inspired” by the Holy Spirit, as were the Original Autographs.
“When we look through early Christian literature for evidence about the New Testament Canon we do not always recall how recently an authoritative Canon of Old Testament books had come into existence. To be sure, something of a nucleus of books universally accepted had long been utilised; its existence is attested not only by the writings of Philo and Josephus, by the Qumran Scrolls, and by the writers of apocalyptic literature, but also by the Greek translations produced during and after the second century B.C. We may mention the statement by Josephus (C.Ap. i, 38-40) to the effect that there are twenty-two books 'rightly given credence'. The prologue to Ecclesiasticus had spoken of' the law and the prophets and the other ancestral books'. According to 2 Esdras 14:45-8 there were twenty-four books generally known, along with seventy others kept secret; the Babylonian Talmud (Baba Bathra 14b) mentions only the twenty-four. Apparently this number was accepted at a rabbinic council held at Jamnia in Palestine toward the end of the first century A.D.” (P R Ackroyd and C F Evans; The Cambridge History of the Bible, Vol. I, pp.229-300)
The Roman Catholic church has an additional 7 books, Tobias, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, First and Second Machabees; also certain additions to Esther and Daniel. While the so called “Orthodox” church lists 8 additional books, I Esdras, II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, I Maccabees, II Maccabees, III Maccabees, IV Maccabees.
A number of the early Church “fathers”, actually quote from some of the OT Apocrypha books, which were part of their LXX Version, and even regarded them as “scripture”. Thus, we have:
Barnabas (A.D. 80)
“For the prophet saith concerning Israel; Woe unto their soul, for they have counseled evil counsel against themselves saying, Let us bind the righteous one, for he is unprofitable for us.” (The Epistle of Baranbas 6:7) => “Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions” (Wisdom 2:12)
Clement of Alexandria (150-215)
“Those, then, will not escape the curse of yoking an ass with an ox, who, judging certain things not to suit them, command others to do them, or the reverse. This Scripture has briefly showed, when it says, What you hate you shall not do to another.” (Clement, The Stromata (Book II, ch. xxiii) => “And what you hate, do not do to anyone. Do not drink wine to excess or let drunkenness go with you on your way” (Tobit 4:15)
“Excellently, therefore, the Divine Scripture, addressing boasters and lovers of their own selves, says, "Where are the rulers of the nations, and the lords of the wild beasts of the earth” (Clement, THE INSTRUCTOR BOOK II, ch. iii) => “Where are the rulers of the nations, and those who lorded it over the animals on earth” (Baruch, 3:16)
“A fool raises his voice in laughter," says the Scripture” (Clement, THE INSTRUCTOR BOOK II, ch. iii) => “A fool raises his voice when he laughs, but the wise smile quietly.” (Sirach, 21:20)
Irenaeus (120-200)
“And Jeremiah the prophet has pointed out, that as many believers as God has prepared for this purpose, to multiply those left upon earth, should both be under the rule of the saints to minister to this Jerusalem, and that [His] kingdom shall be in it, saying, Look around Jerusalem towards the east, and behold the joy which comes to you from God Himself.” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies (Book V, Chapter 35.i) => “Look toward the east, O Jerusalem, and see the joy that is coming to you from God.” (Baruch, 4:36)
Origen (185-254)
“But that we may believe in the authority of holy Scripture that such is the case, hear how in the book of Maccabees, where the mother of seven martyrs exhorts her son to endure torture, this truth is confirmed; for she says, I ask of you, my son, to look at the heaven and the earth, and at all things which are in them, and beholding these, to know that God made all these things when they did not exist.” (Origen de Principiis book 2 ch 1.5)
Tertullian (155-220)
“For, when one reads of God as being ‘the searcher and witness of the heart’” (Tertullian Concerning the Soul ch 15) => “For the spirit of wisdom is benevolent, and will not acquit the evil speaker from his lips: for God is witness of his reins, and he is a true searcher of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue” (Wisdom 1:6)
Cyprian (200-258)
“since Holy Scripture meets and warns us…And again: And fear not the words of a sinful man, for his glory shall be dung and worms. Today he is lifted up, and tomorrow he shall not be found, because he is turned into his earth, and his thought shall perish.” (Cyprian of Carthage Letter, 54.3) => “And fear not the words of a sinful man, for his glory is dung, and worms:To day he is lifted up, and to morrow he shall not be found, because he is returned into his earth; and his thought is come to nothing.” (1 Maccabees 2:62-63)
These Church fathers did use the Greek LXX OT, and show that in their copies in the first century, that these Apocrypha books were part of this Version. If, as it is argued by some, that the LXX Version is equally “Inspired” as the Original Autograps of the Hebrew Old Testament were, then this same “Inspiration” extends tom these Apocrypha books, and there must be regarded as “Scripture”, as some of the Church fathers did, and the Bible used by the Roman Catholic church, and the “Orthodox” church, are the right one, and that used by others, that contain the 66 Books of the OT, are not the complete Word of God!
The Jews, to whom the OT really belong, have never, as far as the evidence tells us, accepted any of the additional Apocrypha books, as part of the OT Canon. It is clear from the testimony of Philo, and Josephus, and the council held at Jamnia, all in the first century A.D., when the Lord Jesus walked among us, and the time of the New Testament being written, that the Old Testament that they would have used, would have been acceptable to the Jews of their time. There is no evidence that the OT in the first century, ever did contain any of the books that are known as the OT Apocrypha, which are found in the earliest editions of the LXX.
The evidence is conclusive, that the LXX, as with other “translations” of the Bible, are not “Inspired” by the Holy Spirit, as were the Original Autographs.
