Did you know that some Bibles have fewer books than others? That's right! If you've ever compared a Catholic Bible with a Protestant Bible, you may have noticed that the latter has fewer books. Why is that? Who decided to take books out of the Bible and why? Come with me as we delve into this fascinating subject full of historical details.
What are the books that were taken?
Before we understand why they were excluded, we need to know which books we're talking about. There are seven books, known as deuterocanonicalwhich are in the Catholic Bible, but not in the Protestant Bible. They are: Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus (or Siracides), Baruch, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. In addition to these, parts of Daniel and Esther have also been removed.
Perhaps you're wondering: if they were there, who decided that they shouldn't be? To understand this, it's important to take a look at the historical context of the Protestant reformation and the biblical canon.
Martin Luther's decision
Let's go back in time to the 16th century. Martin Luther, a German Augustinian monk, began a movement that changed the history of Christianity: the Protestant Reformation. Luther was very critical of the Catholic Church and wanted to reform certain practices and doctrines which, in his view, were corrupt. And it was in this context that the deuterocanonicals came into Luther's sights.
Luther believed that these seven books should not have the same doctrinal weight as the rest of the Bible. He based this on the fact that the Jews did not consider these books to be part of the official canon of the Hebrew Scripturesalso known as the Tanakh. So he chose not to include them in the version of the Bible he was translating into German.
The criteria of the Hebrew canon
But why didn't the Jews consider these books to be part of the canon? This is also a historical question. During the Council of Jania (It's important to note that there are doubts as to whether this council actually took place in the way described), around 90 AD, some Jewish rabbis defined which books would form part of the Tanakh. They decided to include only the books originally written in Hebrew and so the deuterocanonicals, written in Greek or Aramaic, were left out.
The first Christians, however, used the SeptuagintThe Greek version of the Old Testament included these seven books. This is why Catholic Church continued to accept the deuterocanonicals as part of the official Bible.
The position of the Catholic Church
You might be wondering: how did the Catholic Church react to the Reformation and the exclusion of these books? The answer lies in Council of Trentwhich took place between 1545 and 1563. This council was convened precisely to confront the Protestant Reformation and reaffirm the doctrines of the Church. It was there that the Catholic Church officially declared that the deuterocanonicals were part of the biblical canonThey were inspired by God and should be accepted by the faithful.
This difference is what explains why Catholic Bibles have 73 books, while Protestant Bibles have 66. This disagreement is not just a question of quantity, but also affects some doctrinal interpretations and religious practices.
What are the main differences between the books?
Now, you may be wondering whether these books make any important difference to Christian doctrine. And the answer is yes! The The Deuterocanonicals contain teachings and stories that directly influence certain beliefs. Catholic churches. For example, in 2 Maccabees, there is a reference to praying for the dead, which is an important practice for Catholicism, but rejected by Protestant churches.
In addition, the book of Tobit features the archangel Raphael, who is not mentioned elsewhere in the Protestant Bible. The Book of Wisdom also teaches about the immortality of the soul, a concept that is highlighted in Catholic doctrine.
These books also enrich the historical understanding of the period between the Old and New Testaments, especially with the books of the Maccabees, which talk about Jewish resistance against Hellenistic rule. Without them, we lose part of the historical context that helped shape the environment in which Jesus was born and grew up.
A question of tradition and interpretation
So, in the end, who is right? Should these books be part of the Bible or not? The truth is this is a question of tradition and interpretation. For the Catholic Church, the inclusion of the deuterocanonicals is linked to the tradition of the first Christians and the use of the Septuagint. For the reformers, like Luther, the idea was to return to the "original canon" of the Jews, excluding books that had not been considered inspired by them.
This debate is deeper than it seems, because it involves different ways of looking at the very nature of Scripture and the authority of the churches to define it. If you are Protestant, you may believe that these books are, at most, useful for understanding the context, but not inspired by God. If you're Catholic, on the other hand, you see these books as integral parts of the divine Word.
How does this affect Christian life today?
You may be asking yourself: but does it really matter today? And the answer is yes, it does! These differences directly influence the way each denomination understands faith, doctrines and religious practices. In addition, the fact that there are different canons makes us think about how history and tradition influence our faith.
Reading the deuterocanonicals can be an enriching experience, even if you don't see them as canonical. They help us understand more about the period between the Old and New Testaments, the beliefs of the first Christians and the diversity that exists within Christianity itself.
See also: How did the ancient Christians practice their faith?
November 22nd, 2024
With a lot of faith and positivity, she writes for Pray and Faith, bringing messages and Divine teachings to everyone.