|
A list of inspired and non-inspired books mentioned in the Bible that are not part of our canon. A conservative, bible believing perspective! |
God's providence gave us the 27 book New Testament Canon, not the church. God, not men decided the canon. This providence does not mean that church leaders were inspired in their selecting the canon, only that God had his eye on the scriptures the whole time and brought about His will to form the Bible we see today!
|
|
A list of inspired and non-inspired books |
A list of inspired and non-inspired books mentioned in the Bible that are not part of our canon.
Introduction:
1. There are quite a few inspired books referenced in the Bible that we do not possess today because the Holy Spirit realized we did not need them as part of the canon.
2. There are also a number of uninspired books references or even quoted in the Bible.
I. Uninspired civil and historical record books mentioned or quoted in the Bible:
- The Book of Wars of the Lord: "Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord," Num. 21:14
- The Book of Jasher: "So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day." Joshua 10:13
- The annals of Jehu: "Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first to last, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel." 2 Chronicles 20:34
- The treatise of the book of the Kings: "As to his sons and the many oracles against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place." 2 Chronicles 24:27
- The record book of records, Book of the Chronicles of Ahasuerus: "Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king's presence." ... "During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king." Esther 2:23; 6:1
- The Acts of Solomon: "Now the rest of the acts of Solomon and whatever he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?" 1 Kings 11:41
- The Sayings of Hozai: "His prayer also and how God was entreated by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of the Hozai." 2 Chronicles 33:19
- The Chronicles of David: "Joab the son of Zeruiah had begun to count them, but did not finish; and because of this, wrath came upon Israel, and the number was not included in the account of the chronicles of King David." 1 Chronicles 27:24
- Jude quotes from two uninspired books that were widely read during the first century:
- Testament of Moses: in Jude 9
i. "But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”" (Jude 9)
ii. The Testament of Moses was written about 10 AD and it Correctly predicted Jesus would come in 29 AD based upon the chronology of the Septuagint (LXX) and the prophecies of Dan 9:24 (70 weeks = 490 years) and Dan 2 that the kingdom of God would come during the 4th (Roman) empire.
iii. The Testament of Moses, also known as the Assumption of Moses, is not inspired.
- The book of Enoch: in Jude 14
iv. Enoch lived before the flood but the book of Enoch dates to about 150 BC and many fragments of the book have been discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
v. "It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones"" Jude 14, see also Gen 5:18, 21ff
vi. It is important to differentiate between that man Enoch the prophet and the uninspired pseudepigraphal book of Enoch of 150 BC.
II. Bible quotations of oral prophecies by inspired prophets, for which we have no other record:
1. The prophet Enoch:
a. Enoch lived before the flood but the book of Enoch dates to about 150 BC and many fragments of the book have been discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
b. "It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones"" Jude 14, see also Gen 5:18, 21ff
c. It is important to differentiate between that man Enoch the prophet and the uninspired pseudepigraphal book of Enoch of 150 BC.
d. The oral or written prophecies of Enoch who lived before the flood must have been recorded by a later prophet of the Bible and the information passed into oral tradition.
e. It is very unlikely if not impossible to think that Enoch’s oral or prophecies from before the flood survived down to the first century.
III. Inspired books mentioned in the Bible that are not part of our canon:
- The Chronicles of Samuel, Nathan, Gad: "Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the chronicles of Gad the seer" 1 Chronicles 29:29
- Samuels book: "Then Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book and placed it before the Lord." 1 Samuel 10:25
- The records of Nathan the prophet: "Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?" 2 Chronicles 9:29
- The Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite: "Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?" 2 Chronicles 9:29
- The Treatise of the Prophet Iddo: "Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo." 2 Chronicles 13:22
- Paul's inspired letter to the church at Laodicea: "When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea." Colossians 4:16 (Since three early manuscripts do not contain the words "at Ephesus" in Eph 1:1, some have speculated that the letter coming from Laodicea was in fact the letter of Ephesians. Apostolic Fathers also debated this possibility.)
- Paul's first letter to Corinth, that predated the present "1 Corinthians"? "I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people" (1 Corinthians 5:9) (This could merely be a reference to the present letter of 1 Corinthians.)
IV. Genuine divine books mentioned in the Bible located in the heavens:
- The Book of Remembrance: "Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name." Malachi 3:16
- The Book of Life: Dan. 12:1; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 20:12; 22:19
- The Book of Judgment: Dan. 7:10; Rev. 20:12
- The book with seven seals: "I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals." Revelation 5:1
- Book in angel's hand: Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land." Revelation 10:8
V. Bible quotations of secular, uninspired writings:
- Uninspired Athenian poet: "for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'" Acts 17:28
By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections.
