The Belgic Confession of Faith (7)

Article 6

We read in 1 Thessalonians 5, “Prove ail things; hold fast that which is good.” That does not mean that you have to read all kinds of filthy literature and say, “I must try to prove all things.” It also does not mean we should go to places where we ought not to go and say, “Maybe there is also some good among all these filthy or immoral or vain things.” Rather, it means that we are called sometimes to investigate and to compare to see if things which are presented to us are according to Scripture — to see if there is something that can stand the test: “Prove all things.” In our proving we are not to adjust to that which is not according to Scripture, but we are “to hold fast that which is good.” In this way we might even strengthen our belief in that which is good, but are not to deny the truth that we have heard, learned and confessed.

This is also applicable when we consider Article 6 of our Confession. First of all, we see that this article speaks of the difference between canonical and apocryphal books. The canon (or measure) which became the norm for our religious life, political life, and church life is the Word of God. That Word can be the only measure. That which is not derived from that Word, even if it is traditional, can be valuable and must not be thrown away. However, it may never be placed on the same level with the Word of God. We may not take the writing or preaching of others, even though they may be guided by God’s Spirit in many aspects, as the final factor, but must always keep in mind the norm. The final decision and answer must be found in the Word of God, in the sacred books, the canonical books.

But our confession also speaks of “apocryphal books.” “Apocryphal” comes from the word apocrypha, which means things which are hidden or covered. Later on this same word was also used for things which were not really trustworthy, but unreliable; so apocrypha also has a negative meaning. In this article it is used in the meaning of “hidden or covered,” but in some aspects it also has the meaning, “not reliable or trustworthy.” Why did our fathers use this expression and call them hidden, covered, or even unreliable? At the time of Athanasius, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, contained several books which do not belong to the canon. These were the “apocryphal books.” Even in the old Statenbijbel of 1639 these apocryphal books were included. However, they were preceded by a page of warning.

The Apocrypha was introduced into the English version by Coverdale in 1535 and also included in the King James version. It soon began to be omitted, although it remained a controversial matter until around the 1820s. Then the Apocrypha, which when inserted was placed between the Old Testament and the New Testament, was finally excluded from all Bibles issued by the British and Foreign Bible Societies. Why then were they incorporated in those old Bibles and why do we feel that it is dangerous to add them to our Bible?

In the first place, the Jewish people considered them to be uninspired. Even some of the writers of the apocryphal books themselves disclaim inspiration. The prologue to Ecclesiasticus and The Book of the Maccabees state that the writing is only a human word. In the next place, those apocrypha are not found in the Hebrew canon. They also were never quoted by the Lord Jesus. Often He quoted from the prophets and the Old Testament, but He never quoted one piece from the Apocrypha. Yet, the early Christian churches (100-200 A.D.) permitted them to be read for edification. They were recommended to the catechism students for study, although rejected from the canon. The Reformation also rejected them as part of the canon. We can see this very clearly in the Westminster Confession of Faith and in expressions of Luther and Calvin. Yet Rome pronounced an anathema, a curse, against those who deferred from the opinion that eleven of the sixteen books belonged to the canon and must be considered to be the Word of God (not the books of Esdras or of the Maccabees). At the Council of Trent in 1546 this was again affirmed; and they pronounced an ecclesiastical curse upon all those who did not believe this.

Let us now go through a bit of church history. Athanasius was used to defend the truth of the Trinity; but he also saw the danger of those apocryphal books, and warned against their use as the Word of God. He said, “You must clearly distinguish between the canonical books and those instructive books.” However, Augustine, an opponent of Pelagius (who was the man who did not believe in the fall of man as Scripture teaches), was a bit more liberal than Athanasius concerning the apocryphal books; perhaps he was afraid to disturb the church peace. He wanted to keep those books in the church. He saw the difference, but he did not warn against them as strongly as Athanasius. Luther viewed the books as having a different value from the canon, but felt they were an excellent source for study and reading. Calvin more or less had the same opinion.

Next, however, we come to the Synod of Dordt, that famous Synod which was held in 1618-1619. There delegates were also present from the churches of England, France, Germany and Switzerland to discuss the truth and to give advice to the Holland delegates. The deputies of the foreign churches wanted to keep the apocryphal books, and insert them after the Old Testament books. However, professors such as Gomarus, who was a fervent defender of the Contra-Remonstrant’s position of the Reformed truth, together with other Holland theologians, wanted to completely remove those books from the Bible. They said, “There are many errors in the books and it is quite dangerous if they are put in the hands of everyone, for they could also stir up or encourage beliefs in certain error.” The Remonstrants from Utrecht and Groningen, however, said they could be read in the church as well as the catechism. “If you read the catechism, which is also a human book, you should also read pieces of the apocryphal books in the church worship services,” they said. After much discussion at that Synod, a compromise was reached (mainly by the recommendation of the foreign churches) to include or incorporate them in the Bible; they were to be placed, however, in the back of the Bible and preceded by a warning page. They would just be an appendix, in smaller print, as an additional source of history and to learn the customs of those days. No doubt, they thought about those words, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

I will mention a few of the many errors included in the apocryphal books. The fourth book of Esdras, or Ezra, states that the souls of those who die are kept or brought together in a certain place under the earth to await the Judgment Day. But according to the Word of God, the moment we die, the soul goes to its eternal place. In the book of Tobias, it is said that the angel Raphael brings the prayers of the saints before God. In the book of Jesus Sirach, it is said that our sins are forgiven if we honor our parents, or give enough alms, or perform many good works. In this way atonement is provided and God is satisfied, so that He forgives our sins. It thus becomes very evident as to where the Roman Catholics have derived their erroneous ideas about confession of sins and good works.

It has always been the intention of the devil to draw people away from that only way of salvation and to try to make them build upon something of themselves. If there is something which proceeds from ourselves, then there is always enmity against the doctrine which teaches us, “nothing of self, and all from Him and in Him.”

The Third Book of Ezrah contains stories about the decline of the kingdom of Judah, and the destruction of Jerusalem, In the Fourth Book there are many visions of a certain Ezrah, but he is not the one of Scripture. Tobias was written about 350 or 250 B.C. He was an Israelite from one of the ten tribes, was led into captivity in Assyria, lived in Nineveh, and was blind. It speaks of a miraculous cure, which is clearly imaginative. In the book of Judith, we read of a widow who, in order to deliver her people, established a relationship with an Assyrian commander-in-chief who was besieging a town in Israel. While he was asleep, she seized his sword and cut off his head.

There also is an addition to our book of Esther. Our book has ten chapters and the tenth chapter has only three verses. In the Roman Catholic Bible, the tenth chapter has ten verses and there are six additional chapters, for a total of sixteen chapters. These were written by an Egyptian Jew about 150 B.C. and contain a lot of repetition of our book of Esther. There are some evident errors in the history.

The book of The Wisdom of Solomon must have been a book which was quite well-known in the days when the Lord Jesus and His disciples were alive and went through the country. It gives many warnings against the foolishness of image worship. However, it was not written by Solomon, but it is evidently of the Alexandrian Jews.

There is also the Ecclesiasticus (not Ecclesiastes), or the book of Jesus, the son of Syrach, which must have been written about 280 B.C. There is much similarity in this book with Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and some parts of Job. It has fifty-one chapters and gives much valuable ethical instruction and not such foolishness as is found in the book Tobias.

In the book of Baruch, (who was supposed to be the secretary of Jeremiah, but which was really written about 300 B.C.), there are: 1) warnings to the disobedient people of Israel to repent, 2) a word of comfort to the people in exile in Babylon, and 3) an addition to that book of Baruch, a letter which is said to be of Jeremiah but which was written about 100 B.C.

Then there are also three books which in the Roman Catholic Bible are an addition to the book of Daniel. The first one is inserted after Daniel 3:23. It is the Song of the Three Holy Children in the Fiery Furnace. In that song you read that the flames went twenty-five or thirty meters above the oven. But then there came an angel who caused a wet wind to blow and this pulled away all the flames. We do not read this in the Word of God. No doubt there was a song in their hearts, but not the song we find in the apocryphal books.

There is another addition to the book of Daniel, which is the History of Susannah. This speaks of the wisdom of Daniel. He was so wise, that when a godly woman was slandered and accused falsely of some immorality by two Jewish elders, Daniel, as the oracle of God, revealed the truth so that she could be restored in honor.

Time and again we notice how that the apocryphal books elevate and exalt man, even though he may be a child of God.

Daniel is also placed before us in the book, The Idol Bel and the Dragon. There Daniel revealed the deceitfulness of Bel’s priests, who claimed that they did not eat, but remained alive. Daniel proved that the priests were eating the food offered to the idol. He killed the Dragon, and was cast into the lions’ den for the second time.

There is also a book, the Prayer of Manasseh. Written about 100 B.C., it speaks of the prayer of Judah who was held captive in Babylon. We know of Manasseh in the prison of Babylon, and how he prayed to the Lord there. My friends, has that also happened with you? Manasseh knew and acknowledged that the “Lord, He is God.” We can be certain that in his prayer he made a heartfelt confession of his guilt, of his unworthiness, and of his hell-worthiness. He experienced that he was but a dead dog. There he justified God, but there he also received an answer. The Lord heard his cry, delivered him out of all his troubles, and restored him, even to his kingship over Israel. But we do not read all those things in the Prayer of Manasseh, and therefore it is a prayer which was not inspired by God’s Spirit.

Next comes The First Book of the Maccabees. This is quite a reliable and valuable record of history. It speaks of the brothers from the tribe of Levi who were called the Maccabees and lived during the time of oppression under Antiochus Epiphanies, a cruel man who provoked the Jews and trampled upon their religious feelings. They speak about the battle for freedom, the war of independence which was fought under the leadership of the Maccabees. In The Second Book of the Maccabees we also read about that battle, but some parts are more fanciful, a little bit more fantastic and imaginative. They try to make it more beautiful than what it really is. It is, therefore, less valuable for historians than the first book. There are two more books, the fourth of which contains the art of mastering one’s passions and gives many examples of Jews who suffered in those days under the oppression and were still submissive.

Having given an idea as to what these books contain, we read again what this article says: “all of which the church may read” if only you are on your guard and are careful, realizing that they are not the infallible Word of God but contain errors. Now those books “may be read” and you may “take instruction” from them, but privately for personal investigation. The church may read and take instruction from them so far as they agree with the canonical books, but they are far from having the power and efficacy so that from their testimony we may confirm any point of faith or of the Christian religion.

The precious doctrines which we believe — may they be believed in truth, with all our heart — do not rest on testimony of the Apocrypha, but solely upon what God has revealed in His infallible Word. There we read of predestination, of that wonder, “Jacob have I loved; Esau have I hated.” It speaks of Christ, the Mediator, God and man in one Person. It speaks of the wonder of His redemption — particular redemption — not universal redemption. You can find this in the Word of God: “I lay down My life for the sheep.” This Word speaks of the sacraments which the Lord has instituted — not the seven of the Romish church — but the two nonbloody sacraments of the New Testament dispensation. It speaks of an internal and an external call. It also speaks of the total depravity of man, of unconditional election, of limited atonement, of irresistible grace, and of the perseverance of the saints.

This Word speaks of the need of regeneration — we need a new heart (John 3); of justification — by faith alone (Rom.5); of sanctification — as found in the epistle of James; and of glorification — as revealed in the book of Revelation. These are all clearly spoken of in the Word of God.

We then sometimes may wonder, “How can we tell the difference? Why did our fathers feel that certain books lacked the evidence of being of divine origin and that other books were the truth?” It is certain that it was by the testimony in their heart. But there is also a clear distinction between the apocryphal books and the canonical books. You will notice that the apocryphal books speak of men in a most favorable way. Primarily the nice things are said of man. However, God’s Word does not do this, but rather shows man honestly, having a sinful heart. What does God say about Noah? And what of David, Peter, John, Solomon, and many others? What picture do we see? It is an honest one, so that the free grace of God might be evident, and the nothingness of man revealed.

Dear friends, did you already observe your picture and believe your picture as God’s Word describes it in Romans 3? Only then will there be room for Him whose picture is also in the Word of God. The Bible says, “He is white and ruddy, altogether lovely.” Blessed are they who may know and trust in Him alone.

NEW YEAR’S PRAYER

O LORD,
Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed
in Thy presence, in Thy service, to Thy glory.
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains,
sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from Thee,
but may rely on Thy Spirit
to supply every thought,
speak in every word,
direct every step,
prosper every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth Thy praise,
testify Thy love,
advance Thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with Thee, O Father, as my harbor, Thee, O Son, at my helm
Thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to Thy calls
my heart full of love,
my soul free.
Give me Thy grace to sanctify me,
Thy comforts to cheer,
Thy wisdom to teach,
Thy right hand to guide,
Thy counsel to instruct
Thy law to judge,
Thy presence to stabilize.
May Thy fear be my awe,
Thy triumphs my joy.

— Adapted from

Thomas Shepherd’s diary

Rev. C. Vogelaar is pastor of the Ebenezer Netherlands Reformed Church of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

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