Why the Reformation Rejected the Apocrypha
Why the Reformation Rejected the Deuterocanonical Books
The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century was not only a movement about salvation by faith alone—it was also a battle over the boundaries of Scripture itself. The Protestant Reformers protested the inclusion of the Apocrypha (also called the Deuterocanon) primarily because these books were never part of the original Hebrew canon and contained doctrines that contradicted their core belief in Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone).
In this lesson, we will examine the key Reformers who led this protest, their backgrounds, and the biblical reasoning they used to exclude these ancient texts from the Protestant Bible.
Lesson Objectives:
Before Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg in 1517, the Latin Vulgate was the authoritative Bible of Western Christianity. This translation, completed by Jerome around 405 AD, included the deuterocanonical books, though Jerome himself had expressed reservations about their canonical status.
For over a thousand years, these books had been read in churches, quoted by theologians, and used to support various Catholic doctrines. The Reformers faced the monumental task of not only reforming church practices but also determining which books truly belonged in the Bible.
At the heart of the Reformation was the principle of Sola Scriptura—the belief that Scripture alone is the ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice. This principle raised a crucial question: Which books constitute Scripture?
The Reformers argued that only books that were:
...could be considered canonical. The Apocrypha, they concluded, failed to meet these criteria.
Place of Birth: Eisleben, Germany
Heritage: White / Light-skinned (Central European)
Role: Augustinian monk, professor of theology, father of the Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther was the spark that ignited the Reformation. His study of Romans convinced him that salvation comes through faith alone (Sola Fide), not through works or indulgences. This conviction led him to question many Catholic teachings—including those supported by the Apocrypha.
Luther was the first to formally separate the deuterocanonical books in his 1534 German Bible translation. He placed them in an appendix between the Old and New Testaments with this preface:
"Apocrypha—that is, books which are not held equal to the Holy Scriptures, but are useful and good to read."
Luther specifically targeted 2 Maccabees because the Catholic Church used it to justify:
These concepts, Luther argued, contradicted the clear teaching of Scripture about salvation by grace through faith.
Romans 3:2:
"Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them [the Jews] were committed the oracles of God."
Luther noted that the "oracles of God" were entrusted specifically to the Jews. Since the Jewish community never included the Apocrypha in their Hebrew canon, these books could not be considered part of God's inspired Word.
2 Timothy 3:16:
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
Luther argued that the Apocrypha did not meet the standard of being "God-breathed" (theopneustos). He pointed to historical inaccuracies, theological inconsistencies, and the absence of prophetic claims within these books as evidence that they lacked divine inspiration.
Place of Birth: Noyon, France
Heritage: White / Light-skinned (Western European)
Role: Theologian, pastor, systematic organizer of Reformed theology
John Calvin was the great systematizer of Protestant theology. His Institutes of the Christian Religion became the foundational text for Reformed Christianity. Calvin was more rigorous than Luther in his rejection of the Apocrypha.
In his Antidote to the Council of Trent (1547), Calvin responded to the Catholic Church's formal canonization of the deuterocanonical books at the Council of Trent (1546). He wrote:
"The Church cannot make that Scripture which is not Scripture. If the books are not divinely inspired, no council can make them so."
Calvin accused the Catholic Church of using the Apocrypha as "new supports" for unbiblical dogmas. He saw this as an attempt to prop up traditions that could not be defended from the canonical Scriptures.
Ephesians 2:20:
"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone."
Calvin argued that the Church is built on the foundation of the "prophets and apostles." Since the Apocrypha was written after the age of the Hebrew prophets had ended (during the "silent years" between Malachi and Matthew), these books could not be part of the prophetic foundation.
Luke 24:44:
"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."
Calvin pointed out that Jesus Himself affirmed the three-part Hebrew canon: the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Writings). This tripartite division corresponds to the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and does not include the Apocrypha. If Jesus did not recognize these books as Scripture, Calvin argued, neither should we.
Place of Birth: Karlstadt, Germany
Heritage: White / Light-skinned (Central European)
Role: Professor, colleague of Luther, early Reformation leader
Karlstadt was one of Luther's earliest allies at Wittenberg. Though he later broke with Luther over other issues, his contribution to the debate over the biblical canon was significant and lasting.
In 1520, Karlstadt published De Canonicis Scripturis Libellus ("A Little Book on Canonical Scriptures")—the first formal Protestant treatise on the biblical canon. In this work, he introduced a "tripartite" ranking system:
Karlstadt argued that the Apocrypha were "human additions" that lacked the "fresh spirit" of divine revelation. They might contain historical information, but they could not be used to establish doctrine.
Matthew 23:35:
"That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar."
Karlstadt made a brilliant observation: Jesus referred to the martyrs from "Abel to Zechariah." In the Hebrew Bible, Genesis (containing Abel's story) is the first book, and Chronicles (containing Zechariah's story) is the last. This statement effectively covers the entire span of the Hebrew canon—and excludes the books written during the Intertestamental period.
Place of Birth: Wildhaus, Switzerland
Heritage: White / Light-skinned (Swiss/Central European)
Role: Priest, humanist scholar, leader of the Swiss Reformation
Zwingli led the Reformation in Zurich, Switzerland. A trained humanist, he emphasized the importance of returning to the original sources (ad fontes) of Scripture.
Zwingli emphasized that "man is a liar and only God is the truth." In the preface to the 1531 Zurich Bible, he acknowledged that while some apocryphal books like Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) were "worth reading," they never attained the authority of the 66 canonical books.
Zwingli believed that adding uninspired books to the Bible "dilutes" the power of the Gospel. The purity of God's Word must be preserved from human additions.
John 6:63:
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
Zwingli used this verse to emphasize the priority of the Spirit and the Word over human traditions. Only the words that God has spoken—not human additions—have the power to give life. The Apocrypha, being uninspired, cannot claim this life-giving power.
The Reformers did not merely appeal to external criteria (like the Hebrew canon) to reject the Apocrypha. They also pointed to internal evidence—problems within the apocryphal books themselves that proved they were not "God-breathed."
Apocryphal Teaching:
Tobit 12:9: "For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin."
This verse seems to teach that charitable giving (almsgiving) can purge sin and deliver from death—a works-based salvation.
Protestant Biblical Counter-Argument:
Galatians 2:16: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
The Reformers argued that Tobit's teaching contradicts the clear Pauline doctrine of justification by faith alone.
Apocryphal Teaching:
2 Maccabees 12:44-45: "For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead. And also in that he perceived that there was great favour laid up for those that died godly, it was an holy and good thought. Whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin."
This passage was the primary biblical support for the Catholic doctrines of Purgatory and prayers for the dead.
Protestant Biblical Counter-Argument:
Hebrews 9:27: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."
The Reformers argued that Hebrews teaches a finality to death—judgment follows immediately, with no intermediate state where prayers can benefit the deceased.
Apocryphal Teaching:
Tobit 6:5-7: "Then the angel said unto him, Take the fish... As for the heart and the liver, if a devil or an evil spirit trouble any, we must make a smoke thereof before the man or the woman, and the party shall be no more vexed."
This passage describes using a fish's internal organs to drive away demons—a practice that resembles magical incantations.
Protestant Biblical Counter-Argument:
Deuteronomy 18:10-12: "There shall not be found among you any one that... useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD."
The Reformers argued that Tobit's instructions resemble the forbidden practices condemned in Deuteronomy.
| Disputed Topic | Apocryphal Verse | Protestant Biblical Counter-Argument |
|---|---|---|
| Salvation by Works | Tobit 12:9: "For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin." | Galatians 2:16: "A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ." |
| Purgatory | 2 Maccabees 12:44-45: Encourages prayers and sacrifices for the dead. | Hebrews 9:27: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." |
| Magic/Occult | Tobit 6:5-7: Describes using a fish's liver and heart to drive away demons. | Deuteronomy 18:10-12: Forbids the use of witchcraft or spells. |
| Self-Admitted Lack of Prophets | 1 Maccabees 9:27: "So was there a great affliction in Israel, the like whereof was not since the time that a prophet was not seen among them." | Amos 3:7: "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." |
The Reformed position on the Apocrypha was codified in the Westminster Confession of Faith:
"The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the Canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings."
In response to the Reformers, the Catholic Church formally defined the canon at the Council of Trent, including the deuterocanonical books as fully inspired Scripture. The council pronounced an anathema (curse) on anyone who rejected these books.
To this day, Protestant Bibles contain 66 books, while Catholic Bibles contain 73 (or 46 in the Old Testament vs. 39). This difference traces directly back to the Reformation debates of the 16th century.
The Reformers argued that the Jewish people were the custodians of the "oracles of God" (Romans 3:2) and did not include the Apocrypha in their canon. How significant is this argument to you? Should Christian churches follow the Jewish canon?
Jesus referenced Scripture from "Abel to Zechariah" (Matthew 23:35), covering Genesis to Chronicles. Does this effectively exclude the Intertestamental writings from His definition of Scripture?
The Reformers found internal contradictions between the Apocrypha and canonical Scripture (e.g., salvation by works vs. salvation by faith). How should we handle apparent contradictions between religious texts?
Luther placed the Apocrypha in an appendix as "useful and good to read" but not equal to Scripture. Is this a balanced approach, or should these books be completely removed from Christian Bibles?
The Catholic Church argues that the Church has authority to define the canon. The Reformers argued that the Church can only recognize what God has already inspired. Which position do you find more compelling?
Tobit 6:5-7 describes using fish organs to drive away demons. How does this compare to biblical methods of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18, James 4:7)?
The debate over the Apocrypha continues 500 years after the Reformation. What can modern Christians learn from studying both sides of this historical controversy?
The Protestant Reformers rejected the Apocrypha because it was not part of the Hebrew canon and contained teachings that contradicted Sola Scriptura.
Martin Luther separated these books into an appendix, calling them "useful but not equal to Scripture."
John Calvin argued that the Church cannot make a book Scripture if God did not inspire it.
Andreas Karlstadt created the first Protestant classification system, ranking the Apocrypha as "non-canonical."
Huldrych Zwingli emphasized that only God's words have life-giving power; human additions "dilute" the Gospel.
The Reformers used biblical texts like Romans 3:2, Luke 24:44, and Matthew 23:35 to support their position.
Internal evidence within the Apocrypha (salvation by works, prayers for the dead, magical practices) conflicted with canonical teachings.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the men and women throughout history who have contended for the faith once delivered to the saints. We thank You for the Reformers who labored to restore Your Word to its proper place of authority. Help us to be students of Scripture, testing all things and holding fast to what is true. Give us wisdom to discern Your voice from human traditions, and courage to stand for truth even when it is unpopular. May Your Word remain a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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