Yes, You Should Read the Apocrypha!

One question I often get from students is, “What is the Apocrypha?” and “Is it good to read it?” I answer this a bit in my book Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible as to what the Apocrypha is and why it is genuinely worthwhile to read it. In an earlier post, I argued:

Let me be clear: Christians should read the Apocrypha! If you want to understand the historical period between Malachi and Matthew, then you should make a concerted effort to read the history, wisdom literature, and apocalyptic hopes contained in this body of writings. The books called by us “apocrypha” were widely read and used by Christians in the early centuries and only gradually were siloed away from the Old and New Testament. The Apocrypha provides a glimpse into the world of Second Temple Judaism and the backdrop to the New Testament period. So tolle lege, take up and read!

I can add that my friend Prof. David A. deSilva has a great 7-minute video on “Should Christians Read the Apocrypha?” which I recommend:

Also, I happen to have expertise on one particular book in the Apocrypha, namely, 1 Esdras, I wrote a commentary on it, was involved in the CEB and NRSVU, and I even made a video about it: