Apocrypha-Missing Books of the Bible

Read the Apocrypha missing books of the bible, find out what the Apocrypha is, why it was removed from the Holy Bible KJV and the controversy surrounding these books.

What is the Apocrypha?

"Apocrypha" comes from the Greek word apokrypha [ajpovkrufo"], which means "things that are hidden, secret." "The Apocrypha" refers to two collections of ancient Jewish and Christian writings that have certain affinities with the various books of the Old Testament and New Testament but were not canonized by Christians as a whole: the Old Testament Apocrypha, which are still viewed as canonical by some Christians, and the New Testament Apocrypha, which are not (3). ​

Where the Apocrypha was positioned in the Original 1611 King James Bible

"The apocrypha is a selection of books which were published in the original 1611 King James Bible. These apocryphal books were positioned between the Old and New Testament (it also contained maps and geneologies). The apocrypha was a part of the KJV for 274 years until being removed in 1885 A.D. A portion of these books were called deuterocanonical books by some entities, such as the Catholic church" (3).

Why Were the Books of The Apocrypha Removed from the Bible?

"During the English Civil War, the Westminster Confession of 1647 excluded the Apocrypha from the canon and made no recommendation of the Apocrypha above "other human writings", and this attitude towards the Apocrypha is represented by the decision of the British and Foreign Bible Society in the early 19th century not to print it . Today, "English Bibles with the Apocrypha are becoming more popular again" and they are often printed as intertestamental books". (2).

The Controversy over the Removal of the Apocrypha from the Bible

"Many claim the apocrypha should never have been included in the first place, raising doubt about its validity and believing it was not God-inspired (for instance, a reference about magic seems inconsistent with the rest of the Bible: Tobit chapter 6, verses 5-8). Others believe it is valid and that it should never have been removed- that it was considered part of the Bible for nearly 2,000 years before it was recently removed a little more than 100 years ago. Some say it was removed because of not finding the books in the original Hebrew manuscripts. Others claim it wasn't removed by the church, but by printers to cut costs in distributing Bibles in the United States. Both sides tend to cite the same verses that warn against adding or subtracting from the Bible: Revelation 22:18. The word 'apocrypha' means 'hidden.' Fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls dating back to before 70 A.D. contained parts of the apocrypha books in Hebrew, including Sirach and Tobit (2). 

Keep this in mind when reading the following apocryphal books. Martin Luther said, "Apocrypha--that is, books which are not regarded as equal to the holy Scriptures, and yet are profitable and good to read." (King James Version Defended page 98.)" (1). ​

Books of the Apocrypha

Books of the Apocrypha

Free Printable Version of The Holy Bible King James Version With the Apocrypha

Read, study or print this pdf version of the Holy Bible King James Version with the Apocrypha included. Go to Holy Bible KJV with Apocrypha Printable Version
References: 
1. N.a. "APOCRYPHA KJV." Kingjamesbibleonline.org. n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2018. <https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/>
​2. Wikipedia Contributors. "Biblical apocrypha." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Jan. 2018. Web. 17 Jan. 2018. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_apocrypha>
​3.Randy Newman. "Read the King James Version w/ Apocrypha Free Online." Bible Study Tools. n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2018. <http://www.biblestudytools.com/apocrypha/kjva/>