The Apocrypha – Books of the Old
Testament – about 16 of them - included in the Septuagint and Latin Vulgate but
not in the Masoretic Bible or the Protestant Bibles. The word in Greek
originally meant “hidden” or “secret” – thought to be somewhat beyond the reach
of ordinary readers - but because of the exclusion of some of the texts from
the Masoretic text, compiled by Torah scholars between the 7th and
11th centuries AD. Their criteria was generally to accept the book
as canonical only if it was written before the time of Ezra (450 BC), before
the promulgation of the Pentateuch as binding. Ecclesiastes we now know came after, but at the time it was
thought to have been written by Solomon (Boadt, 535) And among Christians
during the Protestant Reformation, it came to mean “questionable” or “false” -
not reliable. While the books were not seen as canonical by the Lutherans or
Anglicans, German and English bibles kept the books as a separate group of
“apocryphal” books that should not perhaps be given as much authority, but
should be approached with a degree of respect since they were often alluded to
or quoted in New Testament writings.
Sirach
(Ecclesiasticus)
The
book of Sirach (Jesus Ben Sira) or Ecclesiasticus is part of the Greek Bible
and is not in the Jewish Canon. St. Cyrpian is the one who started to call it
Ecclesiasticus. The forward has words alleged to be those of the author’s
grandson, and it refers to a time around 132 BC as the date of composition. At
this time Palestine was newly under the rule of the Seleucids; and it was a
time when that ruling class promoted Greek culture. Ben Sira is part of the
traditionalist resistance of the time. He is devoted to the Temple and the law.
He has studied the Prophets and the wisdom writings.
There
is little logic to the writing overall though many parts of it are quite
beautiful. The author believes that the
way to wisdom is through adherence to the Mosaic Law and the Prophets. In
this he is somewhat different from other wisdom proponents. The Jerusalem Bible introduction to the book
says Sirach, the author, “is an outstanding example of those Hasidim (the ‘devout’) of Judaism, . . .
who were soon to defend their faith against the persecutions of Antiochus
Epiphanes, and preserve little islands of faith in Israel, in which the
teaching of Christ could later take root” (1035).
In
the New Testament, James borrows from it and “it is, next to the Psalms, the Old
Testament book most frequently quoted in the Christian liturgy” (1035).
Translator’s Forward -
The
Translator’s (Greek) Forward is included in the Jerusalem Bible translation, which I will use: He refers to his
grandfather, the supposed author, as Jesus. He saw “Wisdom” as rooted in the
Mosaic Law and the Prophets. He says it was when he went to Egypt in the year
132 BC that he sought to instruct himself in the language so he could translate
this text. It is intended to help people live according to the Law.
Sirach 1 – “All wisdom is from
the Lord, and it is his own forever” (1:1).
“Before
all other things wisdom was created. . . One only is wise, terrible indeed,
seated on his throne, the Lord. He
himself has created her, looked on her and assessed her, and poured her out on
all his works to be with all mankind as his gift, and he conveyed her to those
who love him” (1:4-10).
“To
fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
she was created with the faithful in their mothers’ womb; she has made a nest
among men, an age-old foundation, and to their offspring she will cling
faithfully. To fear the Lord is the perfection
of wisdom; she intoxicates them with her fruits; she fills their whole
house with their heart’s desire, and their storerooms with her produce. The
fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom;
it makes peace and health to flourish. . . To fear the Lord is the root of
wisdom, and her branches are long life” (1:14-20).
“If
you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will convey her to you.
For wisdom and instruction mean the fear of the Lord, and what pleases him is
faithfulness and gentleness. Do not be unsubmissive to the fear of the Lord, do not practice it with a double heart.
Do not act a part in public, and keep a watch over your lips” (1:26-29).
Sirach 2 – “My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare
yourself for an ordeal. Be sincere of heart, be steadfast, and do not be
alarmed when disaster comes. Cling to him and do not leave him. . .” (2:1-3).
“Whatever
happens to you, accept it, and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be
patient, since gold is tested in the fire, and chosen men in the furnace of
humiliation. Trust him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope
in him” (2:4-6).
“Look
at the generations of old and see: who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to
shame? Or who ever feared him steadfastly and was left forsaken? (2:10)
“Let
us fall into the hands of the Lord, not into the hands of men; for as his
majesty is, so too is his mercy” (2:18).
Sirach 3 – The first part is
about respect for father and mother.
“The
greater you are, the more you should behave humbly, and then you will find
favor with the Lord” (3:18).
“Do
not try to understand things that are too difficult for you, or try to discover
what is beyond your powers. Concentrate on what has been assigned you; you have
no need to worry over mysteries. Do not meddle with matters that are beyond
you; what you have been taught already exceeds the scope of the human mind” (3:21-23).
Acts 4 – The priests, the
captain of the temple and some Sadducees complain that Peter and John are
teaching the people about resurrection from the dead. They are arrested and
brought the next day to Annas, Caiaphas and others. Peter speaks out of the
Holy Spirit to them, that the good deed done by them was done in the name and
power of Jesus Christ “whom you crucified,” again trying to spark in listeners
a sense of the terrible thing they had done. For Peter, there “is salvation in no one else” (4:12).
The
fact that Peter and John are “uneducated and ordinary men,” or “uneducated
laymen” in the Jerusalem BIble, they
are not held to quite the same standard as a rabbi would be found teaching
something like this, so they are warned to stop. The apostles retort by saying,
“Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you
must judge” (4:19). They know they cannot keep from speaking “about what we
have seen and heard” (4:20). The official lets them go, fearing the people.
Peter
and John return to their friends. The incident only shows them that the “kings
of the earth . . . and the rulers have gathered together against the Lord and
against his Messiah,” quoting Psalm 2. They simply ask God to grant them power
to speak his word “with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus”
(4:30).
The writer returns to
the theme of the apostles’ social testimony: The “whole group of those who believed
were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any
possessions, but everything they owned was held in common” (4:32). An example
given is Barnabas, who sold a field that belonged to him and brought the
proceeds to the apostles. The Jerusalem Bible translates
4:37 so it reads “he had a field and sold it”; the NRSV simply said “he sold a
field that belonged to him,” (4:37) leaving it to the reader to wonder if it
was one of many or his only field. I guess, considering what happens to Ananias
in the next chapter, the Jerusalem Bible translation
probably reflects better what the tradition believed about Barnabas.
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