Someone asked me about the book of Enoch and the issue of whether it should be in the in Canon of the Bible.
Here’s my quick thoughts:
- The only full copy saved is Ethiopian or from Etophia; it shows the church didn’t see it as Scripture as a universal consensus; also Etophia isn’t the hub for preserving biblical manuscripts like in Turkey, Rome and Egypt so I think that also fortify why I don’t think church should accept it as scripture.
- It seems the early church were suspicious of things older than the NT that wasn’t written in Hebrew as being part of Scripture. This is why apocryphal writings in general weren’t seen as scripture. Enoch or 1 Enoch were originally written in Greek.
- Also Enoch being an old patriarch writing in Greek is rather suspicious. If one argue it was originally written in Hebrew there doesn’t exist any manuscripts.
- Furthermore I think Enoch was never understood by the early Church as a book that should be in the Canon compared to other Apocryphal writing and thus be preserved since the only fully copy that survived isn’t even written in Greek by an extinct Etophian language call Ge’ez.
- I do think the Book of Enoch isn’t Scripture but not everything in Enoch should be dismiss as it seems 1-2 Peter and Jude does have views of angels and demons that share beliefs as in Enoch. I don’t think necessary it means those Bible books rely on Enoch but there is some common theological source those Apostlic epistles and Enoch shared.
- Presuppositions matter in talking about canon. For Christians God is sovereign and one sign one book isn’t scripture is it wasn’t providentially included or copied weren’t universal. So Enoch is not canonical. For atheists it also don’t make sense to attack saying Enoch should be included. Canon of scripture isn’t nothing but sociological; that is a religious group ultimately make that choice of what is accepted; if that is the case then they have no basis for saying Christians must include it
The Domain for Truth 
For those who might think the Book of Enoch, aka 1 Enoch [there are three extra-biblical works pseudepigraphically named after Enoch, the others known as 2 Enoch, 3 Enoch] should be canonized on the basis that it was quoted from in Jude and 2 Peter, I would ask the following: Should we canonize Thais, a Greek comedy by Menander, which Paul quotes in 1 Cor 15:33, and, similarly, should we canonize Cretica, by Epimenides, since Paul quotes from it in Titus 1:12? The answer is obvious.
Good point! Glad you added that!
While I don’t endorse putting Enoch in canon, the point with it being quoted is that is was quoted as what Enoch said, so it’s not the same thing as fiction
from which a line was quoted.
Lance,
Just like Paul sourced those Greek works towards his own theological ends, Jude did the same. Though few would likely know this, Jude subtly changes 1Enoch for Christological purposes. I wrote about this a few years ago, so I’ll quote the applicable portion:
In other words, it is Jesus who will come as Judge instead of God the Father (as the NT affirms elsewhere).
[See here: Who Led the Exodus? – A Text Critical Study in Jude 5]
Good point: “For atheists it also don’t make sense to attack saying Enoch should be included.”
Thanks Frank for reading this all the way to the end! Presuppositional apologetics kick into gear once again with being conscious of what worldview we are operating in when we talk about the canon!
Excellent insight. Not canonized for a reason. We can trust what we have.
Blessings.
Wasn’t Enoch one of the first people mentioned in the Bible – in Genesis? That makes the language objection the most convincing argument to me.
Yes, in verses 14 and 15 of Enoch it says how Enoch is the seventh from Adam. Enoch along with Elijah never died (Gen 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11). Thanks in advance for letting me join in! Blessed day Annie and Jimmy!
Blessings back, Mandy! 🙂
Yes I was thinking the same thing of why Enoch’s writing is primarily in Greek and then only an Ethophian full copy remain for someone that wrote so long ago! Good Point!!!
Thanks for addressing the Book of Enoch. I’m sure there are a lot of questions among Christians about this apocryphal book.
How are you feeling? We have several people at work who are out because of Omicron.
Seems this Omicron is much more a super spreader than the other variants! I feel so much better today than Saturday; Saturday was very rough with that fever! I actually had two teachings too! You’ve been ok yourself health wise Tom?
Glad you’re feeling better! I’ve been good health wise, thanks! So many of the young guys at work either aren’t vaccinated or only had one shot and wear their masks below their chins, but they’re saying Omicron is so contagious that everyone’s eventually going to catch it.
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9IvI0MTo58
Wow that is providentially timely. Thanks for sharing this! Do you have a post compiled of all the resources on book of Enoch??
I think the only other one I know of, on this particular topic is:
Hey, Jimmy! We are praying y’all are doing better! I have had questions on why the Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha books aren’t canonical so thank you for addressing this! Reading Enoch (and any of the Apocrypha books, especially Maccabees) through a historical lens helps us to understand what was happening in the Second Temple period during the 400 years of prophetic silence. I agree, Enoch does show how the Jewish/Rabbinic concept or understanding of the supernatural progressed as seen in Peter and Jude.
Amen!! Indeed there are things to be gained with the background with this book. Yet the limited copies surviving compared to any books of the Canon really question how most groups never saw its canonicity. Thanks for your prayers, how is Nathan’s hands?
Nathan’s thumb is continuing to get worse. I have asked him to call dr, hopefully he will!
Who am I to qustion …but…I do think we are in for a lesson in our history that has been removed and kept from us.
The claim that the Book of Enoch was quoted in Scripture, therefore, it is sacred canon, it easily dispatched. But what of that quote? Since there are no extant manuscripts from anywhere near the time of Jude (who does not mention “The Book of Enoch”), I wonder if the author quoted Jude and put that into his manuscript. A retroactive quote? Or, as speculated in Got Answers, the quote was handed down by tradition.
Something I am trying to develop is the idea that people have a lot of pride and want to feel special. Luther Corwin wrote about the false gospel of evolutionary Gnosticism in Creation, Evolution, and the Handicapped, Voddie Baucham talks about ethnic Gnosticism and the obscene doctrine of Critical Race Theory, and I have seen it in other places.
The “Book of Enoch” is all over the web, and people revere it. It is also in “lost” or “sacred” text collections. I believe that this, too, is a kind of Gnosticism. People want to belong to the One True Church™, have special knowledge, and things of that nature. Biblical creationists proclaim the authority of the Word of God, its inerrancy, and that it is complete. No secret societies or decoder rings.
Good point you brought up the few people I ran into that was bringing up Book of Enoch often are very Gnostic in their characteristics of stressing this is something they exclusively know and yet others and the rest of the church don’t know about etc.
Totally agree! It was very important to remember that the early Church was very meticulous about deciding which books were The Actual Word of God!
Agreed! The fact that nearly no one preserved it but a fully copy only survived in Ethopia makes it very questionable…how are you doing RG???
My cold isn’t as bad now, but it’s hanging on longer than I’d like. Hope you’re doing well, Jim!
Excellent.
Thanks! I’m praying for your Bronchitis!!! Keep me posted yeah??
Prayers work. Feeling somewhat better. Thank you Grand.
God is Sovereign!! That says it all for me.
Great points you brought up.
Yep that sums it up!!! Man every time I see you on here I’m encouraged!!!
Amen. I’ve always been thinking about the source of this book.
Thank you for sharing! I have a Bible Verse to share with you, but the app is on my alternative device. I will plan to get it for you in a bit. If I forget, just remind me. Hugs! I’m so grateful I didn’t lose my friends when I changed my URL. 🌺
Also the Septuagint doesn’t include it. Jude’s quote might have not been from the book but another source that preserved Enoch’s sayings. Jesus mentioned the Law and the Prophets pointing to Him. Also Psalms-Lk. 24.44. Jesus mentioned how Christians are trained in the Kingdom by bringing out things old and new-scriptures of O.T. and N.T.-Mt. 13.52. What is beneficial and authoritative is the scriptures.
Alex thanks for your knowledgeable input that further fortify the points here! Thanks for that. May your Tuesday be a blessed one!
More resources:
“The Book of Enoch: : Canonical, Authoritative or What?”, by Doug Potter
https://www.academia.edu/38011740/The_Book_of_Enoch_Canonical_Authoritative_or_What
“The Book of Enoch”, presentation by Doug Potter
[…] 5.) Quick Thoughts on the Book of Enoch and Biblical Canon […]
Reblogged this on Reformed Theology Blog.
I strongly believe that when Sheeba met King Solomon, she should have taken a copy of his faith for her child through him, so there is more a possibility for the book to be true. But adding it into the cannon I don’t take the risk of the curse, but Christian’s reading it… and let the Holy Spirit lead his flocks.
[…] Here’s my Quick Thoughts on the Book of Enoch and Biblical Canon […]
[…] Quick Thoughts on the Book of Enoch and Biblical Canon […]
I think it has been shown that the book of Enoch is not part of the Biblical Canon. If that is true, it leaves us with the question, should a Christian read it? Absolutely! Should Christians read any other books, other than the Bible? Absolutely! I have the Encyclopaedia Britannica on my bookshelves, which at times I use for reference and study. Along with those volume’s I have hundreds of other historical books, dictionary’s, commentaries, study aids, and hundreds of other books on numerous topics and subjects. I don’t have to believe or agree with everything in those books to find them useful and informative.
I have also written a few books. And those who read my writings don’t have to believe or agree with all I have put in the text, to find good information and useful material for their further study of what tickles their fancy.
There is probably good information and useful facts within the book of Enoch. Read it like any other encyclopedia or history book.
Fragments of Enoch written in Aramaic (the 1st Century language of Israel spoken by Yeshua and the apostles) were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Accordingly, would you like to correct or clarify your first four points?
I’m going to look into 4QEnoch from the DDS; wasn’t aware of this which this post then need to account for, thanks
[…] Quick Thoughts on the Book of Enoch and Biblical Canon […]
dead sea Scrolls. An eclectic collection of the Essenes. The Essenes were a mystic Jewish sect. Mystics be they Jewish or Christians are above all else “mystics” by definition lacking credibilty.
What they acurrately copied or collected from legitimate sources is another catagory