--why did the catholic religion decide to add books to the bible , arent there other writings/books found that where suppose to be in the bible?--
Dublin Core
Title
--why did the catholic religion decide to add books to the bible , arent there other writings/books found that where suppose to be in the bible?--
Description
The Catholic Church did not "add" books to the Bible
; rather, it chose to keep books that had been part of the Christian scriptures since the time of the Apostles. The 73-book canon used by Catholics today (including the seven "deuterocanonical" books) was the standard for over 1,500 years before the Protestant Reformation.
Why the Bibles Differ
The difference between Catholic and Protestant Bibles lies in which version of the Old Testament was used:
The Septuagint
(Catholic): This was a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures used by Jews living outside of Israel during Jesus’ time. It included books like Tobit
, Judith
, and Maccabees
. The early Church and New Testament writers quoted from this version extensively.
The Masoretic Text
(Protestant): During the Reformation, Martin Luther and others decided to align their Old Testament with the shorter Hebrew canon established by Jewish rabbis around 100-200 AD. These rabbis had excluded the Greek-language books that Christians were using.
Are there "Lost" or Missing Books?
Yes, there are many ancient writings that were not included in any major Bible. These are often called Apocrypha
or Pseudepigrapha
.
Excluded for Doctrine: Some writings, like the Gnostic Gospels
(e.g., the Gospel of Thomas
), were rejected because they taught ideas that contradicted the core message of the Apostles.
Excluded for History: Many "Infancy Gospels
" (stories of Jesus as a child) were written centuries after the fact and were considered fables rather than historical or divinely inspired accounts.
Highly Revered but Not "Scripture": Books like the Shepherd of Hermas
or the Didache
were popular in the early Church for teaching but were ultimately not classified as the "Word of God" during the final canonization process.
The Key Difference: Catholics view the seven disputed books as "Deuterocanonical
" (second canon), meaning they were accepted later in time but are equal in authority. Protestants typically call them "Apocrypha
" and may include them in an appendix for historical value but do not consider them inspired.
If you'd like to dig deeper, I can:
List the specific seven books and what they are about.
Explain the Gnostic Gospels
and why they were banned.
Break down the Council of Trent
and its role in this debate.
How would you like to continue exploring?
--Why did the later bible not include these books--
The "later" Protestant Bible
(the one with 66 books) excluded the seven deuterocanonical books for two primary reasons: a desire to return to the original Hebrew language of the Jewish scriptures and a clash with the theological doctrines emerging during the Protestant Reformation.
1. Language and Historical Authority
During the Reformation in the 16th century, Martin Luther and other reformers wanted to ensure the Old Testament was based on the "pure" Hebrew canon.
The Hebrew Requirement: They noticed that the books they eventually labeled "Apocrypha" (like Maccabees or Tobit
) were written in Greek rather than Hebrew.
Jewish Influence: They decided to follow the canon used by the Jewish rabbis of their day, which did not include these Greek-language books.
Early Doubts: They also pointed to early Church fathers like Jerome, who initially had doubts about these books because they weren't in the Hebrew collection.
2. Theological Conflict
The excluded books contained specific teachings that contradicted the new Protestant focus on sola fide (salvation by faith alone) and sola scriptura (scripture alone).
Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead: 2 Maccabees includes a passage where the living offer sacrifices for the dead, which supported the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory. Luther, who strongly opposed the sale of indulgences (linked to Purgatory), saw this as a reason to lower the book's status.
Salvation by Works: Some of the disputed books emphasized the importance of good works and almsgiving in relation to spiritual righteousness, which the reformers felt undermined their emphasis on faith alone.
Why weren't the "Gnostic" books ever in the Bible?
While the books mentioned above were part of the Bible for 1,500 years before being moved, "lost" books like the Gospel of Thomas
or the Gospel of Mary
were never included in any official Bible canon for different reasons:
Late Authorship: Most Gnostic writings were written 100–200 years after the time of Jesus and the Apostles.
False Claims: They were often "pseudepigrapha," meaning they were written by anonymous authors who used the name of an Apostle (like Peter or Philip) to give the book fake authority.
Conflicting Message: They taught that salvation came through "secret knowledge" (gnosis) rather than through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The Result: Most modern Protestant Bibles now omit these books entirely to reduce printing costs and because they are no longer viewed as "inspired" scripture, though many scholars still recommend them for historical study.
If you're interested, I can:
Show you the specific verses about praying for the dead that caused so much trouble.
Explain the Council of Trent, where the Catholic Church officially "locked in" its list in response to these removals.
Compare a Catholic Table of Contents with a Protestant one side-by-side.
Which of these would help you see the difference more clearly?
--list all writings/books missing from today's bible and why and source locations--
The "missing" books fall into three distinct categories: books that are still in some Bibles but not others (Apocrypha
), books that were never in the Bible but were popular in the early church (Pseudepigrapha
), and books mentioned by the Bible that have been lost to time.
1. The Apocrypha
/ Deuterocanon
These books were included in the Christian Bible for over 1,500 years and remain in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles today. Most Protestant Bibles removed them in the 1800s to align with the Hebrew canon and reduce printing costs.
Book Name Primary Reason for Exclusion (Protestant) Source / Where to Find
Tobit
Not found in the Hebrew Bible; contains "magical" elements. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
Judith
Historical and geographical inaccuracies. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
1 & 2 Maccabees
Written in Greek; includes prayer for the dead. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
Wisdom of Solomon
Influenced by Greek philosophy rather than Hebrew. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
Written after the "age of prophecy" ended. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
Baruch
Attributed to Baruch but written much later. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
2. The "Hidden" or Gnostic Gospels
These were discovered in 1945 in Nag Hammadi, Egypt. They were excluded by the early Church (roughly 300–400 AD) because they were written long after the Apostles died and often taught "secret knowledge" (Gnosis) that contradicted mainstream teaching.
Gospel of Thomas
: A collection of 114 sayings of Jesus. Excluded because it lacks a narrative of Jesus' life/death and suggests salvation comes from within rather than through Christ.
Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
: Focuses on Mary as a leader. Excluded due to late authorship and Gnostic influence.
Gospel of Judas
: Depicts Judas as a hero doing Jesus' bidding. Rejected as heretical and historically inaccurate.
Source: These are found in the Nag Hammadi Library
3. Ancient "Lost" Books
The Bible itself references at least 20 books that no longer exist in their original form. We only know they existed because biblical writers quoted them
The Book of Jasher
: Mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18. Likely a collection of war songs and poems.
The Book of the Wars of the Lord
: Mentioned in Numbers 21:14. A lost record of Israel's early battles.
The Acts of Solomon
: Mentioned in 1 Kings 11:41. A lost biographical record
4. The Book of Enoch
Enoch
is unique because it is quoted in the New Testament (Jude 1:14) but is only considered "inspired" by the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches.
Reason for Exclusion: Its descriptions of fallen angels having children with humans were considered too bizarre or "mythical" by early councils.
Source: Available in The Book of Enoch translations or the Ethiopian Bible.
If you're curious about a specific one, I can:
Give you the exact verses where the "lost" books are mentioned.
Compare the 114 sayings in the Gospel of Thomas
to the four Gospels.
Explain the criteria for canonicity used to pick the current 66 books.
Which of these would you like to see next?
; rather, it chose to keep books that had been part of the Christian scriptures since the time of the Apostles. The 73-book canon used by Catholics today (including the seven "deuterocanonical" books) was the standard for over 1,500 years before the Protestant Reformation.
Why the Bibles Differ
The difference between Catholic and Protestant Bibles lies in which version of the Old Testament was used:
The Septuagint
(Catholic): This was a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures used by Jews living outside of Israel during Jesus’ time. It included books like Tobit
, Judith
, and Maccabees
. The early Church and New Testament writers quoted from this version extensively.
The Masoretic Text
(Protestant): During the Reformation, Martin Luther and others decided to align their Old Testament with the shorter Hebrew canon established by Jewish rabbis around 100-200 AD. These rabbis had excluded the Greek-language books that Christians were using.
Are there "Lost" or Missing Books?
Yes, there are many ancient writings that were not included in any major Bible. These are often called Apocrypha
or Pseudepigrapha
.
Excluded for Doctrine: Some writings, like the Gnostic Gospels
(e.g., the Gospel of Thomas
), were rejected because they taught ideas that contradicted the core message of the Apostles.
Excluded for History: Many "Infancy Gospels
" (stories of Jesus as a child) were written centuries after the fact and were considered fables rather than historical or divinely inspired accounts.
Highly Revered but Not "Scripture": Books like the Shepherd of Hermas
or the Didache
were popular in the early Church for teaching but were ultimately not classified as the "Word of God" during the final canonization process.
The Key Difference: Catholics view the seven disputed books as "Deuterocanonical
" (second canon), meaning they were accepted later in time but are equal in authority. Protestants typically call them "Apocrypha
" and may include them in an appendix for historical value but do not consider them inspired.
If you'd like to dig deeper, I can:
List the specific seven books and what they are about.
Explain the Gnostic Gospels
and why they were banned.
Break down the Council of Trent
and its role in this debate.
How would you like to continue exploring?
--Why did the later bible not include these books--
The "later" Protestant Bible
(the one with 66 books) excluded the seven deuterocanonical books for two primary reasons: a desire to return to the original Hebrew language of the Jewish scriptures and a clash with the theological doctrines emerging during the Protestant Reformation.
1. Language and Historical Authority
During the Reformation in the 16th century, Martin Luther and other reformers wanted to ensure the Old Testament was based on the "pure" Hebrew canon.
The Hebrew Requirement: They noticed that the books they eventually labeled "Apocrypha" (like Maccabees or Tobit
) were written in Greek rather than Hebrew.
Jewish Influence: They decided to follow the canon used by the Jewish rabbis of their day, which did not include these Greek-language books.
Early Doubts: They also pointed to early Church fathers like Jerome, who initially had doubts about these books because they weren't in the Hebrew collection.
2. Theological Conflict
The excluded books contained specific teachings that contradicted the new Protestant focus on sola fide (salvation by faith alone) and sola scriptura (scripture alone).
Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead: 2 Maccabees includes a passage where the living offer sacrifices for the dead, which supported the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory. Luther, who strongly opposed the sale of indulgences (linked to Purgatory), saw this as a reason to lower the book's status.
Salvation by Works: Some of the disputed books emphasized the importance of good works and almsgiving in relation to spiritual righteousness, which the reformers felt undermined their emphasis on faith alone.
Why weren't the "Gnostic" books ever in the Bible?
While the books mentioned above were part of the Bible for 1,500 years before being moved, "lost" books like the Gospel of Thomas
or the Gospel of Mary
were never included in any official Bible canon for different reasons:
Late Authorship: Most Gnostic writings were written 100–200 years after the time of Jesus and the Apostles.
False Claims: They were often "pseudepigrapha," meaning they were written by anonymous authors who used the name of an Apostle (like Peter or Philip) to give the book fake authority.
Conflicting Message: They taught that salvation came through "secret knowledge" (gnosis) rather than through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The Result: Most modern Protestant Bibles now omit these books entirely to reduce printing costs and because they are no longer viewed as "inspired" scripture, though many scholars still recommend them for historical study.
If you're interested, I can:
Show you the specific verses about praying for the dead that caused so much trouble.
Explain the Council of Trent, where the Catholic Church officially "locked in" its list in response to these removals.
Compare a Catholic Table of Contents with a Protestant one side-by-side.
Which of these would help you see the difference more clearly?
--list all writings/books missing from today's bible and why and source locations--
The "missing" books fall into three distinct categories: books that are still in some Bibles but not others (Apocrypha
), books that were never in the Bible but were popular in the early church (Pseudepigrapha
), and books mentioned by the Bible that have been lost to time.
1. The Apocrypha
/ Deuterocanon
These books were included in the Christian Bible for over 1,500 years and remain in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles today. Most Protestant Bibles removed them in the 1800s to align with the Hebrew canon and reduce printing costs.
Book Name Primary Reason for Exclusion (Protestant) Source / Where to Find
Tobit
Not found in the Hebrew Bible; contains "magical" elements. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
Judith
Historical and geographical inaccuracies. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
1 & 2 Maccabees
Written in Greek; includes prayer for the dead. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
Wisdom of Solomon
Influenced by Greek philosophy rather than Hebrew. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
Written after the "age of prophecy" ended. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
Baruch
Attributed to Baruch but written much later. Catholic/Orthodox Bibles
2. The "Hidden" or Gnostic Gospels
These were discovered in 1945 in Nag Hammadi, Egypt. They were excluded by the early Church (roughly 300–400 AD) because they were written long after the Apostles died and often taught "secret knowledge" (Gnosis) that contradicted mainstream teaching.
Gospel of Thomas
: A collection of 114 sayings of Jesus. Excluded because it lacks a narrative of Jesus' life/death and suggests salvation comes from within rather than through Christ.
Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)
: Focuses on Mary as a leader. Excluded due to late authorship and Gnostic influence.
Gospel of Judas
: Depicts Judas as a hero doing Jesus' bidding. Rejected as heretical and historically inaccurate.
Source: These are found in the Nag Hammadi Library
3. Ancient "Lost" Books
The Bible itself references at least 20 books that no longer exist in their original form. We only know they existed because biblical writers quoted them
The Book of Jasher
: Mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18. Likely a collection of war songs and poems.
The Book of the Wars of the Lord
: Mentioned in Numbers 21:14. A lost record of Israel's early battles.
The Acts of Solomon
: Mentioned in 1 Kings 11:41. A lost biographical record
4. The Book of Enoch
Enoch
is unique because it is quoted in the New Testament (Jude 1:14) but is only considered "inspired" by the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches.
Reason for Exclusion: Its descriptions of fallen angels having children with humans were considered too bizarre or "mythical" by early councils.
Source: Available in The Book of Enoch translations or the Ethiopian Bible.
If you're curious about a specific one, I can:
Give you the exact verses where the "lost" books are mentioned.
Compare the 114 sayings in the Gospel of Thomas
to the four Gospels.
Explain the criteria for canonicity used to pick the current 66 books.
Which of these would you like to see next?
Collection
Citation
“--why did the catholic religion decide to add books to the bible , arent there other writings/books found that where suppose to be in the bible?--,” Lawrence Catania's Omeka, accessed June 6, 2026, https://omeka.lawrencecatania.com/items/show/4440.