apocrypha

3 definitions found

apocrypha - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Apocrypha \A*poc"ry*pha\, n. pl., but often used as sing. with
     pl. Apocryphas. [L. apocryphus apocryphal, Gr. ? hidden,
     spurious, fr. ? to hide; ? from + ? to hide.]
     1. Something, as a writing, that is of doubtful authorship or
        authority; -- formerly used also adjectively. [Obs.]
        --Locke.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Specif.: Certain writings which are received by some
        Christians as an authentic part of the Holy Scriptures,
        but are rejected by others.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Fourteen such writings, or books, formed part of the
           Septuagint, but not of the Hebrew canon recognized by
           the Jews of Palestine. The Council of Trent included
           all but three of these in the canon of inspired books
           having equal authority. The German and English
           Reformers grouped them in their Bibles under the title
           Apocrypha, as not having dogmatic authority, but being
           profitable for instruction. The Apocrypha is now
           commonly ?mitted from the King James's Bible.
           [1913 Webster]

apocrypha - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Apocrypha
      n 1: 14 books of the Old Testament included in the Vulgate
           (except for II Esdras) but omitted in Jewish and Protestant
           versions of the Bible; eastern Christian churches (except
           the Coptic Church) accept all these books as canonical; the
           Russian Orthodox Church accepts these texts as divinely
           inspired but does not grant them the same status

apocrypha - Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary :

  Apocrypha
  hidden, spurious, the name given to certain ancient books which
  found a place in the LXX. and Latin Vulgate versions of the Old
  Testament, and were appended to all the great translations made
  from them in the sixteenth century, but which have no claim to
  be regarded as in any sense parts of the inspired Word.
  
    (1.) They are not once quoted by the New Testament writers,
  who frequently quote from the LXX. Our Lord and his apostles
  confirmed by their authority the ordinary Jewish canon, which
  was the same in all respects as we now have it.
  
    (2.) These books were written not in Hebrew but in Greek, and
  during the "period of silence," from the time of Malachi, after
  which oracles and direct revelations from God ceased till the
  Christian era.
  
    (3.) The contents of the books themselves show that they were
  no part of Scripture. The Old Testament Apocrypha consists of
  fourteen books, the chief of which are the Books of the
  Maccabees (q.v.), the Books of Esdras, the Book of Wisdom, the
  Book of Baruch, the Book of Esther, Ecclesiasticus, Tobit,
  Judith, etc.
  
    The New Testament Apocrypha consists of a very extensive
  literature, which bears distinct evidences of its non-apostolic
  origin, and is utterly unworthy of regard.