The debate regarding the status of the Deuterocanonical or Apocryphal books has been ongoing for quite some time in the history of Christianity. Among Protestants, thesethese books are generally placed outside the Old Testament canon and are often associated specifically with the Catholic tradition. Consequently, their existence and their value to the faith life of Protestants are frequently the subject of discussion and differing viewpoints. However, developments in church history and biblical studies have prompteda re-examination of this perspective. The Deuterocanonical books are increasingly understood not merely as the heritage of a particular ecclesiastical tradition, but as part of a literary and spiritual heritage that helped shape the religious life of the faithful during the period between the Old and New Testaments.
In this context, the Indonesian experience offers an interesting contribution. The publication of the New Translation in 1974 marked a significant milestone in the history of Bible translation, as it was regarded as one of the world’s first ecumenical Bible translations. This spirit of interdenominational cooperation was subsequently continued through the publication of the Second Edition of the New Translation (TB2) in 2023, which involved experts from various church backgrounds, both Protestant and Catholic. Nevertheless, the existence of Bible editions that include the Deuterocanonical books and those that do not indicates that the issue regarding the status of these books remains a subject of ongoing debate. Yet, when viewed through the lens of the history of the Reformation, a number of Reformers did not automatically reject the Deuterocanonical books, but rather regarded them as valuable readings worthy of study. It is this perspective that opens the way to re-examining the importance of the Deuterocanonical books as a source of learning about faith, history and spirituality for Christians today.
Understanding the Deuterocanonical Books
The Deuterocanonical Books recognised by the Catholic Church include Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, Jesus Sirach, Baruch, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, plus additional sections in the books of Esther and Daniel. According to Rev. Dr Christian Gossweiler, one of the main reasons why these books are worth reading is that they fill historical and spiritual gaps not found in the Protestant Old Testament canon.
The First and Second Books of Maccabees, for example, provide important information regarding the period between the Old Testament and the New Testament. These books describe events from the conquest of Palestine by Alexander the Great in 332 BC through to the persecution of the Jewish people by Antiochus Epiphanes IV and the struggles of the Maccabean family. Thus, these books help to bridge the historical gap of around 300–400 years between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament.
The Book of Tobit provides a glimpse into the lives of the Israelites in the Assyrian exile, an aspect scarcely touched upon in the canonical books. Through the stories of Tobit, Tobias and Sarah, the reader is invited to see how God’s presence works in the lives of His people amidst the diaspora. The Book of Judith presents a courageous woman who becomes God’s instrument in saving her people, whilst the Book of Baruch complements the tradition of Jeremiah through prayers and reflections on faith following the exile.
On the other hand, Jesus Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon enrich the tradition of Israel’s wisdom. These two books present ethical teachings and practical wisdom relevant to the lives of the faithful. Sirach 3:26, for example, warns that &‘whoever delights in danger will perish by it,’ whilst Sirach 4:21 distinguishes between shame that leads to sin and shame that brings glory. For Gossweiler, such advice is highly contextual for Indonesian society, which holds the values of politeness and a sense of shame in high regard in social life.
The Deuterocanonical Books in the Protestant Church Tradition
One common misconception is the assumption that the Protestant Reformers rejected the Deuterocanonical books outright. Gossweiler demonstrates that the reality is far more complex. Martin Luther did indeed place these books in a separate section and referred to them as the Apocrypha, but he noted that they “do not carry the same weight as the other books of Scripture, yet they are useful and good to read.”
A similar view is also found in the Reformed tradition. The Heidelberg Catechism, one of the most influential theological documents in the Calvinist tradition, even uses Sirach 3:26 as a reference verse when explaining the sixth commandment, namely the prohibition against murder. The Dutch Confession of Faith of 1561 also permits the reading of the Apocrypha and the drawing of lessons from them, provided their content is in harmony with the canonical books.
Although the Westminster Confession of Faith states that the Apocrypha are not part of the biblical canon, Gossweiler emphasises that this formulation does not necessarily prohibit their reading. These books may still be treated as useful spiritual writings, just like various other Christian works.
Historical evidence shows that almost all early Protestant Bibles included the Deuterocanonical books. The Luther Bible (1545), the Froschauer Bible in Zurich, the Dutch Statenvertaling (1637), and even the King James Version (1611) all published the Deuterocanonical books in a separate section. Consequently, the complete separation between the Protestant Bible and the Deuterocanonical books is actually a development that emerged later.
The Conflict over the Bible and the Disappearance of the Deuterocanonical Books
According to Gossweiler, one of the main reasons for the omission of the Deuterocanonical books from many modern Protestant Bibles is historical and economic factors. In 1804, the British and Foreign Bible Society was founded with the aim of providing affordable Bibles for the poor. To reduce production costs, they chose to publish Bibles without the Deuterocanonical books, thereby reducing the number of pages by about a quarter.
This decision was subsequently reinforced by theological reasons and polemics with the Catholic Church. As the Deuterocanonical books are used by the Catholic Church and certain Catholic doctrines, such as purgatory, are linked to 2 Maccabees 12, these books have come under increasing suspicion amongst some Protestant circles. However, this stance was opposed by biblical institutions in Germany, particularly the Württemberg Bible Society, which continued to uphold Martin Luther’s principle that the Apocrypha are useful readings for Christians.
Interestingly, the 21st century has seen a resurgence of interest in the Deuterocanonical books. The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation edition of the Luther Bible, published in 2017, once again includes the Apocrypha with an updated translation. The Zurich Bible has also published an edition containing the Deuterocanonical books. This phenomenon reflects a new awareness that these books form an important part of Christianity’s historical heritage.
Do the Deuterocanonical Books Contain Catholic Dogma?
The most frequently raised objection to the Deuterocanonical books is that theseform the basis for a number of Catholic dogmas, particularly regarding Purgatory. Gossweiler acknowledges that 2 Maccabees 12:39–45 does indeed contain references to the practice of praying for the dead and was used by the Council of Trent as one of the theological foundations for that doctrine.
However, he considers that the existence of a text does not automatically require the reader to accept the entire doctrine built upon it. Indeed, the idea of purification after death can also be found in 1 Corinthians 3:13–15, where the Apostle Paul speaks of people being saved ‘as through fire’. Therefore, one can read the Deuterocanonical books without having to accept the doctrine of purgatory, just as one can interpret New Testament texts differently from the Catholic interpretation.
Furthermore, the Catholic Church itself has developed a more cautiousunderstanding of Purgatory. The practice of selling indulgences, which had previously sparked the Reformation, has been banned since 1570. Therefore, equating the entire Deuterocanonical corpus with a specific Catholic dogma is an oversimplification.
The Deuterocanonical Books in Indonesia: An Ecumenical Heritage
The history of the Deuterocanonical books in Indonesia is unique. A.C. Ruyl in 1629 even included Psalm 151 as an addition. However, in subsequent Bible translations, including the Leijdecker Bible (1731) and the Klinkert Bible (1879), the Deuterocanonical books were not included.
A major change occurred following the Second Vatican Council, which encouraged interdenominational cooperation in Bible translation. In Indonesia, collaboration between the Indonesian Bible Society (LAI) and a Catholic team led by Father Cletus Groenen resulted in the New Translation, published in 1974. According to Gossweiler, this was the world’s first ecumenical Bible translation. The Old and New Testaments were provided by the LAI team, whilst the translation of the Deuterocanonical books was taken from the work of the Catholic team. The result was a shared Bible that became a symbol of unity amongst Indonesian Christians.
Conclusion
A historical study of the Reformation tradition shows that the Deuterocanonical books occupy a unique position within Protestant Christianity. Although not recognised as part of the canon on a par with the books of the Old Testament, these books are nevertheless regarded as possessing significant theological and spiritual value. Therefore, reading them can be a useful means of nurturing faith, deepening spiritual life, and broadening the theological horizons of Christians.
As well as making an important contribution to our understanding of the history spanning the Old and New Testaments, the Deuterocanonical books also enrich our understanding of the development of the faith of the people of Israel, present a variety of relevant wisdom teachings, and help readers understand the social and religious context underlying the ministry of Jesus and the early church. Thus, these books should not be regarded as the exclusive property of any single ecclesiastical tradition, but rather as part of the intellectual and spiritual heritage that has helped shape the history of Christianity.
In the context of contemporary church life, the Deuterocanonical books should be understood not merely as an appendix to the Bible, but also as a source of reflection that can enrich the reading of Scripture. Therefore, Christians would do well not only to be aware of the existence of these books, but also to read them critically and reflectively. In this way, the legacy of faith—which has been cherished since the early Church and whose value continues to be recognised by many figures of the Reformation—can continue to contribute to the growth of the faith and the spiritual life of Christians today.
