Understanding The HIDDEN Books

God’s council was not meant to be hidden by men’s agenda, nor controlled through religion.

-George Burnett Jr

Why We Use the Apocrypha and Other Ancient Books

At Faith Followers, our desire is simple: to teach the whole counsel of God with honesty, humility, and a willingness to study the historical context of the Bible.

Many people are surprised to learn that the books commonly known as the Apocrypha are still part of the Bible in the rest of the world. These books had been read, copied, and valued by Jewish and Christian communities for centuries before Martin Luther. During the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s, many Protestant leaders—including Martin Luther—placed these books in a separate section of the Bible because they did not consider them equal in authority (even though canon) to the 66 books that we now have here in America. Over time, many Protestant Bibles stopped printing them altogether to save money on printing cost, while Catholic and Orthodox churches continued to include them in their Old Testament canon. The “Silent Years” between the Old and New Testament have been hidden, thus the name “Apocrypha” which is the Ancient Greek word meaning “Hidden” or “Stored Away”.

Because of this history, many American Christians have never had the opportunity to read these ancient writings for themselves.

At Faith Followers, we encourage believers to study these books to better understand the historical, cultural, and spiritual world surrounding the Scriptures. We also examine other ancient writings such as 1 Enoch, Jasher, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Clementine Homilies, and portions of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. These writings provide valuable historical background, preserve early Jewish and Christian teachings, and often help us better understand passages found in the modern day King James Bible.

Studying the Hidden Books can deepen our understanding of the biblical world and encourage believers to become a diligent student of God’s Word.

We also take seriously the biblical warning found in Revelation:

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life…” — Revelation 22:18–19 (KJV)

This passage of scripture reminds us of the seriousness of handling God’s Word with reverence. For that reason, we believe Christians should carefully examine history, study the evidence, and seek truth rather than relying only on Western Traditions inherited from any one movement or denomination.

Our commitment is to point people to Christ, encourage careful study of the Scriptures, and explore the rich history of the faith so that believers can grow in wisdom, discernment, and a deeper relationship with God.

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