Why does the Catholic Bible contain more books than other Christian bibles?

Question

Shouldn't they all contain these other books? Why are they not in the NIV, or KIng James, or other versions I see at the book stores?

Answer 1

Pastor Billy says latics is the most correct answer yet!

Catholic and Protestant bibles different in number of books only in relation to their NT text. All Protestant bibles contain a NT canon formulated by Catholic Church authority and an OT which relies upon a Jewish canon closed some 60-70 year after the death of Christ, a time by which Christianity was no longer attached to Judaism as just one more sect.

Latic correctly mentions the Septuagint (LXX) which is the Alexandrian OT text written by Jewish scribes some 250BC and used by the majority of Jews at the time of Christ especially in Diaspora. this version of the OT contains the books found in the Catholic bible and not found in the Protestant bibles published today. We know the apostles and Jesus used this translation as theologians have been able to determine from the 300-350 NT quotes of the OT were extracted from the Septuagint. These books are not apocrypha to a Christian. Now the Jewish canon which is currently relied upon in recent Protestant editions comes from the Massoratic texts of the 9th century. They come from a time decades after Jesus Christ when it was decided by a Jewish authority to close the canon of their bible also done at the expense of the Christians who was seen as a threat.

Some additional interesting points

1. Dead sea scrolls, the oldest known texts which contain an almost complete book of Isaiah also contain..... portions of the books some people here wish to classify as "apocrypha, ie Maccabees II.

2. The original KJV bible did contain all the books which are in modern day Catholic versions

3. Ethophian Jewish bibles more closely resemble the Catholic version of the Old Testament :O big shocker there isn't it. The reason has to do with geography and canonal developement and as well as... Septuagint usage which counters any idea of the Protestant OT canon being more in line with the current day Jewish one everywhere.

I strongly suggest many people who claim to be.."bible believers" and bible know-it-alls should do more research before jumping to conclusions.

Ask yourself this question do I rely on a Jewish authority to determine my Christian bible or a Christian one? be mindful that during the time of Christ and the apostles there was no closed canon of scripture.

Answer 2

Jesus Christ and the Apostles used the Septuagint version of the Old Testament and this version included the Deutrocanonical Books (Apocrypha). Because these Books were written in Greek, a Jewish council that was formed around 100 AD removed them and later Protestant reformers followed the canon established by this Jewish council. The Council of Trent took another look at the seven books and decided that since most of New Testament Scripture used the Septuagint version, and this included New Testament quotes that originated in the these books, the books were indeed “inspired” and should be retained. The original version of the King James Bible did actually have these books.

By the way, Catholics have all 10 Commandments. The Catholic Church did not alter them because they are actually listed differently in two separate places in the Old Testament itself. One Old Testament list has them without the “Graven Images” part. The Catholic Church does not consider statues in Church as Graven Images, because they are not worshiped in the sense stated in the Old Testament. All Church art has a function, dating back to a period prior to the invention of the printing press when most people could not read.

Answer 3

Peace be with you, The Christian Canon of Scripture has NEVER been defined. The Church which wrote the Holy Bible chooses which books it contains. This is why various Orthodox jurisdictions are able to have different books in their canons. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church recognises the largest number of books if you're interested. They even include Clement in the New Testament along with another book containing instructions on what Christians are supposed to do in Church.

Answer 4

Because those person who compiled the other various editions of the Bible "editted out" what they did not agree with or want in there for political reasons. Remember, the original Christian scriptures were compiled and codified by the Holy Roman Catholic church (around the time of the Council of Nicene after Constantine had declared Chrstianity the religion of the state (Rome). The Protestants came later (see Martin Luther and the Reformation), armed witha printing press and new translations. Each time it gets translated and, thereby, further away from the original, it is changed. Time to begin your study of Hebrew, classical Greek and Latin as well as history and sociology, etc.

Answer 5

Christians accepted the Catholic Bible as the original since around 367 a.d. then around 1517, Luther took out 7 books from teh O.T. that didn't fit this theology. Catholics still use the same bible that has been used for thousands of years by christians.

Answer 6

They included the so-called Apocryphal books. The Protestants rejected these as divinely inspired and left them out. It is debatable whether the Jews considered these books to be part of sacred scripture. Some of them were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls tho.

Answer 7

Because in the year 1529 Martin Luther removed 7 books from the Christian Bible.

God bless,
Stanbo

Answer 8

There are 66 undisputed books in the Bible.
There are 5, or 6, that the Catholic church adds.
They are basically history books.
They don't tell un-truths, but that doesn't mean they are inspired of god.
All bible books have certain things in common and they aren't there in what is called the 'apocrypha."

Answer 9

The Catholics have several books that are not recognized as being extra-Biblical These are books that do not jive with the rest of Scripture They are not divinely inspired They may be historically accurate, but they don't allign with the Bible So, 1st and 2nd Macabees may be excellent historic documents, but that is where they end

Answer 10

Some Catholic Bibles contain the Apocrypha, which are books that are not considered to be inspired. Some of those books, such as Macabees, for example, are good history books. Some, such as Bel and the Dragon, are fables.