Spirituality and faith are vast topics with inspiring truths. There’s a deeper meaning to what we know and see. You can vouch for this if you are known to have a lot of faith. The depths typically extend to different facets – most people of faith have found the book of Enoch in an effort of drawing guidance and seeking knowledge.
You can deny that the book of Enoch is one of the most remarkable and fascinating religious works. If you share the similar thoughts then you’ve probably been wondering why it’s not included in the bible. The answer to this question is quite persisting even though its exclusion is said to be fair. In this article, we will try to bring the matter to rest.
The book itself comes with such an enigmatic air. By the end of this article, you will learn the status of the book of Enoch as the church perceives it. You’ll also get to know some of the secrets the church hides from people.
Origin of the Book of Enoch
Before we talk about why the book of Enoch was rejected, let’s start by tracing its origin. You will have a better understanding of the proceedings here if you have somewhere to anchor this book.
This book is attributed to Enoch known to be Noah’s great grandfather. It’s a Jewish piece of work in ancient times with religious significance. Most scholars believe the first book he wrote dates back traditionally in the 2nd century Before the Common Era. You will notice that the book of Enoch also asserts that he was the author before the typical biblical flood.
Scholars only know of a copy of the book of Enoch that exists in this century originating from Ethiopia. The book is in Aramaic and Greek version. The most common understanding on its emergence time narrows down to 4th and 6th centuries. This Ethiopic manuscript is entirely in Ge’ez and was only translated to English in the 19th century.
Some people say it was initially composed in Hebrew and Aramaic. However, we don’t know if the Hebrew version of this book survived to this era. The book of Enoch was sub-divided into five different sections and features lesser books in it:
- Watchers Book
- Similitudes Book
- Astronomical Writings Book
- Dream Visions Book
- Enoch’s Epistle Book
In each section, the book of Enoch discusses a definite biblical relevance theme. According to scholars, some parts of the book were edited into it since they were typically independent works. Following this suggestion, the Watchers book is the main focus on the entire writing as the rest were added later. However, those who still uphold literary integrity thoroughly oppose the stance. Pieces and fragments of Enoch’s book were found at Qumran along with other dead sea scrolls.
Why the Book of Enoch Is Not in The Bible
Most churches believe that it was not God inspired hence cannot be classified as a scripture. Consequently, you cannot quote the book of Enoch as God’s word. The church has some valid reasons for rejecting the inclusion of this book in the bible. The book of Enoch also contradicts the scripture a great deal.
How the Church Views the Book of Enoch
The church has never accepted this book as a canon of Scripture. It’s usually viewed just like Apocryphal writings. However, the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia considers the book of Enoch as canonical. Jews don’t associate with it but Ethiopian Jew do. Here are some of the reasons why the book of Enoch was excluded from the bible:
The Book of Enoch Doesn’t Have Manuscripts Contemporary to His Life
The book of Enoch as mentioned above came to be in the 2nd century which makes it quite hard to have original copies. No manuscripts are available to show the period within which the book was wrote or when he was alive.
Reference in the Book of Jude
The book of Jude is a biblical canon that was written under God’s influence as shown in 2nd Peter 1:21. Jude quotes Enoch’s book in the scripture. Some people claim that the book of Enoch is a scripture as well since that’s what Jude called it in his quote.
The part that typically sparks speculation in the book of Jude are common in Jude 1:14-15. In this verse, Jude talks about ungodly people and their destiny. Jude states that God along with the saints will convict the ungodly and pass judgement on them. He confirmed that to be Enoch’s prophesy.
You will find a similar passage in the book of Enoch stating that the Lord will descend from heaven with his saints and pass judgement on each one of us. He goes on to say that those guilty of evil deeds will be destroyed and severely punished.
However, scholars found some discrepancies after going through the two passages. In the book of Jude, he says that God will convict the ungodly while Enoch clearly states that they will be destroyed. Some people will argue that the choice of words may be different because of translations but that is fallacious. Both words have definite Greek descriptions in the writings.
There are other different quotes from the book of Jude that are almost similar to Enoch’s. However, Jude didn’t state directly that he was quoting Enoch. He instead draws words from Enoch’s prophesies. This therefore means that Jude did not provide any reference from the book of Enoch but quotes him as the prophet.
The book of Jude has truthful words since it was written under the influence of God contrary to Enoch’s book. It contains several wrong facts and inaccuracies that is laid out truthfully in Jude’s book.
Jesus and His Apostles Never Considered the Book of Enoch as a Biblical Canon
Most people believe that the bible changed through the years which is not entirely true. The new testament clearly states that the apostles identified the scriptures as they were written. Churches were also given the books. Besides, the new testament was done when the apostle was still alive. The churches along with their followers knew of the existence of the books and what it entailed. At this time, Enoch’s book was not part of the bible.
Additionally, there are different books and titles belonging to the new testament. It’s a credible list because the forefathers and Muratorian Fragment drafted it and Enoch was not in the list. Jesus did not at any point state that Enoch’s book was a scripture and so did the apostles.
The Church Does Not Want You to Know These Secrets About the Book of Enoch
At this point, it’s quite easy to draw a conclusion stating that Enoch’s book is a perfect example of enigmas. There’s a thin line between Pseudepigrapha and the scripture. In spite of all this, the book of Enoch works is more complicated. Here are some secrets that result from these complications:
1. The Early Churches and Christians Considered Enoch’s Book as a Scripture
Post-Christ in the early centuries, most people were well versed with the Book of Enoch. The early churches, Christians and forefathers regarded the book to be a section of the scripture and canonical. They even quoted it in some instances. Besides, literature also has plenty of references from the book of Enoch.
Barnabus’ epistle is full of citations from this book while church Fathers in the early centuries use it. These include Clement of Alexandria, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian called Enoch’s book the holy scripture.
2. Enoch’s Book Revelations Were Not for The Generation of His Time
The first verse in the book of Enoch stipulates that it contains revelations that were not meant his generation. Remote generations that were to come after Christ and Enoch would understand what was in the book better. This could be the reason why the book of Enoch was rejected earlier as it rose into awareness in recent times.
Enoch Chapter 1: 1-3 says: The blessings of Enoch in which he blesses the righteous and elect living in the tribulation day when the ungodly and wicked will be removed.
He took the parable then stated that God opened Enoch’s eyes since he was righteous and made him see the holy one’s vision in the spiritual realm, that the angels manifested, he heard, saw and understood everything. However, they were not for his generation but future remote ones.
3. There Are A Lot of Controversies Surrounding the Book of Enoch
The book of Enoch is full of forbidden mysteries typically revolving around Watchers, Nephilim among others. According to Prophet Elizabeth Clare’s book – Fallen Angels and the Origin of Evil, Christ had detailed Enochian knowledge. Enoch’s book talks about the fallen angels, Nephilim and the son of God in depth. Besides, there are also traces of some teachings that our bodies are angel’s incarnation vessels.
Such implications give people a reason to think that the book was intentionally suppressed. The book was widespread in the early centuries after which it was concealed and condemned for the longest time.
4. Paul Warns People About Endless Genealogies and False Myths
As written in the book of Timothy and Titus, Paul warns people about bottomless genealogies and false myths. Enoch’s book perfectly fits the description of Paul’s words and as such, some Enochian traditions consists of widespread angel genealogy along with different theories from the book of Genesis.
5. Enoch’s Books Has Fascinating Details and Tales About Faith
Not everything in Enoch’s book is entirely inaccurate. The book contains some fascinating facts and tales about faith. There is some truth in Enoch’s words as Jude quotes. However, this does not mean that Enoch was under the influence of God when writing the book.
The book of Enoch is deuterocanonical and these types of books were written during the intertestamental times. You can use the works for devotional functions although they are not entirely the scripture.
Conclusion
Enoch’s book is full of mystery bound to spur people’s curiosity. It contains a lot of incredible themes and revelations. If you read the book of Enoch, you will realize that it’s inspirational and moving in equal measure. With different myths and allegations pegged to the book, the mystery is yet to be solved.
There are a lot of debates and controversies surrounding the book of Enoch. It covers everything from the present, past and future. However, it’s not included in the holy book. One of the main reasons is because Enoch was not considered as scripture. The book of Enoch is regarded as a Pseudepigrapha.
