Q. What can you tell me about a book called “The Lost Books of the Bible”?
A. A good question. Thank you for asking it. So much can be said about the Bible. Interestingly, the Bible has been translated into more languages than any other book – more than 580 languages.
We need to start by once again reiterating that the Bible is a Catholic book (actually a library of books) written by Catholics, about Catholics, and for Catholics.
The Catholic Church has determined and officially declared that the 73 books the Bible – 46 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament – have been inspired by God. These 73 books are considered the canon (list) of Scripture. The difference between a Protestant Bible and a Catholic Bible is that Protestant reformers throughout history have rejected certain books of the Bible based on erroneous views, and omitted those books from their editions.
There are many books that were rejected by the Catholic Church which determined that they did not meet the criteria for being inspired by God. These texts are considered apocryphal or non-canonical.
While some of these literary works may be applicable to the world of their time, they are not considered inspired by God. Therefore, they are really not the “lost books” of the Bible but ones that are not considered divinely inspired. If they are “lost,” why are they continuing to be published and offered for sale?
Rather than focusing on the “Lost Books of the Bible,” I strongly encourage you to get a good Catholic Bible that would include a commentary, a concordance, and perhaps a biblical Atlas and dive into a good Bible study. Some good Catholic editions of the Bible include:
- The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible [RSV2CE]
- The Revised Standard Version (RSV2CE)
- The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)
- The Catholic Study Bible [NABRE]
- The Didache Study Bible [RSV2CE]
- The New Jerusalem Bible [NJB]
- The New American Bible—Revised Edition (NABRE)
Thanks for the question.
This question was answered by a priest of the Diocese of Lincoln. Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to 3700 Sheridan Blvd., Suite 10, Lincoln NE 68506-6100. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.
