What’s your opinion about the book of Enoch

[silviawang]

What’s your opinion about the book of  Enoch

 

I read the book of  Enoch long time ago

And I always thought it was just the fairy tale

But recently days I am amazingly find that it is in the dead sea scrolls

And I am confused

It is too difficult to believe it is true

So I want to hear your opinion

[Sevenseas]

Here is a site that explains why it is not included in the Bible:

 

Site

 

Hope that helps...there are many different opinions about this book and after looking at several sites, I found the one that I linked to, is clear and gives an answer to your question

[Guest AFlameOfFire]

I find it interesting myself. Some parts really weird but other parts I am wowed by. Like the Son of man being hidden from the beginning even as it speaks of Him being revealed to the elect. Whereas as Paul had Christ (the Son) revealed in him and expounded his mission was to make men see the mystery of this fellowship which had been hid in God from the beginning of the world also. I have read Enoch three times so far. The first time I was like nah... the second time, I was catching a few interesting confirmations (which could be shown in scripture) and the third time, I was receiving way more then the second. The third time was the charm (so to speak).

 

Regardless, there are some parts in it I just found so very weird (most would agree with that). I gave it a chance though because sometimes folks have a hard time reconciling things in between the books already accepted (as cannon) and when that happens (among these) we allow for the fact that we must be misunderstanding (when that is the case). And just because I was reading once, of some of the verses (found in Enoch) which were thrown up for the rejection of it, a few of which I wouldn't have rejected it for. And only because I could find where a few of those could actually be reconciled (even a little differently) then how they were pitting it against (thus making it contradict). And yet that kind of thing happens all the time on Christian forums with the accepted books, where we see the same being demonstrated. So rather then confirming things (by careful right comparisons) they use the scriptures to contradict (by wrong comparisons). That happens too. But we just give these far more time, and often seek help in reconciling them (in our understanding) since these are those which are "declared cannon". So any superficial look can yield what appears to be a contradiction (even in these) if that's how someone approaches the scriptures (looking for a fault to find). In saying that I am not saying the Enoch is scripture or that I cant find what appears to be contradictions, just being fair.

 

I just cant get past some of the really weird stuff. Some of which I wouldn't even know where to begin to. But in the same breath, I can still say "wow" to what seems very confirming too. This has been a strange experience for me to be quite truthful lol

 

 

[TsukinoRei]

It is canon in the Ethiopic Church, was referenced as scripture by Church Fathers such as Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Iranaeus, Origen, and Clement of Alexandria.  It was banned by the Council of Laodicea.   The list of books to be considered scripture was only one of the canons.  In all there were 60 canons. One of the canons was a strict order for Christians to work on Saturdays and only observe Sundays as the Lords Day.  Any Christian found resting on a Saturday was called a Judaizer and was to be stricken from the Church.  But let's know them by their fruit.  Under the watchful eye of this state approved counsel heretics were executed and pagans were tortured to death.  I am pretty sure that's not really the answer to WWJD?  So I've been puzzling for some years now, on what authority am I to accept this particular one of the 60 canons?

[silviawang]

Ethiopia?the country which declares they has the Ark of the Covenant?

[FreeinChrist]

I don't consider it to be completely inspired, but think some of the Book of Enoch to be inspired.

 

14)  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints,

15)  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that  are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed,  and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.

Jude 14-15

[jetson]

If God wanted it in the Bible or had a place for it, He would of have man, to placed it there.   Adding it,  would be adding to the Bible, which is condemn in Rev.  The catholics use the vulgate, the Mormons use the book of momons,  muslems use the Koran.  No I will stick to the 66 books.  If The words were inspired by God in the Bible, then surely the books he selected to be placed in the Bible would have been inspired to be placed there also.  If not how could He honestly judge us, when He had given us a book to study, that would condemn us.

[other one]

If God wanted it in the Bible or had a place for it, He would of have man, to placed it there.   Adding it,  would be adding to the Bible, which is condemn in Rev.  The catholics use the vulgate, the Mormons use the book of momons,  muslems use the Koran.  No I will stick to the 66 books.  If The words were inspired by God in the Bible, then surely the books he selected to be placed in the Bible would have been inspired to be placed there also.  If not how could He honestly judge us, when He had given us a book to study, that would condemn us.

 

The Ancient Book of Enoch 

(This Commentary covers Enoch chapters 1-11)

by J. R. Church

For at least the first seven hundred years following our Savior’s ministry, the Book of Enoch was highly respected. In those early centuries, it was read aloud in congregations and studied by ministers for its historic and prophetic value. Among the early Church Fathers who quoted Enoch were Clement, Barnabas, Irenaeus, and others. For example:

Clement (A.D. 30-100), the bishop of Rome and personal friend of the Apostle Paul, wrote that Enoch never died: "Let us take (for instance) Enoch, who, being found righteous in obedience, was translated, and death was never known to happen to him" (First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, ch. 9 ).

Barnabas (A.D. 44), who accompanied the Apostle Paul on his first missionary journey referred to the prophecies of Enoch, who said: "For this end the Lord has cut short the times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the inheritance" (Epistle of Barnabas, ch. 4)

Irenaeus (A.D. 180) published his work "Against Heresies," in which he spoke of Enoch, whose translation was a prophetic view of our future rapture: "For Enoch, when he pleased God, was translated in the same body in which he did please Him, thus pointing out by anticipation the translation of the just" (Against Heresies, bk. 5).

These men believed that Enoch’s translation was a rapture — the same kind of translation that Christians anticipate. Even though the church did not include the Book of Enoch among the collection of divinely inspired writings, early Christian scholars believed that Enoch wrote the book, and that it had been preserved aboard Noah’s ark. It was among the oldest writings of the human race — the first apocalyptic literature ever written. In fact, some have suggested that Enoch helped develop the alphabet and literature as a means of communication.

This Book of Enoch was originally written in ancient Hebrew, fragments of which were discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls (Photo above.). We should note that rabbis claim Hebrew was the language of God, who made the universe using those 22 letters. Seth and Enoch were not the inventors of the alphabet, but rather, the recipients of God’s language — a communication tool from heaven given to mankind.

There were hundreds of Jewish writings preserved in the Jerusalem Temple’s library, which were not considered for inclusion among the biblical books, but that does not diminish their value. Enoch was one of those books. However, many of the early writings were lost during the Jewish wars against Roman rule.

Afterward, there were very few groups concerned with copying, publishing and preserving the Jewish library. Eventually, many of the books, including Enoch, faded from the scene. For centuries, the Book of Enoch was lost — only to be rediscovered in the eighteenth-century black communities of Jews and Christians in Abyssinia, a region in Northern Ethiopia. In 1773, the famous English traveler James Bruce obtained three copies of the book and brought them to Europe. As soon as these Ethiopian manuscripts arrived, translators began to produce copies in various European languages, including English. An ancient Greek manuscript also surfaced, corroborating the accuracy and authenticity of the Coptic language editions.

In 1821, a Professor Laurence (who later became the Archbishop of Cashel) published an English translation from the manuscript, with the title: "The Book of Enoch, the Prophet: an apocryphal production, supposed to have been lost for ages; but discovered at the close of the last century in Abyssinia; now first translated from an Ethiopic manuscript in the Bodleian Library. Oxford, 1821." A second edition was published in 1833, and a third in 1838.

The Book of Enoch has been divided into 20 sections, incorporating 108 chapters. Over the next few months, we shall publish these chapters with our commentary for the benefit of believers who are faithfully awaiting our Savior’s soon return. We do not advocate divine inspiration for this ancient apocalyptic literature, but feel that it is important for God’s people to become familiar with it, especially since it was written and addressed specifically to those living in the "day of tribulation ........     http://believersjourney.blogspot.com/2009/03/ancient-book-of-enoch.html

[Mcgyver]

Something that I think we need to keep in mind when looking at books such as Jude and Enoch, is that the writers of the Epistles many times use a well known reference in order to make their point.

 

For example, Jude quotes the Book of Enoch (which was not part of the Jewish canon of scripture), but nevertheless was widely known...even as the apocrypha was widely known yet not accepted as inspired.  Paul in his Epistles quotes several stoic (Greek) philosophers in his letters to the churches in order to drive home or illustrate a concept or point.

 

Now this doesn't mean that either the Book of Enoch or Stoic philosophers were as a whole inspired...but as the saying goes: "Even a blind hog will root out a truffle now and then."

 

That is to say, that when Jude (as led by the Holy Spirit) references certain passages in Enoch...doesn't mean that the whole book was inspired...just that certain portions were correct.

 

Another good illustration would be the use of logos in John 1 to describe the deity of Christ. The synonymous and universally accepted meaning of logos as the mind/reason/substance of God was assigned that meaning by a Stoic philosopher named Heraclitus around 500 BC.

 

Doesn't mean that Heraclitus was inspired...simply that John in his gospel uses an already accepted Greek concept to show that Christ is God to a people who had no messianic expectation, no Old Testament scripture, etc.

 

So then I think that we tread on dangerous ground when we wish to assert that a whole book is inspired based on just a couple of examples JMO

[other one]

Something that I think we need to keep in mind when looking at books such as Jude and Enoch, is that the writers of the Epistles many times use a well known reference in order to make their point.

 

For example, Jude quotes the Book of Enoch (which was not part of the Jewish canon of scripture), but nevertheless was widely known...even as the apocrypha was widely known yet not accepted as inspired.  Paul in his Epistles quotes several stoic (Greek) philosophers in his letters to the churches in order to drive home or illustrate a concept or point.

 

Now this doesn't mean that either the Book of Enoch or Stoic philosophers were as a whole inspired...but as the saying goes: "Even a blind hog will root out a truffle now and then."

 

That is to say, that when Jude (as led by the Holy Spirit) references certain passages in Enoch...doesn't mean that the whole book was inspired...just that certain portions were correct.

 

Another good illustration would be the use of logos in John 1 to describe the deity of Christ. The synonymous and universally accepted meaning of logos as the mind/reason/substance of God was assigned that meaning by a Stoic philosopher named Heraclitus around 500 BC.

 

Doesn't mean that Heraclitus was inspired...simply that John in his gospel uses an already accepted Greek concept to show that Christ is God to a people who had no messianic expectation, no Old Testament scripture, etc.

 

So then I think that we tread on dangerous ground when we wish to assert that a whole book is inspired based on just a couple of examples JMO

i can say the same about a book being all false and giving it no credence at all if there is one or two things that may not seem possible