I appreciated John D. Roth’s column, “Should we read the Apocrypha?” (October). A few small corrections might clarify some points. Roth says Jerome “worked primarily from the Septuagint” in translating the Latin Vulgate, “thereby bringing the Apocrypha into the standard biblical text.” In fact, Jerome translated from the Hebrew, which did not include the Apocrypha. Jerome did not want to include the Apocrypha, but Augustine wanted him to. They did agree that those books should have lesser authority. Roth is right to imply that this warning was largely ignored in the development of Catholic theology in the Middle Ages. It is misleading to say that “Jewish rabbis in the second century CE established an authoritative set of Hebrew scriptures.” In fact, it took centuries for the rabbis to close their canon. The rabbis’ ultimate rejection of the apocryphal books (all Jewish in origin) derived in large part because the Christians tended to use them more than the Jews.

Although some 16th-century Anabaptists were cautious about using the Apocrypha for doctrine (especially 2 Maccabees for the doctrine of purgatory), most read and cited it. Menno Simons, Dietrich Phillips and the Martyrs Mirror alone cite the Apocrypha more than 500 times. As Protestant publishers began to drop the apocryphal books in the late 16th and 17th centuries, Anabaptists used them less.

I think it is good that the editors of the Anabaptist Community Bible chose not to include the Apocrypha. Though some parts of it help us understand the New Testament, 

I agree with Augustine, Jerome and Martin Luther that it should not have the same authority as the rest of the Bible. Worth reading? Yes. But the Anabaptist Community Bible is not a historical artifact or simply a collection of ancient religious writings. It is a living and current guide to the truth about God in an Anabaptist perspective.

Loren Johns, Stuart, Fla.

John D. Roth asks if we should read the Apocrypha. Our answer is yes. There are nuggets of truth to be found. Consider the pithy sayings of Ecclesiasticus, the fidelity of Tobit to his parents, the bravery of Judith, the courage of Daniel in rescuing Susanna from a false accusation, the debate about strength in the royal Persian court and the reflection in the Wisdom of Solomon 6:17 that “the beginning of wisdom is the desire to learn.” We have been blessed with insights from these writings.  

Carl and Gladys Keener, State College, Pa.