TLDR;
This episode of Christian Questions explores why the Book of Enoch is not included in the Bible. It examines the historical context, authorship, and content of the book, comparing it to accepted biblical texts. The discussion covers the figure of Enoch, the three books attributed to him, and the reasons why only one Enoch is considered for biblical inclusion.
- The Book of Enoch was never part of the Hebrew Bible.
- The book has pseudepigraphal authorship.
- The book contains speculative theology and scientifically inaccurate information.
- There are transmission gaps in the manuscript evidence.
Introduction [0:12]
The episode addresses the question of why the Book of Enoch is not part of the Bible, despite Enoch being described as a holy man who walked with God. The hosts aim to provide a clear understanding based on history and biblical context, responding to listener inquiries about the book's value and its absence from the biblical canon. There are actually two men named Enoch in the book of Genesis. The first was the son of Cain in Genesis 4:17, and Cain even named a city after him. But the Enoch we're referring to today is the one revered in the Old and New Testaments for his faith and righteousness. He was Noah's greatgrandfather. There's actually three ancient books of Enoch appropriately named one Enoch, two Enoch, and three Enoch. Scholars mostly reject two Enoch and three Enoch as part of the Bible because they were written too late and they contain wildly mystical stories that don't match the usual religious and historical standards for what's considered acceptable scripture. The discussion will focus on one Enoch.
Who Was Enoch? [2:31]
Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam, as detailed in Genesis 5. He lived 65 years before fathering Methuselah and walked with God for 300 years, living a total of 365 years. The Bible states that "God took him," an unusual description that suggests he did not experience a conventional death. Hebrews 11:5 indicates that Enoch pleased God through his faith and was taken up so that he would not see death. Despite this, the Bible clarifies in John 3:13 that no one has ascended into heaven except Jesus, implying that Enoch's fate remains a mystery, but he did not go to heaven.
New Testament Reference [5:31]
The Book of Jude in the New Testament quotes a prophecy from Enoch, specifically regarding judgment. Jude 14-15 is strikingly similar to 1 Enoch 1:9, indicating that early Christians were familiar with Enoch's prophecies. However, it's possible this prophecy was also passed down verbally. The core question is addressed: if Enoch was faithful and his prophecy is quoted in the Bible, why isn't 1 Enoch part of the biblical canon?
Reason 1: Exclusion from the Hebrew Bible [7:47]
One Enoch was never part of the Jewish Tanakh, which forms the foundation of the Christian Old Testament. By the late 1st century, it was already excluded from the Hebrew scriptures, meaning it lacks historical integration with other scriptural texts. The fact that Enoch is quoted in the Bible does not automatically validate the entire book. The Apostle Paul quoted Greek authors, but that doesn't mean their works should be considered scripture.
Wandering Stars [8:48]
Jude 12 and 13 warns against people who exploit fellowship for their own gain, calling them dangerous reefs, clouds without water, trees without fruit, wild waves of the sea casting up their own shame like foam, and wandering stars for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. Some suggest that the reference to "wandering stars" in Jude 12-13 is derived from 1 Enoch 80:6-8, which describes stars deviating from their established order. However, it's argued that Jude is actually referencing Old Testament scriptures such as Job 38:4-7, Isaiah 14:12, and Ezekiel 28:14-16, which describe Satan as a fallen "morning star" who has wandered off the path.
Reason 2: Pseudepigraphal Authorship [12:22]
The primary reason for the exclusion of 1 Enoch is its pseudepigraphal authorship. Pseudepigrapha are ancient writings that claim to be authored by famous biblical figures but were written by someone else, often centuries later. One Enoch was likely written between 300 BCE and 100 BCE, long after Enoch's lifetime, by unknown authors. This fails the early church's standard for prophetic or apostolic origin. The themes of 1 Enoch include angelic rebellion, the Nephilim, apocalyptic judgment, heavenly calendars, and moral exhortations.
Historical Value and Speculative Theology [15:23]
The Book of Enoch offers insights into the thoughts of ancient peoples during the Second Temple Judaism period, bridging the gap between the Old and New Testaments. However, the Bible intentionally leaves a 400-year gap between Malachi and the New Testament to introduce the events of the New Testament. One Enoch contains elaborate angelology, cosmology, and apocalyptic visions that some leaders saw as doctrinally risky or misleading. During this 400-year period, many errors crept into Judaism, and the rise of distinct Jewish sects like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes led to corruption and confusion of biblical truth.
Reason 4: Transmission Gaps [21:40]
Aramaic fragments of 1 Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, confirming its circulation pre-Christian era. However, the book survives complete only in the Gəʿəz language, the classical language of Ethiopia, with no continuous Greek or Latin manuscript tradition in the West. The number of full manuscripts of 1 Enoch is relatively small compared to the thousands of preserved manuscripts and fragments for the canonized books of the Old and New Testaments.
Son of Man [23:27]
Apocalyptic themes, the messianic son of man, and angelic rebellion are closely aligned with Second Temple Jewish thought and early Christian belief. The concept of the "Son of Man" is found in 1 Enoch and the Gospels. However, the phrase "Son of Man" also appears in the Book of Daniel, which was written before the Book of Enoch. It's argued that the author of 1 Enoch could have copied from Daniel.
Ethiopian Orthodox Canon [25:48]
The acceptance of 1 Enoch into the Ethiopian Orthodox canon does not add credibility to its inclusion in the broader biblical canon. Early councils prioritized books with widespread, continuous use across diverse Christian communities, which 1 Enoch lacks. Second Timothy 2:15-16 advises believers to study truth and avoid worldly and empty chatter that leads to ungodliness.
Conclusion [29:10]
The reasons why 1 Enoch is not in the Bible are clear: authorship, timing, and content all point to a book written with a clear basis in truth but assembled with dramatic personal perspectives that override much of that truth. It's important to stand firm on the God-inspired words of the Bible and cautiously draw whatever godly and harmonious good can be seen from other sources without diluting or polluting God's truth. The individual Enoch was a wonderful example of godliness, but his name has been polluted by the false authorship and speculative content of the book attributed to him.
