Category Archives: Classic

I was perhaps seven or eight years old when I first learned that Catholics and Protestants do not use the same Bible. Whereas the intertestamental period is, in the Protestant Bible, left unaddressed, the Catholic Bible contains approximately 500 pages of additional material collectively known as the “Apocrypha.” These works were not included in the later canon due to uncertain authorship. Curious as to their content, I checked out the Apocrypha from our church library, and recently finished reading it.

The Apocrypha is comprised of fifteen books, each of which deserves its own brief summary:

“The First Book of Esdras”: A retelling of the Old Testament story of Ezra. (Note: some of the names in the Apocrypha reference familiar biblical figures, but utilize different spellings)

“The Second Book of Esdras”: An apocalyptic warning of impending judgement – very reminiscent of the Minor Prophets.

“The Book of Tobit”: The story of Tobias, who heals his blind father and banishes the demon Asmodeus with a little help from the angel Raphael.

“The Book of Judith”: A dramatic tale of the war between the Israelites and the evil general Holofernes, culminating in a violent confrontation between warrior-maiden Judith and the wicked Holofernes.

“The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Esther”: A short epilogue to the Book of Esther, summarizing Mordecai’s victory over Haman.

“The Wisdom of Solomon”: A collection of verses in praise of wisdom.

“The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach”: A book of wise proverbs and sayings that makes for fascinating reading. Contains some slightly questionable theology, such as the implication that alms-giving atones for sin.

“The Book of Baruch”: Another warning of coming judgement.

“The Epistle of Jeremy”: A warning against worshiping lifeless idols.

“The Prayer of Azariah”: A poem of praise and thankfulness to God.

“The History of Susanna”: The story of a Jewish woman falsely accused of adultery. Short, but redemptive.

“The History of the Destruction of Bel and the Dragon”: Additional chapters of the Book of Daniel. Daniel demonstrates the futility of worshiping the false god Bel. He also kills a sacred fire-breathing serpent by feeding it lumps of pitch, fat, and hair.

“The Prayer of Manasses”: A dramatic, beautifully written prayer for the forgiveness of sins.

“The First Book of Maccabees”: The epic historical drama of Judah Maccabeus and his battle against the evil Syrian king Antiochus. Well worth reading.

“The Second Book of Maccabees”: A more detailed look at the early portions of the First Book of Maccabees. Contains moving depictions of martyrdom.

Moving on to the overall commentary…

In both style and theology, the Apocrypha is extremely similar to much of the Old Testament. There are some slight deviations from the commonly recognized Judeo-Christian outlook (such as the aforementioned emphasis on alms-giving as a substitutionary atonement for sins), but these can be explained (i.e. before the coming of Christ, temporal sacrifices were of much greater importance).

Another concern is what appears to be the apparent mythologizing throughout the Apocrypha. There may indeed be some historical basis to legends of fire-breathing dragons, but these and other elements still appear questionable.

Case in point: In the Book of Tobit, Tobias burns the liver and gall of a fish, producing an unpleasant smoke that drives away the marauding demon Asmodeus. Is this Biblical, or merely an extension of pre-Christian mysticism? There are certainly elements of Jewish mysticism (such as the Kabbalah and the angelological/demonological hierarchies) that have little to no scriptural support. It is unclear whether certain scenes in the Apocrypha are meant to be interpreted literally or figuratively.

The intertestamental period is an area of history that I know very little about. The story of the Maccabees and their wars (spanning the entire Mediterranean world, from Rome to Persia) makes for interesting, compelling reading. And while the historicity of “Tobit” and “Bel and the Dragon” may be dubious, they’re still good stories. As Martin Luther said of the Book of Tobit: “Is it history? Then it is holy history. Is it fiction? Then it is truly beautiful, wholesome, and profitable fiction.”

Overall, the Apocrypha is a body of literature that all Christians – Catholic or Protestant – would do well to read. It’s a unique collection of prophecy, history, literature, philosophy, theology, and allegory…just like the Bible itself.

Is it divinely inspired, and thus inerrant? Unknown. But is it still worth reading? Absolutely.

(Note: The Apocrypha is written in occasionally difficult King James-style English, but this should not deter most readers.)

VERDICT: 7.5/10
A complex, multifaceted portrait of intertestamental history and theology. Worth reading.

It’s one of the most well-known stories in world literature: a man sells his soul to the devil in return for unimaginable power and the fulfillment of all his desires. After noticing “Faust” on the recommended reading list for Patrick Henry, I thought it might be useful to read Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s classic play for myself.

(Note: In order to analyze the theological underpinnings of this complex work, the following review contains spoilers.)

Faust is an alchemist in search of truth. He has probed the complexities of the four elements and sought answers in the spirit world, but all to no avail. When the devil Mephistopheles appears to him, promising to reveal the secrets of the universe, it’s an easy decision for Faust. He quickly accepts Mephistopheles’ offer and embarks upon a bizarre journey through time and space.

Faust promptly employs Mephistopheles’ powers to win the heart of Margaret, a young and innocent girl. He seduces and abandons her before traveling with Mephistopheles to an assembly of evil forces. Overcome with horror at what he is seeing, he returns to Margaret’s hometown and finds her imprisoned for her sin. With a little help from Mephistopheles, he tries to free her, but she dies during the escape. To assuage his grief, Mephistopheles shows him an image of the beautiful Helena of Troy, with whom Faust immediately falls in love. The rest of the book chronicles Mephistopheles’ journey through time to bring Helena to Faust. (There are a lot of other scenes, but they’re not especially pivotal).

As the final scene opens, Faust is an old man, alone once again, who rules the kingdom that Mephistopheles provided for him. He knows that as soon as he dies, the devil will arrive to claim his soul. He resigns himself to his fate and dies. Mephistopheles eagerly attempts to seize Faust’s soul, only to have it snatched from his grasp by a host of angels who miraculously intervene. Faust is carried to heaven and reunited with Margaret, leaving an angry Mephistopheles feeling cheated of his lawful prey.

This story is obviously full of theology, and worthy of thorough analysis…but because it’s such a dense, complicated, and difficult work, I’ll be fairly brief here. For me, the biggest surprise was that Faust’s soul is ultimately redeemed at the end of the story. I was fully expecting Mephistopheles to show up and drag Faust down to Hell. This narrative choice is both a good thing and a bad thing.

In one sense, “Faust” accurately reflects the Christian understanding that grace is unmerited – that we cannot win God’s favor for ourselves and must rely on His sovereign grace for salvation. Faust is, by the end of the story, incapable of redeeming himself or drawing close to God…but through His mercy, God chooses to redeem Faust and bring his soul to heaven.

But in another sense, Faust never genuinely repents of his misdeeds. He has used Mephistopheles’ power for selfish gain, and never truly repudiates the devil who gave him earthly riches. The heart of Christianity is a recognition of sin and Christ’s power to overcome it. We must acknowledge Jesus as Lord, not Self as Lord, to allow the Holy Spirit to begin His redemptive work in our hearts. Faust, while he expresses regret over some of the things he has done, never genuinely turns from his life of sin or makes any substantial effort to do so.

It’s certainly food for thought, and it’s an interesting concept. However, “Faust” is marred by hundreds of pages of tedious dialogue and digressions, which add nothing to the relatively simple storyline. It’s extremely dull at points (especially in “Part II” – the second half) and not all that rewarding. Worth reading for those who (like me) may be required to study it later in college, or anyone who has an interest in the origins of the Faust/Mephistopheles concept. For everyone else, there are a lot of other classics that will probably be more meaningful.

VERDICT: 5/10
Interesting, but there are probably more productive ways to spend your time.