APOCRYPHA (ivrotcpucpa, sc. pipNia, hidden, secreted, mysterious), a term in theology, applied in various senses to denote certain books claiming a sacred character. The word occurs Mark iv. 22 : `There is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested, neither was anything kept secret (al-614)1)0ov), but that it should come abroad ;' also Lukc viii. 17 ; and Col. ii. 3 : In whom are hid (ardxpopoi) all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.' It is first found, as denoting a certain class of books, in Clemens Alexandrinus, Stronzata, 3, c. 4, itc revds droKpticpotr.
I. Meaning and use of the term. In the early ages of the Christian Church this term was frequently used to denote books of an uncertain or anonymous author, or of one who had written under an assumed name. Its application, however, in this sense is far from being distinct, as, strictly speaking, it would include canonical books whose authors were unknown or uncertain, or even pseudepigraphal. Let us omit,' says St. Augustine, those fabulous books of Scripture, which are called apocryphal, because their secret origin was unknown to the fathers. We do not deny that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, wrote something, as Jude asserts in his canonical Epistle that he did ; but it is not without a purpose that they are not found in the Jewish canon preserved in the Temple. The books, therefore, which are published in his name are rightly judged by prudent men not to be his, as more recent works were given out as written by apostles, which, however, have been separated, upon diligent investigation, from the canon of Scripture, under the name of apocryphal.' And again : From such expressions as The Book of the Wars of the Lord' men have taken occasion to forge books called apocryphal.' And in his book against Faustus, he says : Apocryphal books are not such as are of authority, and are kept secret ; but they are books whose original is obscure, and which are destitute of proper testi monials, their authors being unknown, and their characters either heretical or suspected.' Origen, also, on Matt. xxii. had applied the term apocryphal in a similar way : This passage is to be found in no canonical book' (regulari, for we have Origen's work only in the Latin translation by Rufinus), but in the apocryphal book of Elias' (secretis Elia). And, This is plain, that many examples have been adduced by the apostles and evangelists, and inserted in the New Testament, which we do not read in the canonical Scriptures which we possess, but which are found in the Apocrypha' (Origen, Prof. in Cantle.) So also
Jerome, referring to the words (Eph. v. Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,' observes that the apostle cited this from hidden (reconditis) prophets, and such as seem to be apocryphal, as he has done in several other instances.' Epiphanius thought that this term was applied to such books as were not placed in the Ark of the Covenant, but put away in some other place (see Suicer's Thesaurus for the true reading of the passage in this Father). Under the term apocryphal have been included books of a religious character, which were in circulation among private Christians, but were not allowed to be read in the public assemblies ; such as 3 and 4 Esdras, and 3 and 4 Maccabees.
In regard to the New Testament, the term has been usually applied to books invented by heretics to favour their views, or by Catholics under ficti tious signatures. Of this description were many spurious or apocryphal gospels (which see). It is probably in reference to such that Basil, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Jerome, gave cautions against the reading of apocryphal books; although it is possible, from the context, that the last-named Father alludes to the books which were also called Ecclesiastical, and afterwards Deutero-canonical. The following passage from his Epistle to Laeta, on the education of her daughter, will serve to illustrate this part of our subject All apocryphal books should be avoided ; but if she ever wishes to read them, not to establish the truth of doctrines, but with a re verential feeling for the truths they signify, she should be told that they are not the works of the authors by whose names they are distinguished, that they contain much that is faulty, and that it is a task requiring great prudence to find gold in the midst of clay.' And to the same effect Philastrius —` Among whom are the Manichees, Gnostics [etc.], who, having some apocryphal books under the apostles' names e., some separate Acts), are accustomed to despise the canonical Scriptures but the secret Scriptures, that is, apocryphal, though they ought to be read by the perfect for their morals, ought not to be read by all, as ignorant heretics have added and taken away what they wished.' He then proceeds to say that the books to which he refers are the Acts of Andrew, written by 'the disciples who were his followers,' etc. : Quos conscripserunt discipuli tune sequentes aposto lam (flares. 40).