Avalon Chronicles #190: History From Adam to Noah and the Flood in the Apocrypha

Reference: The Complete 54-Book Apocrypha. 2022 Edition. Literal Standard Version. Covenant Press of the Covenant Christian Coalition. www.ccc.one.

     There is scant information about the history between Adam and Noah. I was in my ninth decade of life before I came across The Books of Enoch, but, my introduction to Enoch has led me down a fascinating path of history about which I was totally uninformed. "The library of apocryphal works is not Scripture, but is the definitive collection of very early extra-biblical writings in the Judeo-Christian tradition. As such, this collection was meticulously collated and excludes writings foreign to the traditional Judeo-Christian stream of theological thought...there is little doubt the biblical writers had at least some familiarity with these texts or perhaps the oral traditions on which they were based. Jude seemingly quotes from Enoch. Paul mentions names found only in some of the apocryphal literature. Jesus celebrated the Feast of Dedication (Hannukah), a festival established according to the accounts found in 1 and 2 Maccabees....All included books had to have been composed prior to the third century AD. (Preface).

     "While Protestants largely reject the books as spurious or even heretical, and the Roman and Orthodox churches accept them as canonical, it may be wise to recognize that historic Christianity has held to more of a middle ground, including the reformers such as Martin Luther and early Catholic writers like Jerome." (pg. 5).

     The Constitution of the CCC states: "The Bible is the final authority for all matters of life, faith, and doctrine and in its original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic form is completely infallible....The true canon begins with Genesis, ends with Revelation, excludes the Apocrypha, and likely includes several of these other referenced books, although it is not clear that the current translations of Jasher, Enoch, and others are accurate translations of the original writings and therefore their authority is in dispute." (pg. 5).

      Martin Luther wrote his opinion of the Apocrypha: "Apocrypha, that are books, which are not considered equal to the Holy Scriptures, but are useful and good to read." (pg. 5). 

     The study of the Book of Enoch alone has taken me down an incredible path that expands exponentially from Genesis 6:4 "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them." For decades Nephilim were a complete mystery to me. No more, get ready for opening up wide a probable history about which we are totally uninformed. 

     Before I proceed further I believe it important to establish an important statement of faith of the Covenant Christian Coalition found on page 6:

"In accordance with the Scriptures, Christ the Messiah, the Son of the living God, became human, incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, lived a morally perfect and sinless life, died for our sins on the Cross as a substitutionary sacrifice, was buried in a tomb, and was raised bodily from the dead on the third day. Everyone who hears and accepts this message of salvation, believing in their heart that God raised the Christ from the dead, will be pardoned of all their sins, given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and granted everlasting life in perpetual union with God. Salvation is found in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone and not by works." (Page 6). 

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