What are the Catholic Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books?

TL;DR:

The Catholic Apocrypha, or Deuterocanonical books, were written between the Old and New Testaments and were never accepted as inspired Scripture by the Jews or Jesus. Though historically valuable, they lack prophetic authority and include teachings outside God’s Word.

what does the bible say?

The Catholic Apocrypha, or Deuterocanonical books, were written during the four hundred years between Malachi and the coming of Christ—a time when no prophet spoke in Israel (Malachi 4:5–6; Luke 16:16). While these writings, such as Tobit, Judith, and 1–2 Maccabees, provide valuable historical insight into Jewish life under foreign rule, they were never accepted as inspired Scripture by the Jewish people, Jesus, nor the apostles (Luke 24:44). The Old Testament set clear boundaries against adding to God’s Word (Deuteronomy 4:2), and the New Testament affirms only the established Hebrew canon as divinely inspired (2 Timothy 3:16). Although respected in early Jewish and Christian circles, these books were not regarded as equal to Scripture and contain teachings—like prayers for the dead and atonement through almsgiving—not supported elsewhere in the Bible. Officially added to the Catholic canon at the Council of Trent in the 1500s, the Apocrypha holds historical and moral value but remains outside the authoritative, Spirit-inspired Word of God.

from the old testament

After Malachi, no recognized prophet spoke in Israel until John the Baptist (Malachi 4:5–6; cf. Luke 1:16–17). The Apocryphal books, written between 200 BC and 100 BC, do not claim divine inspiration or prophetic authority—showing they came after the period of recognized prophecy.
The Old Testament itself sets a clear boundary for inspired Scripture: “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it” (Deuteronomy 4:2). This principle emphasizes the seriousness of recognizing which writings are truly God-breathed.

from the new testament

The books recognized by Jewish tradition (and later by Jesus and the apostles) align with the thirty-nine books of the Protestant Old Testament (Luke 24:44). The Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books—such as Tobit, Judith, and 1–2 Maccabees—were not part of the Hebrew Scriptures but appeared later in Greek translations like the Septuagint (LXX).
The appearance of John the Baptist and then Jesus marks the resumption of divine revelation after a long prophetic silence (Luke 16:16). The Deuterocanonical books, written during that silent period, are not presented as God’s word in the New Testament.
Jesus often referred to “the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44), reflecting the traditional Jewish canon. Though the apostles were aware of other Jewish writings, they never quoted the Apocrypha as Scripture, unlike their consistent citation of the Hebrew books.
Paul affirms that “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16), referring to the established Old Testament canon recognized in his time. The New Testament writers never extended divine inspiration to the later Greek writings.

implications for today

The Apocrypha (also called the Deuterocanonical books) are included in Roman Catholic Bibles and are used by some other traditions within Christianity. The word apocrypha means "hidden," while the word deuterocanonical means "second canon." The books found in the Apocrypha were primarily written during the four-hundred-year period between the completion of the Old Testament writings and the beginning of the New Testament's events (they also include claimed additions to the Old Testament books of Esther and Daniel). These books include 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Manasseh, 1 Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees.

Within early Judaism, the writings of the Apocrypha were treated with respect but were not accepted as books of the Hebrew Bible. The early Christian church debated the status of the Apocryphal writings, but few early Christians believed they belonged in the canon of Scripture. The New Testament quotes passages from the Old Testament hundreds of times, but nowhere quotes any of the Apocrypha's books. Further, there are many proven historical errors and contradictions in the Apocrypha.

While many Catholics accepted the Apocrypha earlier, the Roman Catholic Church officially added the Apocrypha to their Bible at the Council of Trent in the mid 1500s A.D., primarily in response to the Protestant Reformation. Part of the reason for this is that the Apocrypha supports some Roman Catholic Church traditions that are not taught in the Bible. For example, the Roman Catholic practices of praying for the dead, petitioning "saints" in heaven with their prayers, and "alms giving" to atone for sins (paying indulgences) all find their support in the Apocrypha, not the Bible.

Some of the Apocrypha include important and helpful information, but due to their historical and theological errors, the books must be viewed as fallible historical and religious documents, not as the inspired, authoritative Word of God.

understand

The Catholic Apocrypha were written between the Old and New Testaments and were never recognized as inspired Scripture.
The Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical books contain historical and moral value but lack prophetic authority and introduce teachings outside the Bible.
Though included in Catholic Bibles, the Apocrypha remain noncanonical and are not considered God’s authoritative Word.

reflect

How does understanding the noncanonical status of the Apocrypha shape the way you approach Bible study and discern God’s Word?
How might the historical and moral insights in the Apocrypha still be valuable to your personal faith journey without treating them as Scripture?
How can you guard against teachings outside the Bible influencing your beliefs and practices?

engage

How can we explain the value of the Apocrypha while revealing its lack of spiritual authority to a Catholic?
What lessons can we learn from the Church’s historical debate over the Apocrypha about discerning truth in religious traditions?
How do the differences between canonical Scripture and the Apocrypha highlight the importance of recognizing God-breathed writings?