tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447271489594435093.post7797924046818187189..comments2024-01-23T10:37:14.372-08:00Comments on Surburg's blog: Mark's thoughts: How should a Lutheran view the Apocrypha? Surburg's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07471674105191295804noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2447271489594435093.post-56839512825671792702022-02-01T10:32:58.547-08:002022-02-01T10:32:58.547-08:00In addition to your valuable discussion above it&#...In addition to your valuable discussion above it's interesting to note the influence of the Apocrypha in culture, and even in the present-day LCMS.<br /><br />In culture, Shakespeare referenced the Apocrypha in 80 passages of his plays. He also named his two daughters after women in the Apocrypha, Judith and Susanna.<br /><br />George Fredric Handel wrote an oratorio about Judas Maccabeus.<br /><br />Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a five-act tragedy about Judas Maccabeus.<br /><br />Mel Gibson was going to make a movie about Judas Maccabeus, but it was shelved due to Gibson’s supposed anti-Semitic reputation. (See https://www.thewrap.com/warner-brothers-pulls-plug-mel-gibson-maccabee-movie-exclusive-36952/)<br /><br />Hanukkah and Judas Maccabaeus are even mentioned in a Peanuts' comic strip! (See: https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1970/12/23)<br /><br />Judith has been depicted in dozens of paintings and sculptures over the years, including on a portion of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.<br /><br />Christopher Columbus made a number of erroneous geographical assumptions which led him to believe that the sailing distance between Europe and Asia must be relatively short. One of these was from the apocryphal book 2nd Esdras which purports to describe the days of creation: “On the third day you commanded the waters to be gathered together in a seventh part of the earth; six parts you dried up and kept so that some of them might be planted and cultivated and be of service before you.“ (2nd Esdras 6:42)<br /><br />In the Protestant church, in Martin Rinkart's hymn "Now Thank We All Our God" Rinkart Rinkart used Luther’s translation of a portion of the apocryphal book Sirach (Ecclesiasticus 50:20-24). For some unknown reason the current LCMS hymnal (LSB) doesn’t mention that this hymn is based on Sirach, but previous hymnals (like TLH) did.<br /><br />The hymns "Silent Night" and "It Came upon a Midnight Clear" each were influenced by portions of the Apocrypha.<br /><br />In the LCMS we use portions of the Apocrypha in our worship services in LSB in Introits, a Gradual, and a Verse (See the 2012 CPH commentary on the Apocrypha, pages 387-388.)<br /><br />For all the above reasons (and more) I think that a well-rounded Christian should read through the Apocrypha at least once.<br />Faith Lutheran Youthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17473487351668928736noreply@blogger.com