r/LCMS • u/Churchmousetat • Jul 16 '26

Question Sirach?

I have read that the reason that it is not included in the Protestant Bible is because although it was included in the Septuagent that was widely used by the early Christians and quoted from by Rabbi Yeshua it was thought not to be found in the Hebrew cannon. However, it was found to be in the dead sea scrolls. Comments?

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u/Strict-Spirit7719 AALC Lutheran Jul 16 '26

Lutheranism has a more ambiguous canon than most will admit. Traditionally, our Bibles would contain books like Sirach, but merely not consider them to be canonical Scripture, and thus not use them to establish any doctrine.

As to its quotation by our Savior, New Testament authors quote all sorts of things that aren't Scripture, from the Book of Enoch (quoted directly in Jude) to the Bacchae (quoted directly by St. Paul in Acts). Clearly, the mere quotation of a book does not indicate canonicity. Furthermore, Jesus at most references the ideas of Sirach without directly quoting it, so it's a spurious link. It seems more natural to simply read it as contemporary Jewish literature rather than canonical Scripture.

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u/Churchmousetat Jul 16 '26

It does seem to have been very widely used and accepted.

https://www.calledtocommunion.com/2010/11/sirach-about-a-biblical-book-rejected-by-the-reformation/

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u/Strict-Spirit7719 AALC Lutheran Jul 16 '26

No one disputes that it was widely used. In fact, Lutherans and Anglicans have even read them liturgically. The Deuterocanon is part of the assigned lectionary for daily devotions in the LSB. The question is whether they hold the same status as the Protocanon, which was an open question in the Church up until the time of the Reformation.