The Book of Enoch
A missing book from the Bible?!?
The Book of Enoch. What is it, and where can I find it in the Bible? If it’s not in the Bible, why was it taken out? Who was Enoch? Why is so much authority and attention given to this book? What does it tell us that the Bible doesn’t? Why is God withholding the information found in it from us?
I first looked into the subject years ago at the recommendation of a Christian friend. Then, as I was preparing for my Bible study on Genesis chapter 6, I decided I could not continue the study without addressing the glaring elephant in the room called the Book of Enoch.
The Book of Enoch
As always, I will share what I have learned and explain my position along the way. But before we go there, I feel led to pray:
Father God, open our eyes to your mercy and truth. May your light shine upon us revealing the wicked that attempts to lead us astray. God, may we trust in you fuller, deeper, and more abundantly than ever before. Incline our ear to your wisdom, understanding, and discernment as we enter this study on the Book of Enoch.
Lord, if any reading this has been sucked into believing ungodly things, please use us to help them find their way back to your path of righteousness. Thank you for granting us favor and discernment today and always. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!
Who Was Enoch?
Both Cain and Jared had sons named Enoch (Genesis 5). They are the only two Enochs mentioned in the Scriptures.
First Enoch
There are actually three books all called the Book of Enoch. There is First Enoch, Second Enoch, and Third Enoch. Books two and three were written many years after the first book. When people today speak of the Book of Enoch, almost always they are referring to First Enoch. Some refer to First Enoch simply as Enoch and the other two as versions of the First Enoch. I have not been able to find out if that is accurate.
Who Wrote The Book of Enoch?
The author of the Book of Enoch is credited as being Enoch, son of Jared. However, this book was written many, many, many years after Enoch was taken to Heaven so we know he wasn’t the author. Because we have no idea who actually wrote them, the books of Enoch are called pseudepigrapha.
Pseudepigrapha Writings
PSEUDO: False
EPIGRAPHEIN: To inscribe.
Thus, pseudepigrapha writing means to write falsely. (*thefreedictionary.com)
Pseudepigraphal writings are not included in the canon (books of the Bible divinely inspired by God and acknowledged by the church).
According to Blueletterbible.org, “a pseudepigrapha is a writing which claims as its author someone who did not produce it; in other words, a forgery.” The Blue Letter Bible goes on to say, “The real author wrote the book under the name of someone else. The idea was to provide the writing with some sort of authority that it did not deserve. Consequently, these are not authentic writings.”
The books of Enoch are part of a large pseudepigrapha group. Within this group are other books supposedly penned by various biblical greats with titles such as the “Life of Adam and Eve”, the “Treatise of Shem”, and the “Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs”. We have no clue who wrote the books or what their motivation was.
Why Was The Book of Enoch Removed From The Bible
It wasn’t. As I said, Pseudepigrapha writings are not included in the Bible (canon). The proponents of the book want you to believe that it was so great and powerful that the Holy Spirit had to remove it and make it its own separate book to protect us. Of course, there is zero biblical evidence of this.
Is The Book of Enoch Mentioned In The Bible?
You will hear time and again that the book of Jude quotes the Book of Enoch, thus giving it validity. I do not think so. Yes, the texts are similar but not identical as they would be with a quote.
Around the time of Enoch (Genesis chapter 5), history (such as genealogies) was passed down verbally, not written. Just like his brother Jesus, Jude would have been quite familiar with Jewish writings and oral traditions. Therefore, it is very possible that Jude is not referencing the Book of Enoch but oral history about Enoch.
Jude never once said he is quoting from the Book of Enoch. In verse 14 Jude says he is quoting the words of Enoch. That doesn’t make them the same things. In fact, it is a major distinction.
The Holy Spirit divinely inspired every word in Scripture, which opens up another possibility: The Holy Spirit could have provided Jude with the very words spoken by Enoch from years past. We don’t know because the Bible doesn’t tell us.
Not once does Jesus mention or validate the Book of Enoch (and it was popular during his day). To me, that says a great deal right there.
What Does The Book of Enoch Tell us That The Bible Doesn’t?
The book of Enoch tells us all kinds of things that the Bible doesn’t say. It is full of what I would call vain imaginations. And therein lies the issue. The Bible says not to add or take away but the Book of Enoch adds a great deal.
Is There Value In The Book of Enoch?
Personally, I don’t think so. Because the Book of Enoch is not a valid part of Scripture, it should not receive the same authority and reverence as the rest of the God-breathed books in the Bible. We don’t know who wrote the Book of Enoch or what their motivation was. We know from Scripture that Satan tries to trick us by appearing as an angel of light (meaning someone we would trust and believe is sent by God). We know that Satan and his demons are in the church among the congregations. We know that God tells us to test everything against the light of Scripture.
I’ve heard others say this book has value because you can gather historical data from it. But how would you know what to believe if some parts are legit and some parts are fantasy? I can’t help but think of Satan. He is so good at his job because he loves to confuse us by subtly blending truth with lies.
I’ve heard the “proof” that the book is legit because the Jews of Jesus’ day (and later the new Christians) accepted and studied it. I did not find conclusive evidence that they did. However, I want to remind you that during Jesus’ ministry, he spoke out a great deal against the Jewish leaders for leading people astray and putting undue burdens on them.
I’ve also heard the “proof” that the book is legit because it is popular. Friend, it is free on your eReader. Most anything free is popular. But popular is in no way an indication of anointing or the favor of God.
My Thoughts on The Book of Enoch
The first time I heard about the ancient Book of Enoch, I was captivated. I love studying the Bible, and the thought that there was more to learn about God filled me with anticipation and joy!
But as I read the book, I couldn’t help but stop in utter confusion. The book changed tone, it didn’t read anything like the Bible, little pointed to Jesus, and lots pointed to Enoch. The whole thing seemed to appeal to the flesh more than the spirit. It was fascinating and enchanting for sure. But it lacked something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
Although I love to talk to my friends about the Bible, I didn’t want to talk to any of them about this book. I didn’t want to encourage them to get lost down the spiraling black hole of half-truths.
When friends brought up reading the Book of Enoch, many felt that only the Holy Spirit could have led them to discover something so powerful. It made them feel special to have this “secret knowledge.” They swore it helped the Bible come alive and make sense.
That made me sad. There is nothing I found in the Book of Enoch that pointed to salvation through Jesus. I don’t understand why we worry or focus on something that is pointless to our salvation. Instead, there is real value in training ourselves in godliness through reading and studying God’s will found in Scripture.
Besides, Didn’t Satan tempt Adam and Eve with the promise of knowledge and understanding that God was withholding from them?
The Book of Enoch Won’t Fix Your Walk
As I talk with other Christians, I generally hear two things about the Bible: I don’t have time to read it and I don’t understand it. Many of these folks set aside their Bible and turn to outside resources instead.
Time
First, the Bible is a gift of love to God’s children. If you are not a child of God trying to read the Bible, ask God to open your eyes to His truths. Otherwise, you will not have the capacity to understand it because you do not have the Holy Spirit living and working inside of you.
Even as a Christian, you won’t understand the Bible if you do not put in the time to read and study it for yourself. How would you expect to know about your spouse, kids, or friends if you refuse to invest time with them?
I get it. Like you, I lead a full, robust life. Some days I have more time to devote to reading and studying. Some days, I take advantage of “downtime” to listen to an audio Bible. Some days are so noisy and overflowing that I feel blessed just to be able to meditate on a verse, passage, or biblical concept.
My point isn’t that you shouldn’t read other books besides the Bible. My point is that if you struggle to find time to read the Bible, why are you willing to carve out time for another book? As a follower of Christ Jesus, shouldn’t spending time with Him in His Word (somehow, someway) be a priority?
Understanding
Secondly, Jesus said the Holy Spirit is our teacher and He would teach us all things (John 14:26).
Friend, I get the allure of a book that promises knowledge and wisdom. The world wants to convince us we can’t possibly understand the Bible, and only certain people are anointed to truly grasp it. That is such a lie!
God wants us to understand His Word. He didn’t say we needed the Bible and a few helper books. No! He wants us to use the Bible for all aspects of life; to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). It is pretty difficult to do any of those things if you haven’t found the time to see what God says about them.
Conclusion
The Book of Enoch is an anonymously written ancient text that is pseudepigrapha. Although Enoch is mentioned in the Bible (Genesis Chapter 5), the Book of Enoch is not.
As I prepared for this study, I found it to be confusing and exhausting; not invigorating as I normally do with Bible studies.
If you feel you would like to read the Book of Enoch, I would suggest you read it with full disclosure (no idea who the author is or what their agenda was), keeping in mind that God tells us the Bible is the gift He has given us to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness. Everything else has to be taken with a grain of salt.
I pray you hear my heart and understand how concerned I am. Far too many Christians claim the Bible is too hard to understand and use this book to build the foundation of their theology. Perhaps, like the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, this book just needs to be left alone and our focus turned towards things that are pleasing to Jehovah Jireh.
“But have nothing to do with irreverent folklore and silly myths. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness [keeping yourself spiritually fit].”
“But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness. ”
Since writing this post, I have received many responses that are similar. Instead of continuing to respond to each one, I have written a post to address similar comments. You can find that post here, A Response to the Comments from The Book of Enoch Post. Thank you and God bless.
