Evidence for the Canonicity of Baruch’s Epistle
The book of 2 Maccabees is a pre-Christian 2nd century BC Jewish writing, which has been accepted by Christians throughout the centuries as inspired, canonical Scripture. It is a part of the Old Testament Canon of the ancient Churches, which include the Assyrian Church of the East (ACOE), Oriental and Eastern Orthodoxy, as well as the Catholic Church. Since much of modern-day Protestantism rejects its canonicity, it is still an important pre-Christian witness of the view of some, if not many, Jews that Protestants can still acknowledge and should appreciate.
As such, 2 (along with 1) Maccabees is/are essential reading for all Christians who seek to better understand the plight of the Jews as they struggled against the Syrian pagan ruler Antiochus Epiphanes IV’s desecration of the second Temple and its subsequent restoration and rededication to God, resulting in the feast of Hanukkah (“Dedication”).
What makes the study of these works all the more vitally important is that our Lord Jesus himself personally observed Hanukkah:
“Then came Hanukkah in Yerushalayim. It was winter, and Yeshua was walking around inside the Temple area, in Shlomo’s Colonnade.” John 10:22-23 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Jesus’ celebration of this Jewish feast gives Christians all the more reason to study these works.
This is where it gets interesting.
2 Maccabees cites the letter of Jeremiah, which is a separate work from the book of Jeremiah, as Scripture:
“One finds in the records that the prophet Jeremiah ordered those who were being deported to take some of the fire, as has been mentioned, and that the prophet, after giving them the law, instructed those who were being deported not to forget the commandments of the Lord or to be led astray in their thoughts on seeing the gold and silver statues and their adornment.And with other similar words he exhorted them that the law should not depart from their hearts.
“It was also in the same document (te graphe) that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God.Jeremiah came and found a cave dwelling, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the altar of incense; then he sealed up the entrance. Some of those who followed him came up intending to mark the way but could not find it. When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared, ‘The place shall remain unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy.Then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord and the cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case of Moses and as Solomon asked that the place should be specially consecrated.’” 2 Maccabees 2:1-8 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
Here is the source of 2 Maccabee’s citation:
“A copy of a letter that Jeremiah sent to those who were to be taken to Babylon as exiles by the king of the Babylonians, to give them the message that God had commanded him.
“Because of the sins that you have committed before God, you will be taken to Babylon as exiles by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians.Therefore when you have come to Babylon you will remain there for many years, for a long time, up to seven generations; after that I will bring you away from there in peace.Now in Babylon you will see gods made of silver and gold and wood that people carry on their shoulders and that cause the nations to fear. So beware of becoming at all like the foreigners or of letting fear of these gods possess you when you see the multitude before and behind them worshiping them. But say in your heart, ‘It is you, O Lord, whom we must worship.’ For my angel is with you, and he is watching over your lives.” Letter of Jeremiah 1:1-6 NRSVUE
The letter of Jeremiah is the same as the letter of Baruch, who was Jeremiah’s scribe. This helps us understand why the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) named it Baruch:
“A copy of a letter that Jeremiah sent to those who were to be taken to Babylon as exiles by the king of the Babylonians, to give them the message that God had commanded him.
“Because of the sins that you have committed before God, you will be taken to Babylon as exiles by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians. Therefore when you have come to Babylon you will remain there for many years, for a long time, up to seven generations; after that I will bring you away from there in peace.Now in Babylon you will see gods made of silver and gold and wood, which people carry on their shoulders, and which cause the heathen to fear. So beware of becoming at all like the foreigners or of letting fear for these gods possess you when you see the multitude before and behind them worshiping them. But say in your heart, ‘It is you, O Lord, whom we must worship.’ For my angel is with you, and he is watching over your lives.” Baruch 6:1-7
The word graphe is the same term employed for the God-breathed Scriptures or inspired writings. And according to the New Testament, all prophetic Scriptures are inspired or breathed out by God, being produced by the holy prophets of God as they were being carried along by the Holy Spirit to do so:
“Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed and through the prophetic writings (graphon prophetikon) is made known to all the gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—”Romans 16:25-26
“and how from childhood you have known sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture (graphe) is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17
“First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture (propheteia graphes) is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 RSV
Therefore, since the letter of Jeremiah/Baruch is said to be the writing of the prophet Jeremiah after receiving an oracle from God,
“It was also in the writing that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God.” 2 Maccabees 2:4 Revised Standard Version (RSV)
This means that this too must be included among the prophetic writings. And since all prophetic writings are God-breathed or produced by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this indicates that the letter of Jeremiah/Baruch must also be inspired by God.
Further Reading
John Calvin & the Book of Baruch
A Protestant Defends the “Apocrypha”