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Question 9
He argues it is “ironic” that “nearly all” attacks on the Apocrypha come from conservative Bible-believing Christians, even though “virtually all Christians before Luther” (and groups he calls “kingdom Christians” like Waldensians, Lollards, early Moravians, Anabaptists) embraced and quoted these books; what might God think about believers belittling books their spiritual forefathers treated as Scripture, and what does this raise about humility, tradition, and repentance in our approach to the Bible?
Another way to ask: If most Christians before Luther treated the Apocrypha as Scripture, what might God think when modern believers mock those books? What does this bring up about humility, listening to tradition, and being willing to repent?

Direct Answer Bercot implies God would find it offensive that believers ridicule books long treated as Scripture by earlier Christians, especially “kingdom Christians” admired for taking Jesus seriously. He frames this as a call to humility toward historic Christian tradition and to reconsider whether our confidence is actually prejudice.

Support from Transcript:

  • He notes a “real irony”: attacks on other Bible books come from “unbelievers,” but attacks on the Apocrypha come “nearly all… from conservative Bible-believing Christians.”
  • He says believers find it “very offensive when non-believers attack and belittle our Scriptures,” and adds: “I believe that God finds it offensive as well.”
  • He then challenges: “And yet we then go out and attack and belittle these books that were embraced as the inspired Word of God by virtually all Christians before… Martin Luther.”
  • He presses the conscience: “Now, what do you imagine God thinks of that? Reflect on it for a moment.”
  • He lists “kingdom Christians” across history—“early Christians, the Waldensians, the Lollards, the early Moravians, and the Anabaptists”—and says “they all embraced… quoted… learned from them, and they loved them.”
  • He concludes that attacking the Apocrypha also attacks “the faith and the Scriptures of our beloved forefathers.”
Discussion Follow-ups If your forefathers read and loved these books, what would repentance look like if you’ve mocked them? How should respect for tradition function without replacing Scripture—especially when the debate is over what counts as Scripture?

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