《次经》的价值

The Value of the Apocrypha

本文讨论了《旧约·次经》的含义,次经卷籍的所指、研究《次经》的价值,以及《次经》与圣经正典的关系。认为这批作品的主要内容涉及犹太人如何回应希腊主义的挑战,如何作为一种弱势文化在希腊世界中生存。它们展示了自公元前200年至公元100年间有关犹太教的较为充实可靠的画卷,还向读者提供了大流散中犹太人的某些生活资料。它们对于理解早期基督教的传教使命非常重要,但希伯来经卷对之却鲜有记载。

This essay does some discussions on what the Old Testament Apocrypha is,what the writings of the Apocrypha contain,what the values of studying the Apocrypha are,and what the relationship between the Apocrypha and the canon is.It shows that a major concern addressed by many of these writings involves how Jews are to respond to the challenges of Hellenism and of persevering as a minority culture in a Greek world.They contribute to a fuller,more reliable picture of the Judaism of 200 B.C.E.to 100 C.E.,and mediate to readers something of the life of Jews in the Diaspora which is of great importance for understanding the early Christian mission,yet something of which the Hebrew Scriptures say very little.