And you consider yourself a Wikipedia scholar? :)
The first Google "hit" gives, lo and behold, References to Apocrypha in the New Testament! :)
| Mt 6:7 | Sir 7:14 |
| Mt 23:37 | 4 Ez 1:30 |
| Mt 27:43 | Wis 2:15f |
| Lk 6:31 | Tob 4:15 |
| Lk 14:13 | Tob 4:7 |
| Jn 10:22 | 1Macc 4:59 |
| Rom 9:21 | Wis 15:7 |
| Rom 11:34 | Wis 9:13 |
| 2Cor 9:7 | Sir 35:9 |
| Heb 1:3 | Wis 7:26 |
| Heb 11:35 | 2 Macc 7:7 |
Source: http://www.biblewiki.be/wiki/References_to_the_Apocrypha_in_the_New_Testament
I would also add Jude's two quotes from the Book of Enoch, which doesn't even qualify as "apocrypha."
Let’s look at a few of those quotes...
Mt 6.7: “7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”
and Sirach 7.14: “Thrust not yourself into the deliberations of princes, and repeat not the words of your prayer.”
That isn’t a quote. That is a momentarily parallel thought. Compare it to a quote like:
“17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities
and carried our diseases.”
See the difference?
Next, Matt 23.37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”
4 Ezra 1: “30: I gathered you together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings: but now, what shall I do unto you? I will cast you out from my face.”
How about Ruth 2 “The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.”
There are a ton of references to God sheltering us with his wings...now compare that to a quote: “”Have you not read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;”
Matt 27.43: “43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
Do you REALLY consider that to be a scripture quote? REALLY?
And you consider yourself a Google-hit scholar?
:>)
I already went thru about a dozen “Apocrypha quotes” from a list of 80-some...they were all like this.
What I wrote was specific: “the absence of any quotes of authority”
No “Scripture says”, or “Have you not read” - just things like, ‘many died as martyrs’ - as if that concept was only found in the Apocrypha!
I would add that Paul used pagan prophets for illustration: “12 Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”
But notice he did NOT say, We know Cretians are bad, for have you not read, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”.