Thank you for the question on extra-biblical books, “Was the Book of Enoch inspired by God in the same manner as the Old Testament even though it wasn’t included?”
In the discovery of the Qumran Caves, there were many other writings/scrolls that the community used to comfort and to exhort themselves just as the early Christians had other writings that was read in their meetings.
According to Jude, he cites from Enoch with these words, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[e] 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage (NIV).
The citation is from Enoch 1:9. As one reads the Book of Enoch in comparison to the Old Testament, there are reasons to doubt the divine inspiration of that book due to its context. The description of gigantic men, angels, or the heavenly scene does not coincide with other Scriptures.
The mentioning of Enoch speaking to Noah does not fit the biblical timeline since God took Enoch at the age of 365
- Enoch fathered Methuselah at the age of 65.
- Methuselah fathered Lamech at the age of 187.
- Lamech fathered Noah at the age of 183.
Thus the total years from the birth of Methuselah to Noah is 435. God took him at the age of 365. Thus Enoch did not see his great grandson unless one interprets that Enoch lived an indefinite time period (Genesis 6). Heb. 11:6 states that Enoch was taken away so that he didn’t see death, not that he lived perpetually on earth. He was taken, and that is an assumption and interpretation on my part, from this earth to be what is known as Abraham’s Bosom where the faithful exist in the Presence of God.
In addition, it is unlikely that Enoch would have written such a book for there wouldn’t be any scroll that would endure before the Flood to the first century BCE/CE. It is more likely that oral tradition was communicated from generation to generation until someone decided to write down the words of Enoch at some point in time. Bible scholars think that the Book of Enoch was written between the 5th-2nd BCE.
From reading the Book of Enoch, the subject focuses on the heavenly beings and their condition. Is there some truths in it? I can agree with that as Enoch was a preacher of righteousness proclaiming the future judgment of God on ungodly men. It is reasonable that God called and spoke through his servants even as he called certain men to be his spokesman for him. The recorded verbal words from Enoch of his preaching has been preserved, but to place the Book of Enoch into the category of inspiration is questionable in my viewpoint.
One further thought that Paul’s citation of the Cretian poet does not make that poet or saying being divinely inspire (Titus 1:12–13). It was a note worthy observation by the Greeks and Paul affirms that the statement is true.
Those are my thoughts on the Book of Enoch at this time. Hope this helps.
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