I am writing this essay because it seems like no one is giving good two-sided argumentation and so it is hard to find relevant information when looking into the canonicity of the Deuterocanonical texts. Apologists who discuss these things are generally biased, so it is difficult to get a nuanced view of the information and scholarship. The broad-scope positions that are commonly held are tied up with different traditions. The Roman Catholic view is that some of the Deuterocanon is canonical Scripture. The Orthodox view is that more or all of the Deuterocanon is canonical Scripture. The Protestant view is that none of the Deuterocanon is canonical Scripture. My goal for this article is to accurately represent and address arguments from each of these traditions in order to present the historical data and argumentation as effectively and plainly as possible.
A link to a list of quotations from the New Testament of Deuterocanonical texts is found here
Deuterocanon generally means "second list". The books of the Deuterocanon are considered by some to be part of the Old Testament, even if "lesser" or secondary in the strength to support doctrines. The Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament are a collection of books sometimes referred to as "Apocryphal" by Roman Catholics. The list of these books is as follows: Tobit, Baruch (+ a separate extra chapter, the Letter of Jeremiah), Judith, Sirach, Maccabees (1-4), Wisdom, extra chapters of Esther, extra chapters of Daniel (Prayer of Azariah, Susanna and the Elders, Bel and the Dragon), the Prayer of Manasseh, Esdras (1-2), and Psalm 151.
The difference between the Septuigint and the Masoretic textual streams is a major part of the discussion about Old Testament canon.
1. Septuigint manuscripts are much older than Masoretic manuscripts
2. 70 weeks of Daniel 9 correspond to the destruction of the Second Temple (associated with partial preterism)
3. Some geneaologies are more complete in Septuigint manuscripts
4. Masoretic Text is 6th century AD or later
5. Majority of manuscripts are Greek and not Hebrew or Aramaic
1. Masoretic Text is robust and has fewer copyist errors than Greek manuscripts
2. Masoretic manuscripts are more complete in most cases
1. Early christians overwhelmingly read and quoted Deuterocanonical books, even ecumenically accepted writers like Athanasius, Augustine, etc (although usually not all of them)
2. Counciliar decisions to include in canon (Rome 382, Hippo 393, Carthage 397, Carthage 419, Trullo(?)692)
3. New Testament quotations of Deuterocanonical books
4. Messianic prophecies which point to Jesus
5. Early Old Testament manuscripts (Septuigint) usually include Deuterocanon, Septuigint was translated 3rd century BC
6. Dead Sea Scrolls include some Dcanon, also demonstrate the lack of available data that we have had
7. Good history
8. Stitches together Old and New Testaments
9. Potentially removed from Masoretic Text due to Christological prophecy, not due to rabbinic tradition
1. Josephus' supposed attestation of rabbinic canon
2. Accusations of historical inaccuracies
3. By 4th - 5th century, some writers were not convinced that Dcanon was inspired
4. New Testament quotations or citations are not usually direct, or begin "It is written ..."
5. Jude cites Enoch, and other books are cited in Scripture which no one believes to be canon (unless the Ethiopians are right)
6. Deuterocanonical books, even where accepted, were always viewed as "lesser" Scripture than other Old Testament books
Historical Data of Books, Canons of Councils and Early Writers, attitude among Christians and Jews, Masoretic Text vs. Septuigint. Important phases: Second Temple Judaism, Canonization period, Apostolic era (transition from ST judaism to early Christian Church), Medieval Roman attitude, Protestant Reformation (contrast between Lutheran/Calvinist reformed view and Anglican reformers view), Eastern vs. Western fathers, 1611 King James translation (Byzantine textual stream vs. others), Teachings/doctrines for which Deuterocanonical texts were cited (emphasis on post-Nicean period due to ecumenical decisions already being made widespread).
The Wisdom of Sirach is one of the Deuterocanonical texts discussed above. This is one of the more "important" books of the Deuterocanon. It reads similarly to Proverbs. All known texts of the Wisdom of Sirach were from the Septuigint (in Greek) before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Scroll 2QSirach is a manuscript of at least part of the Wisdom of Sirach which is written in biblical Hebrew.