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There can be no
doubt that Jesus of Nazareth had knowledge of the Apocryphal work
known as Sirach. The Gospels demonstrate this repeatedly. For
example Luke records Jesus' Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12.13-21).
Most scholars believe that this story has its origin in Sirach's
description of the self-centered, secular, man who anticipates a life
of ease but then his life is called into account. I will reproduce the
Sirach text (you can look up Luke 
):
"There is a man who is rich through his diligence and self-denial,
And this is the reward allotted to him:
When he says, 'I have found rest, And now I whall enjoy my goods!'
He does not know when his time will come; He will leave them to others
and die" (Sirach 11.18-19)
Another text from Sirach shows thematic connections with Matthews
account of Jesus' famous saying of having light burdens and giving
rest (Matt. 11.28-30). In Sirach we read,
"Draw near to me, you who are untaught, and lodge in the house of
instruction . . . Put your neck under the yoke, and let your
souls receive instruction . . . See with your eyes that I have labored
little and found for myself much rest" (Sirach 51.23,
26-27).
There are a number of connections between the Sermon on the Mount
and Sirach as well. Sirach was written in Hebrew and known in
Palestine as shown by being among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Jesus was a
Rabbi and it would be more strange that he did not know Sirach than if
he did.
The Epistles
I have already discussed Paul's knowledge of the The Wisdom of
Solomon in connection with Romans and Ephesians. But Paul alludes to
this work several more times as well. The most significant reference
for our purposes is in 2 Corinthians 5.1-9 which contains significant
parallels, thematically and verbally, with Wisdom 9.10-19. I draw
attention especially to 2 C 5.1&4 with Wisdom 9.15. Wisdom reads:
"For a perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthly tent
burdens the thoughtful mind . . ."
In both Corinthians and Wisdom the metaphor of the earthly
tent/tabernacle appears. Now this was common enough in the
Hellenistic world that at first sight might mitigate against my
thesis. But there are certain verbal connections that cannot be mere
coincidence. For example the word skenos translated in the NRSV as
"tent" in both Wisdom and Corinthians appears only in these two
passages in all of Biblical Greek (both NT and LXX).
The Epistle to the Hebrews has a number of allusions to Apocryphal
writings. For example there can be no doubt that the form, and
perhaps some of the content, of the famous "Hall of Fame" of Faith in
ch. 11 comes straight from Sirach's catalogue of "Famous Men" (Sirach
44 and following). Also in the Hall of Fame in 11.35 ("were tortured,
refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better
life"" is undoubtedly the Maccabean martyrs. Eleazar's death
described in 2 Maccabees 6.19 and the gruesome story of the martyrdom
of a Jewish mother and her seven sons in 2 Macc. 7 provides the
context for what the Writer is testifying to. These legends are
expanded greatly in Fourth Maccabees.
While I am on Hebrews mention should be made of how the Dead Sea
Scrolls shed considerable light on the interest in Melchizedek. In
Cave 11 a document was uncovered that is known as 11Q13 or
11QMelchizedek that centers on this famous person from Genesis. In
this document Melchizedek is a heavenly angelic being identified as
the head of the "sons of Heaven" and likely with Michael the
archangel. This Melchizedek is supposed to bring about a great
deliverance that is to occur on the Day of Atonement (that should ring
some bells from Hebrews). Unfortunately the text is fragmentary).
More on this fascinating text can be read in Geza Vermes, The
Complete Dead Sea Scrolls In English, pp.500-502 (this is Vermes
5th edition).
The Epistle of Jude directly quotes from 1 Enoch 1.9 (vv.14-15).
Enoch is another book that has been found among the was previously
known but was discovered among the DSS to be in Hebrew/Aramaic. Enoch
also has lots of discussion of a person known as "The Son of Man."
Any person interested in that Christological title in the Gospels
might wish to read Enoch as well.
Finally I wish to end with Paul, the one who started this thread.
In 2 Timothy 3.8 the Apostle refers to magicians that opposed Moses,
their names are "Jannes and Jambres." You will search in vain to find
them in the Hebrew Bible. These two characters are legendary -- sort
of like Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. The earliest
reference to them was discovered in the ruins of the Cairo Geniza
dating to about 100 B.C. (for a text see Geza Vermes, The Dead Sea
Scrolls in English the FIRST edition, pp. 95-117). Their folk
lore was written down in the Old Testament Pseudepigraphal work,
Jannes and Jambres which has a greatly disputed date. Paul most
likely did not know this work but he was familiar with the folk lore
and may have known the works Vermes quotes.
Again none of this do I find troubling in the slightest. The
Christian faith is a historical faith![I] Some do not like
history -- they should become Buddhists
But it is hard to follow biblical faith and not have an interest in
the world around you. These references (which could be greatly
multiplied) show that the church lived in the world and did what was
theologically appropriate to connect and communicate with those around
them.
A knowledge of the Apocrypha can help us have a deeper understanding
of Jesus and the early church -- and thus our faith. You might even
find in the Apocrypha the encouragement of faith itself. 
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
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