Blog 2023/10/01
Many people are tempted to add the book of Enoch to the set of writings they call scripture. The reason is that it appears that Jude quotes from the book.
When we read Enoch, it does not have the second layer as do the OT scriptures. It uses symbols differently than other scriptures. This does not bother those who have no rules for interpretation. But those of us who do have rules use them to discern.
A symbol must be the same everywhere. See Rule - Divine meaning
Jude was written in the second century. He was not one of the primary eye-witnesses to the resurrection. His letter contains doctrines not found elsewhere. This violates a rule that doctrine is supported by two or three witnesses. See Rule - Rigorous
Jude contains the story of the devil wrestling over the body of Moses. This is a valid riddle speaking of Christ hidden in the account of David purchasing a place to build an altar. It is the only thing in the book suggesting knowledge of the mystery. This alone is insufficient to overcome the breaking of the other rules. The Gospel of Thomas contains valid riddles concerning Christ.
OT riddles rarely contain word-for-word fulfillment in the NT. Enoch makes a error common to plagiarism. It attempts to change the verbiage sufficiently that it looks like a different source, but misses the point in doing so.
Jesus said the meek would inherit the earth. Enoch changes it to 'elect' and adds they shall possess light, joy, peace. Jesus is speaking of himself as the meek. He recently realized that he was God incarnate and would have to die. He will constantly be tempted to not die by taking up the use of his divine powers. If he were to do so, he would forfeit being our high priest since he would have an advantage in resisting sin.
The use of 'elect' appears to be an anachronism, though with God anything is possible. But the trinitarian 'light, joy, peace' does not seem to fit the trinitarian expressions of Father, Son and Spirit used everywhere else.
Enoch's 'bright with joy' mixes metaphor with literal. In the rest of scripture light represents holiness. I may be missing something, but 'holy with joy' is not a familiar usage.
Enoch clarifies Rom 2:11. 'In his judgements' he pays no respect to persons. Paul seems a bit too harsh to the flesh: For the is no respect of persons with God." Paul would cause controversy, so the author of Enoch conveniently cleans it up and allows for God to respect some persons for other things.
Jesus calls himself the Son of Man, Enoch uses "Lord of spirits". This suggests that Enoch was influenced by the growing Gnosticism.
Paul says there is no such things an idol, therefor there is no actual taint on offerings to idols. Enoch builds his doctrine of demons, saying that men offer to demons, not just idols. It is from Enoch that we get the myth that demons had sex with women and produced giants. God says like beget like. This is not a problem for Enoch because he also says the righteous will become angels, not just 'like' the angels.
Nephilim means 'notorious for the fall'. Adam and Eve were still alive and called Nephilim. Sons of God, those who knew God married daughters of men, those who did not know God. Why is this a problem? God's name, Elohim, means God separated from man by ignorance. In a household where one partner does not know God, the teaching to the children is a mixed message. the purpose of God to know him is thwarted.
Many controversies of the first century seem to be answered by Enoch alone, suggesting that is was written just for that purpose. I am much more interested in displaying Christ in the OT than in discrediting Enoch, so I will not spend a great deal of time doing so. I am happy to coach another who may wish to pursue it.
The canon is a man-made thing. I don't find Jude useful except in the same manner of the Gospel of Thomas. They are old books, written by Christians of the time. But the authors were not eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ.
