This is a living document of quotations of the Deuterocanonical books indicated as inspired Scripture by early Christian authors. Before I begin, it is important to establish four criteria:
- An “early Christian author” is a writer whose identifiable Christian literary activity occurred prior to the convocation of the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325.)
- The “Deuterocanonical books” are those books and parts of the Old Testament absent from the modern Hebrew Bible and regarded as Apocrypha by most Protestant traditions. They are: Judith, Tobit, Baruch (incl. Epistle,) 1&2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Deutero-Esther and Deutero-Daniel.
- To be cited as “inspired Scripture,” an author must indicate the Deuterocanonical source as inspired Scripture.
- To indicate it is inspired Scripture, the author must either (1) explicitly identify the text as inspired, or (2) introduce it with a formal citation formula used for inspired books, or (3) attribute it as prophetic, holy or sacred in a manner the same author reserves for canonical Scripture.
Note: For readability, citations on this page have been abridged. Consult the original source text for full context.
THE FIRST CENTURY (~33-99AD)
We have no extant citations of the Deuterocanonical books that satisfy our four criteria. Usage during this period is indirect or expressed in less explicit forms. An overview of this evidence is presented in my article “EARLY CHURCH DEUTEROCANON REFERENCES.”
the SECOND CENTURY (~100-199AD)
St. Athenagoras of Athens
| Source Text | Specific Citation | Notes |
| A Plea for the Christians (ANF02.V.II.IX) | “But since the voices of the prophets… of Moses or of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets who in the ecstasy of their thoughts, as the divine Spirit moved them, uttered what they had been inspired to say… what, then, do they say? ‘The Lord is our God; no other shall be reckoned in addition to him.’ (Baruch 3:36) | Baruch is cited as prophetic speech uttered under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, alongside prophetic figures. |
St. Irenaeus of Lyons
| Source Text | Specific Citation | Notes |
| Against Heresies (ANF01.IX.VI.XXVII) | Those, however, who are believed to be presbyters by many, but serve their own lusts…shall hear those words, to be found in Daniel the prophet: “O thou seed of Canaan, and not of Judah, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust perverted thy heart…” (Susanna 56; 52) | Deuterocanonical sections of Daniel are cited as part of Daniel’s prophetic writing, without distinction from canonical prophecy. |
| Against Heresies (ANF01.IX.VII.XXXVI) | And Jeremiah the prophet has pointed out, that as many believers as God has prepared for this purpose, to multiply those left upon earth, should both be under the rule of the saints to minister to this Jerusalem, and that [His] kingdom shall be in it, saying, “Look around Jerusalem towards the east, and behold the joy which comes to thee from God Himself. Behold, thy sons shall come whom thou hast sent forth…” (Baruch 4-5) | Baruch is cited as prophetic speech under the Jeremiah corpus. Irenaeus later rejects Gnostic interpretations that spiritualize its promises. |
| Demonstration of Apostolic Preaching (DEMONSTR.IV.97) | By the invocation of the name of Jesus Christ, crucified under Pontius Pilate, there is a separation and division among mankind; and wheresoever any of those who believe on Him shall invoke and call upon Him and do His will, He is near and present, fulfilling the requests of those who with pure hearts call upon Him. Whereby receiving salvation, we continually give thanks to God, who by His great, inscrutable and unsearchable wisdom delivered us, and proclaimed the salvation from heaven—to wit, the visible coming of our Lord, that is, His living as man to which we by ourselves could not attain: for the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Wherefore also Jeremiah saith concerning her (i. e. wisdom): “Who hath gone up into heaven, and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds? Who hath gone over the sea, found her, and will bring her for choice gold? … This is our God: there shall none other be accounted of in comparison with him … This is the book of the commandments of God, and of the law which endureth for ever. All they that hold it fast (are appointed) to life: but such as leave it shall die.“ (Baruch 3-4) | Baruch is cited once more as prophetic testimony to divine Wisdom who descended from heaven and appeared on earth, which Irenaeus identifies as the Son of God incarnate. |
Tertullian of Carthage
| Source Text | Specific Citation | Notes |
| A Plea for the Christians (ANF02.V.II.IX, SCHOEDEL pp. 20-21) | “But since the voices of the prophets… of Moses or of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets who in the ecstasy of their thoughts, as the divine Spirit moved them, uttered what they had been inspired to say… what, then, do they say? ‘The Lord is our God; no other shall be reckoned in addition to him.’ (Baruch 3:36) | Baruch is cited as prophetic speech uttered under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, alongside prophetic figures. |
The THIRD CENTURY (~200-299)
Origen of Alexandria
| Source Text | Specific Citation | Notes |
| A Plea for the Christians (ANF02.V.II.IX, SCHOEDEL pp. 20-21) | “But since the voices of the prophets… of Moses or of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets who in the ecstasy of their thoughts, as the divine Spirit moved them, uttered what they had been inspired to say… what, then, do they say? ‘The Lord is our God; no other shall be reckoned in addition to him.’ (Baruch 3:36) | Baruch is cited as prophetic speech uttered under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, alongside prophetic figures. |
St. Hippolytus of Rome
| Source Text | Specific Citation | Notes |
| A Plea for the Christians (ANF02.V.II.IX, SCHOEDEL pp. 20-21) | “But since the voices of the prophets… of Moses or of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets who in the ecstasy of their thoughts, as the divine Spirit moved them, uttered what they had been inspired to say… what, then, do they say? ‘The Lord is our God; no other shall be reckoned in addition to him.’ (Baruch 3:36) | Baruch is cited as prophetic speech uttered under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, alongside prophetic figures. |
St. Cyprian of Carthage
| Source Text | Specific Citation | Notes |
| A Plea for the Christians (ANF02.V.II.IX, SCHOEDEL pp. 20-21) | “But since the voices of the prophets… of Moses or of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets who in the ecstasy of their thoughts, as the divine Spirit moved them, uttered what they had been inspired to say… what, then, do they say? ‘The Lord is our God; no other shall be reckoned in addition to him.’ (Baruch 3:36) | Baruch is cited as prophetic speech uttered under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, alongside prophetic figures. |
St. Clement of Alexandria
| Source Text | Specific Citation | Notes |
| A Plea for the Christians (ANF02.V.II.IX, SCHOEDEL pp. 20-21) | “But since the voices of the prophets… of Moses or of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets who in the ecstasy of their thoughts, as the divine Spirit moved them, uttered what they had been inspired to say… what, then, do they say? ‘The Lord is our God; no other shall be reckoned in addition to him.’ (Baruch 3:36) | Baruch is cited as prophetic speech uttered under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, alongside prophetic figures. |
St. Methodius of Olympus
| Source Text | Specific Citation | Notes |
| A Plea for the Christians (ANF02.V.II.IX, SCHOEDEL pp. 20-21) | “But since the voices of the prophets… of Moses or of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets who in the ecstasy of their thoughts, as the divine Spirit moved them, uttered what they had been inspired to say… what, then, do they say? ‘The Lord is our God; no other shall be reckoned in addition to him.’ (Baruch 3:36) | Baruch is cited as prophetic speech uttered under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, alongside prophetic figures. |
Toward Orthodoxy 