The Coverdale Bible [1535], the Geneva Bible [1560], and the King James Bible [1611] included the Apocrypha but set them apart from the OT canonical books. After much debate, the British and Foreign Bible Society decided in 1827 to exclude the Apocrypha from its Bibles; soon afterward the American branch concurred, and this action set the pattern for English Bibles thereafter.
The British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) played a central role in the 19th-century controversy over the inclusion of the Apocrypha in Protestant Bibles. Prior to 1826, the BFBS had included the Apocrypha in Bibles printed for use in continental Europe, where it was customary for both Protestant and Catholic readers to have access to these texts.
However, in 1826, following a petition by the National Bible Society of Scotland, the BFBS decided to cease using its funds to print the Apocrypha in any Bibles, citing the cost of printing the additional material as a major factor.
This decision marked a turning point, leading to the widespread omission of the Apocrypha from English-language Protestant Bibles in Great Britain and the Americas, despite earlier traditions where Bibles like the King James Version (1611) included the Apocrypha as a separate section between the Old and New Testaments.
The Apocrypha was not dropped from the original 1611 King James Bible in a single event, but its removal occurred gradually over time. The Apocrypha was included in the original 1611 edition and remained part of many printings for over two centuries. However, the process of removal began in the 18th century, with the 1769 Oxford edition of the KJV, which excluded the Apocrypha and became the standard text for most modern printings. The British and Foreign Bible Society ceased printing the Apocrypha in English Bibles in 1804, and by 1885, the Apocrypha was officially removed from the KJV by publishers, marking a definitive shift in standard editions. Thus, while the 1611 version included the Apocrypha, its formal exclusion from mainstream KJV editions is most commonly associated with the 1885 revision.
The move was not primarily driven by theological concerns about canonicity, but rather by economic considerations to reduce production costs. This policy influenced the standard format of Protestant Bibles for over a century, with most modern editions excluding the Apocrypha. However, the trend has reversed in recent decades. The American Bible Society lifted its restrictions on publishing Bibles with the Apocrypha in 1964, followed by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1966.
Today, English Bibles with the Apocrypha are becoming more popular again, often printed as intertestamental books. Additionally, liturgical traditions such as those of the Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Moravian Churches continue to include readings from the Apocrypha in their lectionaries.
The Anglican Church accepts the Apocrypha for examples of life and instruction of manners; but does not apply them to establish any doctrine
- 1 Esdras
- 2 Esdras
- Tobit
- Judith
- The Song of the Three Children
- The Story of Susanna
- Of Bel and the Dragon
- The rest of the Book of Esther
- The Book of Wisdom
- Ecclesiasticus
- Baruch
- The Prayer of Manasses
- 1 Maccabees
- 2 Maccabees
