Why Is the Book of Enoch NOT in the Bible?

Christian Questions Bible Podcast

From what the Bible tells us about Enoch, he was an amazingly holy man who lived long before the Flood. To be described as one who “walked with God” is a true testimony of a life well lived. Further, a few lines of the Book of Enoch are actually quoted in the New Testament. With such credentials, we would have to wonder why the Book of Enoch is not a part of the Bible itself. Why wouldn’t you include the writings of a man who walked with God for 300 years? Could this be an oversight…or a conspiracy? Fortunately, a clear understanding of history and the Bible gives us thorough and conclusive answers to all of these questions.

What do we really know about Enoch? Even though he is rarely mentioned in the Bible, every reference to him shows his faith in and reverence for God. He lived before the Flood and was the seventh generation from Adam. He is referenced in the book of Hebrews as a righteous man, and his prophetic words are quoted in Jude.

With all of these positives in place, we need to review the reasons the Book of Enoch is NOT in the Bible. There are actually three Books of Enoch: 1 Enoch, 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch. We only focus on the first, as the other two books have never been considered for biblical inclusion.

There are at least five key criteria that explain its exclusion:

1. 1 Enoch was never part of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), which formed the foundation of the Christian Old Testament.
2. It is pseudepigraphal, meaning it was written centuries after Enoch’s life by unknown authors, likely during the Second Temple Period (300–100 BCE), and preserved only in Ge’ez, a classical Ethiopian language.
3. Its speculative theology includes fantastical angelology, apocalyptic visions and cosmology inconsistent with biblical truth and scientific understanding.
4. Its transmission history is very weak, lacking widespread manuscript preservation compared to canonical texts.
5. It was not used consistently across early Christian communities, with only the Ethiopian Orthodox Church recognizing it as scripture.

While 1 Enoch offers historical insight into Second Temple Judaism and reflects themes like judgment and the “Son of Man,” its theological inconsistencies and limited acceptance disqualify it from canon. Our focus should be on God-inspired Scripture, and we need to beware of being misled by writings that mimic biblical style but lack divine authority.