1 Enoch and the Bible: What Every Christian Should Know
What it is, why Jude quoted it, and what it means for readers of Scripture today.
Should Christians Read the Book of 1 Enoch?
For some, even asking the question feels like crossing a line.
For others, it opens the door to angelic rebellion, divine judgment, and apocalyptic visions that make Revelation seem tame.
So.. should Christians read 1 Enoch?
Let’s talk plainly.
What Is 1 Enoch?
1 Enoch is a collection of ancient Jewish writings from the Second Temple period. It was written under the name of Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah (Genesis 5:24), but he didn’t write it. These are pseudepigraphal texts, meaning someone else wrote them under his name to pass along something they believed mattered.
It includes five sections:
The Book of the Watchers
The Book of Parables
The Astronomical Book
The Dream Visions
The Epistle of Enoch
These texts dig into the rebellion of angels, judgment on the wicked, visions of heaven, the flood, and the coming of God's kingdom. It reads like Genesis 6 collided with Daniel and Revelation. Only stranger.
Why Isn’t It in the Bible?
Because the canon developed over time. Slowly. With debate, pressure, and discernment. 1 Enoch was respected in some Jewish communities and even shows up among the Dead Sea Scrolls. It influenced how people thought about angels, demons, judgment, and the structure of the cosmos.
Some early Christian thinkers, like Tertullian and Origen, took it seriously. But it was eventually set aside in most church traditions because of questions about authorship, theology, and alignment with the rest of Scripture.
One group still holds onto it today:
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church includes 1 Enoch in its Bible.
That alone reminds us the early church did not agree on a clean, final list from day one. It took time. 1 Enoch had influence but not lasting canonical authority for most of the Church.
Why Does Jude Quote It?
Jude 14–15 directly quotes 1 Enoch 1:9:
“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all…”
So did Jude think Enoch was Scripture?
Not necessarily.
Paul quoted Greek poets too. In Acts 17:28, he draws from Epimenides ("In him we live and move and have our being") and Aratus ("We are indeed his offspring"). In Titus 1:12, Paul quotes Epimenides again:
“Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
These sources were not sacred. But they were known. Paul used them because they made the point land. Jude did the same thing.
He wasn’t canonizing Enoch. He was using it to preach.
So.. Should Christians Read It?
Yes. If you read it with clarity and care.
1 Enoch is not Scripture.
It is not a secret book the church tried to hide.
It is not prophecy unlocked by decoding ancient symbols.
But it does help us understand how ancient Jews thought about the spiritual world. And it gives background for texts that are in Scripture.
If you’ve ever been confused by Genesis 6, Jude, 2 Peter, or some of the images in Revelation, Enoch gives you context. It may not answer all your questions, but it helps show where those questions came from.
A Few Things to Know
It is strange. That is not a red flag. It is just ancient literature.
Not all parts are equal. Some are visionary. Others are symbolic.
Translation matters.
Classic: R. H. Charles (1912)
More Academic: Nickelsburg and VanderKam, 1 Enoch: A New Translation (Fortress Press)
Read it like you would read a historical source.
Don’t treat it like hidden knowledge.
Don’t treat it like Scripture.
Let it point you back to the Word, not away from it.
In Short
You’re not more faithful if you read 1 Enoch.
You’re not failing anything if you don’t.
But if you care about:
The supernatural worldview behind Genesis and Revelation
How early Christians understood judgment and angels
Why Jude sounds the way it does
...then 1 Enoch helps.
It is not canon.
It is context.
And sometimes, context changes the way you hear the canon itself.
Read slowly. Stay grounded. Let Scripture speak first.
Real Question
If you believe Scripture is God-breathed and Jude quotes Enoch, then do you get to ignore where the quote came from?
Or are you willing to follow the thread where it leads, even if it’s strange?
Disclaimer: This article was polished with the help of AI tools to improve clarity and flow.
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Thanks for this. Enoch seems to be a hot topic lately. I knew of its existence but left it alone, just like I have never gotten around to reading Epimenides or Aratus. I got a belly full of ancient literature in college and there is enough in the canon to fully occupy my energy and attention. For example, just recently I have been working on settling in my own mind the chronology of when the books of the New Testament were written, which includes the question of who Jude was and which of the Jameses wrote the Epistle of James. Maybe one day I'll get to Enoch though.