Should Christians Read the Book of Enoch? Here’s Why Not

The Book of Enoch has fascinated Bible readers, scholars, and even science-fiction fans for over two thousand years.

Though it’s not part of the Bible, people still ask: Should Christians read it—or stay away from it altogether?

Also called 1 Enoch or Ethiopic Enoch, this ancient book includes strange stories about the Watchers, the Nephilim, and even judgment from heaven.

While its name connects it to the righteous man mentioned in Genesis 5, scholars agree: the real Enoch didn’t write it.

So why has the church rejected it for centuries?

This article explains 7 biblical and historical reasons Christianity has avoided the Book of Enoch—from authorship issues to doctrinal red flags to lack of divine inspiration.

1. The Enoch in Genesis Didn’t Write the Book of Enoch

One of the main reasons Christians reject the Book of Enoch is because the patriarch mentioned in Genesis 5 didn’t write it.

Scholars agree that the book is a collection of writings from different authors over several centuries. The oldest parts date to around 300 B.C., and the newest sections to around 100 A.D.—thousands of years after the biblical Enoch lived.

Also see When Was the Real Enoch Born?

The book’s authors likely used Enoch’s name to give their writings credibility. But as with many other pseudonymous writings from that period, authorship by a respected biblical figure was assumed—not proven.

Book	Events/Written	Difference
Nehemiah	ca. 445-410 / 457-444 B.C.	within 50 years
Malachi	ca. 470-460 / 457-444 B.C.	within 50 years
1 Enoch	Before 3,000 / 300-100 B.C.	over 3 millennia

Most Old Testament books were written close to the time the events occurred. In contrast, the Book of Enoch describes events from the distant past—yet it was written more than a century after Malachi and Nehemiah and long after Enoch himself.

This enormous time gap is one reason the Book of Enoch was never accepted into the Bible by Jews or Christians. It lacked eyewitness credibility and historical integrity.

2. Just Because the Book of Enoch Is Popular Doesn’t Mean God Inspired It

Some people wonder why Christians stay away from the Book of Enoch when it’s been read and respected for thousands of years. But popularity doesn’t mean divine inspiration.

For example, the Dead Sea Scrolls—discovered in the caves of Qumran—contain fragments of the Book of Enoch. But they also include other writings the Jewish community never accepted as Scripture.

Even today, the Book of Enoch shows up in pop culture. The Nephilim appear in shows like The X-Files, video games like Payday 2, and novels like The Bone Labyrinth. Its mythological themes grab attention—but they don’t reflect biblical truth.

Some conspiracy theories claim the Christian church suppressed the Book of Enoch to keep control. But history shows the opposite: early Christian leaders didn’t choose the inspired books—they recognized the ones God had already inspired.

The Book of Enoch was rejected because it lacks the marks of divine inspiration—it contradicts Scripture, offers no apostolic authority, and teaches speculative ideas.

That’s why no major branch of Christianity—Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant—includes it in the Bible.

“The Book of Enoch is a fascinating read—but fascination is not the same as divine inspiration.”

Want to learn more about the man behind the name? See What Does Enoch Mean? for a deeper look at his biblical role.

3. The Book of Enoch’s Purpose Doesn’t Align with the Bible

Another reason Christians stay away from the Book of Enoch is because its purpose doesn’t align with biblical truth.

The Book of Enoch is a collection of writings from various authors with different agendas. Most scholars agree it doesn’t aim to teach about the God of the Bible, the Enoch of Genesis 5, or how to live a life of faith.

Instead, the first section—called The Book of Watchers—seems to promote a view on priestly marriage, a hotly debated topic in Jewish communities around 300 B.C.

Some Jews believed priests should only marry the virgin daughters of other clergymen to protect the purity of their office. Others believed priests could marry more broadly.

Some scholars theorize that the author of the Book of Watchers section supported the view that priests should marry the daughters of other priests. Yet instead of attacking his opponents directly, he condemns the Watchers for participating in inappropriate marriages and sexual relationships.

Also see: Who Are the Sons of God in Genesis 6? to explore the biblical passage often connected to the Watchers in Enoch.

This reveals that the book’s purpose is social commentary disguised as spiritual teaching—which is one reason it was rejected as unbiblical.

4. The Jewish Community Rejected the Book of Enoch as Scripture

One reason Christians avoid the Book of Enoch is because the Jewish community never accepted it as inspired Scripture—not even before the time of Christ.

Today, some refer to books like Enoch as “lost,” implying that ancient readers didn’t know about them. But that’s not true. The Book of Enoch wasn’t lost—it was known and rejected.

The word canon comes from a Greek word meaning a measuring rod. It refers to the official list of books that met the standard of divine inspiration and authority.

The Jewish people knew of the Book of Enoch but excluded it from the canon because it didn’t reflect the truth, reliability, or purpose of Scripture.

That’s why no Jewish council, rabbi, or tradition ever accepted it as part of the Old Testament.

The book was still read by some—fragments were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls—but it didn’t meet the standard for inclusion. Even the Septuagint, which includes other non-canonical books like the Apocrypha, left out the Book of Enoch.

5. The Christian Church Has Consistently Rejected the Book of Enoch

Just as Jewish leaders rejected the Book of Enoch, every major historic branch of Christianity has done the same.

This includes the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the major Protestant denominations—such as Baptist, Pentecostal, Reformed, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian traditions.

These churches didn’t “lose” the book. They read it, knew it, and deliberately rejected it as uninspired.

While the New Testament book of Jude does quote a line from Enoch, that alone doesn’t make the entire book inspired.

Jude 14-15 reads, “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones…'” (ESV).

Some early church fathers, like Irenaeus and Tertullian, mistakenly believed Enoch was the true author and briefly accepted the book.

But others—like Origen and Clement of Alexandria—eventually rejected it after examining its content more carefully.

Today, no major branch of Christianity accepts the Book of Enoch as Scripture—except the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, which are outliers on this issue.

Also see Where Was the Garden of Eden Located? to learn more.

6. Jude’s quotation from Enoch doesn’t mean the book is inspired

Some people wonder: If Jude quoted from Enoch, shouldn’t that make the whole book inspired?

But quoting a source doesn’t automatically mean it’s divinely inspired. Paul quoted Greek poets (Acts 17:28), and the Bible contains references to other non-biblical books like the Book of Jashar (Joshua 10:13).

In the same way, Jude likely referenced 1 Enoch because it was familiar to his audience—not because he viewed the entire book as Scripture.

New Testament scholar Thomas Schreiner explains: “We do not need to conclude, however, that the entire book is part of the canon of Scripture. Jude probably cited a part of 1 Enoch that he considered to be a genuine prophecy… Perhaps he referred to Enoch because the adversaries treasured the work, and thereby he used their own ammunition against them.” [3]

So while Jude quoted one line that may reflect a true prophecy, that doesn’t elevate the entire Book of Enoch to canonical status. The rest of the book contains teaching that conflicts with Scripture and lacks apostolic authority.

7. The Book of Enoch Was Shaped by the New Testament—Not the Other Way Around

Some claim that because the Book of Enoch sounds similar to parts of the New Testament, it must have influenced early Christian teaching.

But that’s backwards. According to many scholars, the New Testament didn’t borrow from Enoch—later editors borrowed New Testament language and ideas to insert into Enoch.

For example, Wikipedia and other sources suggest that 1 Enoch helped shape doctrines like the Messiah, resurrection, and end times. But that view is widely disputed, especially since the discovery of the Qumran fragments, which show older versions of Enoch without Christian elements.

Scholars now argue that the similarities exist because some parts of Enoch were edited after the New Testament was written. One puts it this way:

“Passages that reflect NT teaching are later (Christian) insertions into [Enoch], and it was the NT which influenced them rather than vice versa.” [5]

That’s why Christians reject the book as inspired: it borrowed from the New Testament—it didn’t shape it.

Final Thoughts on the Book of Enoch

The Book of Enoch has long fascinated readers—but it has never passed the tests of divine inspiration, historical credibility, or doctrinal soundness.

Though Jude quotes from it, and some passages resemble biblical themes, the Christian church—along with the Jewish community before it—has consistently rejected the Book of Enoch as Scripture.

These seven reasons show why Christians should not consider it part of the Bible. Instead of offering divine truth, the Book of Enoch offers religious speculation, late edits, and theological confusion—reasons enough to stay away.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓Is it a sin to read the Book of Enoch?

No, it’s not a sin to read it for educational purposes. However, Christians should read it with discernment, understanding that it’s not inspired Scripture and contains unbiblical ideas.

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❓Why is the Book of Enoch not in the Bible?

The Book of Enoch was rejected by both Jewish and Christian leaders because it lacks apostolic authorship, was written long after the events it describes, and contradicts core biblical doctrine.

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❓Did Jesus or Paul quote the Book of Enoch?

No. Only Jude makes a reference to it—and quoting a source doesn’t mean the entire book is inspired. Paul also quoted Greek poets, but that didn’t make their writings Scripture.

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❓Do any churches accept the Book of Enoch?

Yes. Only the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches include it in their canon. All other major branches of Christianity reject it as non-canonical.

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❓What are the Watchers mentioned in the Book of Enoch?

The Watchers are a group of fallen angels described in Enoch as marrying human women. The Bible briefly mentions the sons of God in Genesis 6, but Enoch expands this into speculative mythology not found in Scripture.

References:
[1] The Compact Dictionary of Biblical Studies. p. 71.
[2] See the discussion in A Companion to the Book of Enoch by Michael Heisler. p. 19-20.
[3] 1, 2 Peter, Jude by Thomas Schreiner. NAC. p. 469.
[4] Source
[5] The Oxford Dictionary of Christianity. p. 459.