This is from John Hellmann, a fellow apologist who reside in the bionic ether at Defending the Bride. He was responding to statements about the Deuterocanonicals (those seven books which Luther ripped from the Holy Bible to suit his man-made theology):
Statement: How can Catholics consider the "Apocryphal" books of Judith and Tobit as belonging in the Bible? Judith lies. Raphael gives a false name.
Response: I would point out that there are human problems and limitations in interpreting the Books of the Canon that we both accept, but that does not mean that they teach error. We cannot use the natural to judge the supernatural. [ Of course that leaves the Protestant in a bad way. Without an infallibly guided and protected Magisterium to help him out, he is unable to claim, with certainty, as to what the Bible means, let alone which books belong in the Bible.]
There are other examples of lying by heroes of the Bible. The Hebrew midwives lied to Pharaoh about the birth of Moses. Exodus 1:15-21. And God blessed them, verses 20-21.
Jacob lies to his father Isaac. Jacob still received the special blessing, Genesis 27:19. Context Gen 27:1-39 Jael deceives Sisera in Judges 4:18. Yet, she is especially blessed by God, Judges 5:24. So much so that she is more blessed than any other woman in her time. Judges 5:24 "Most blessed of women be Jael …" RSV Context: Judges 4: 2 -21. I would not say that these books teach that lying is OK, rather I would say that God blesses imperfect people who have good intentions.
Tobit
I do not consider Raphael to be really lying. True he gives another name for himself rather than revealing his complete identity. But that cannot be a sin since Jesus has several names and He does not reveal everything about himself immediately either. When the Jews asked by what authority He does miracles he does not tell them. Matthew 21: 23-27.
Jesus has more than one name.
Matthew 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him ‘Emmanuel,’ which means ‘God is with us.’ " NAB
A person’s name reveals the essence of that person. Jesus and Raphael have can have more than one name since they perfectly manifest many spiritual realities. Mary can be called "Kecharitomene," or "Full of grace," cf. Luke 1:28, and she also can be called the "Immaculate Conception" cf. Apparition of St. Bernadette, March 25, 1858 AD.
Question
: How can the book of Judith be true if it says in its very first verse that Nebuchadnezzar was king of the Assyrians when he was really the king of the Babylonians?The book of Judith was not misleading to its audience since they, and its author knew who Nebuchadnezzar really was. It combines different events not to teach who is the King of Assyria, rather it teaches spiritual truths to give hope to an oppressed people, which is more important.
Also see James Akin's Nazareth site.
Some equally difficult passages occur in the Books that Protestants agree belong in the Bible:
Job mentions that the earth is supported by pillars. Job 9:6
Jesus says that the mustard seed is the smallest seed in the world. Mark 4:31
Some "errors" (like the mustard seed) are because Jesus is just using the commonly-held understanding, and if He were to be more specific and say ("well, really, there are spores..."), it would just serve to confuse, rather than to teach.
It is not that the Bible teaches error it is just that we would be wrong to interpret everything in the Bible to be a literal teaching. Some everyday common expressions and understandings were used, without passing judgment on whether they were literally true or not. This was done to teach the really important things, that is, spiritual matters, salvation, etc. God could have spent a lot of time clarify that the earth really goes around the sun and given us volumes of encyclopedias about science but He knew that would not save us. Getting a doctors degree in physics does make a person necessarily closer to God.
Mark 2:25 "And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:26 how he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence …"
1 Samuel 21:1-6 "Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; … 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence …"
How do you explain Jesus' statement in Mark 2:23-27 that David and his men "entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest" when in fact, according to 1 Samuel 21:1-6, Ahimelech, Abiathar's father, occupied that office at the time?
Answer: ( These notes are adapted from a tape by Dr. Scott Hahn. )Abiathar is referred to because he represents the end of his line. He was the last priest to support Saul as King. When King Saul killed Ahimelech and his family, the son, Abiathar was the only one to escape. He went to King David. 1 Samuel 22:20
Later when King David dies and Solomon takes the throne, Solomon’s older brother, Adonijah, makes a power play to take the throne away from Solomon. 1 Kings 2:17. Solomon sees through Adonijah’s deceptive plan.
1 Kings 2:22 "And why do you ask Abishag … for Adonijah?" King Solomon answered his mother. "Ask the kingdom for him as well, for he is my elder brother and has with him Abiathar the priest ..."
So, Solomon has Adonijah killed ( vs 24-25), and Abiathar, who had sided with Adonijah gets replaced with the priest Zadok. Cf. 1 Kings 2:27, 35.
The high priest that supported King Solomon, was Zadok who represented a new line of priests. Zadok symbolized a new order since he supported the new king, the son of David, King Solomon. In Christ we have a new kingdom and a new order. Abiathar represented the old order, the old kingdom, especially since he was the last of the priests who had supported King Saul. He represents Ahimelech, his father, and that old order of priests. He is also a type of the Pharisees who fail to recognize the true, legitimate heir, of the son of David, the true King of Israel. Just as he was replaced so will the Pharisees be also.
So, by referring to Abiathar, who represents the old system, Mark is alluding to how the system of the Pharisees will also be replaced.
(It seems that Abiathar also had a son and named him Ahimelech. 2 Samuel 8:17, 1 Chronicles 24:6)
1 Kings 2:24, 27, 35. " ‘And now, as the LORD lives, who has seated me firmly on the throne of my father David and made of me a dynasty as he promised, this day shall Adonijah be put to death.’ … So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his office of priest of the LORD, thus fulfilling the prophecy which the LORD had made in Shiloh about the house of Eli. … The king appointed Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, over the army in his place, and put Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar."