Jumping off of a recent conversation I had about the Deutero-Canonical Books/Apocrypha, one of the things I've noticed when reading and studying them is how much they form New Testament thought and are referenced or paraphrased from. Two books in particular stand out in this regard, "The Wisdom of Solomon" and "Ecclesiasticus" also called "The Wisdom of Ben Sira" or "Sirach." I offer several examples of this which should be immediately recognizable to anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the New Testament. It should be noted that both books were written at least 150-200 years prior to the first century.
Sirach 28:2-5 (NABRE)
"Forgive your neighbor the wrong done to you; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Does anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Can one refuse mercy to a sinner like oneself, yet seek pardon for one's own sins? If a mere mortal cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins?"
Here it truly appears like Christ Himself was quoting or at least referring to the Wisdom of Ben Sira as He Himself cites these very words and sentiments several times in the Gospels.
Wisdom 5:16b-20a (NABRE)
"For he will shelter them with his right hand, and protect them with his arm. He shall take his zeal for armor and arm creation to requite the enemy, shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, wear sure judgment for a helmet, shall take invincible holiness for a shield, and sharpen his sudden anger for a sword."
To me at least, it's clear that Paul drew upon this imagery in his description of the "full armor of God" in Ephesians 6. With the understanding of this passage from the Wisdom of Solomon predating Paul's, Paul isn't just describing "armor" given to the Christian, but describing God's own armor being placed on the Christian. There are some differences in what each piece of armor represents, but the similarities in description are too great to be a coincidence.
Ben Sira 15:11-17 (NABRE)
"Do not say; "It was God's doing that I fell away," for what he hates he does not do. Do not say: "He Himself has led me astray," for he has no need of the wicked. Abominable wickedness the Lord hates and he does not let it happen to those who fear him. God in the beginning created human beings and made them subject to their own free choice. If you choose, you can keep the commandments; loyalty is doing the will of God. Set before you are fire and water; to whatever you choose, stretch out your hand. Before everyone are life and death, whichever they choose will be given them."
Anyone who has read through James' epistle should recognize this sentiment in 1:13.
The passage is too long to type out here, but I would also draw your attention to Wisdom 12:23-14:31 as paralleling Paul's train of thought from Romans 1:18 on to the end of the chapter. Ben Sira's thoughts on the wealthy and their treatment of the poor can be found all throughout the New Testament in particular as well. Ben Sira 13 in particular lays this out.
I bring these things up because it is a frequent argument by those not familiar with these books against them that the New Testament never quotes or references them. Clearly this isn't the case as even Jesus Christ Himself cited Ecclesiasticus and His brother was clearly familiar with it as well, and the influence of The Wisdom of Solomon is readily seen on Paul's writings by anyone who's read that Deutero-Canonical book. But one wouldn't know that if they didn't have access to them, would they? By removing these books from the commonly available editions of the Scriptures, our understanding of the development and origins of New Testament thought and society within Judea are completely crippled.
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