The Secret Book of James
NHC 1, 2
The following translation has been committed to the public domain and may be freely copied and used, changed or unchanged, for any purpose. It is based on the Coptic text of Nag Hammadi Codex I, 2. The Nag Hammadi texts were written in the fourth century, subsequently buried, and then rediscovered in 1945. The Apocryphon of James narrates a post-resurrection dialogue between Jesus and his disciples, James and Peter.
This translation by Samuel Zinner is based on the Coptic text in Peter Nagel, Codex apocryphus gnosticus Novi Testamenti Band 2 Briefe und Apokalypsen aus den Schriften von Nag Hammadi und dem Codex Tchacos mit einer Neuausgabe der “Epistula Apostolorum” Koptisch und Deutsch. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 503; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2023, 8-37. The translation has also incorporated insights from Samuel Zinner, The Apocryphon of James (NHC I, 2): A Commentary with Complete Facsimiles, Transcription, and Translation. Luminescence Academic Series 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Luminescence, 2024.
Zinner’s translation was edited by Mark M. Mattison with the generous support of Other Gospels.
Symbols
[ ] Gap in the text (known as a “lacuna”)
( ) Editorial insertion to clarify the text
< > Editorial correction of a scribal error
[1] Page number of the Coptic codex (hyperlinked)
Salutation
[1] [James] writes to [. . .]. Peace [be with you from] peace, [love from] love, [grace from] grace, [faith] from faith, life from sacred life!
Prologue
Because you requested I send you a secret book revealed by the Lord to me and Peter, I could neither decline nor speak with you. [I have], however, [written] it in the Hebrew alphabet, and sent it to you, and to you only. However, given that you are a servant for the salvation of the holy ones, strive intently and be careful not to divulge to many this writing, which the Savior did not want to relate to all of us, his twelve disciples. Blessed will they be, however, who will be saved by faithfulness to this teaching.
Ten months ago I also previously sent you a different secret book the Savior had revealed to me. Consequently, however, consider that one as having been revealed to me, James. This one, [2] however, [. . . .]. Thus [shall you obtain] salvation. [After] all [of these things], you shall re[veal it].[1]
The Savior Appears
All of the twelve disciples [were] sitting together and calling to mind what the Savior had said to each of them, whether secretly or publicly, and arranging it in books. I, [however], was writing what was in [my heart]. Behold! The Savior appeared [after] having departed from [us as we] gazed after him, and five hundred and fifty days after he had risen from among the dead. We said to him: “Have you gone away and separated yourself from us?”
Jesus, however, said: “Indeed![2] I shall, however, go to the place from where I came. If you desire to come with me, come!”
All of them answered and said: “If you command us, we will come.”
He said, “Truly I say to you, no one will ever enter the kingdom of Heaven at my command, but rather because you yourselves are full. Leave James and Peter with me, so that I may fill them.”
And after calling these two, he took them apart and instructed the others to busy themselves with what they were doing.
Being Filled
The Savior said: “[The Father] has had mercy on you, [3] [so that you have be]come [my dis]ciples. You have written [my words in] books. As [. . . to] you [. . .] study, and as [. . .] you have [not] heard and [as . . .], they have not understood. So do you not desire to be filled?
And your mind[3] is intoxicated. So do you not desire to be sober? So be ashamed! From now on, when you wake or sleep, remember that you have seen the Son of Man, and that you have spoken with him, and have heard him.
“Woe to those who have seen the Son [of] Man. Blessed will they be who have not seen the Man,[4] and they who have not associated with him, and they who have not spoken with him, and they who have heard nothing from him. To you[5] belongs life. So be aware that he healed you when you were sick, so that you could rule.
“Woe to those who have obtained rest from their sickness, because they will fall back into sickness. Blessed are they who have not been sick, and who have obtained rest before falling sick. To you[6] belongs the kingdom of God. So I say to you, ‘Become full and do not allow any space inside you to be empty, because he who is coming (to enter into you) will be able to mock you.’”
Peter then responded: “Behold, thrice have you commanded us, [4] ‘Become [full’; but] we are (already) full.”
The [Savior replied] and said: [“This is the reason I have said] to you, [‘Become full,’] so that [you] would not [be diminished. Those who are diminished] will not, however, [be saved], because it is good to be full, and bad to be diminished. Just as it is, then, good that [you] diminish and bad that you be full, so he who is full will diminish and he who is diminished will not become full. Just as (it is good that) he who is diminished will become full, so he who is full will also in turn be fulfilled. You must therefore diminish while you can (still) fill yourselves, and fill yourselves while you can (still) diminish yourselves, so that you can all the more [fill] yourselves. So become full of the Spirit, but diminished of mind,[7] because mind is of the soul, and it is soul.”
The Cross and Death
I, however, responded, and said to him: “Lord, we will be able to obey you if you desire, because we have left our fathers, and our mothers, and our villages, and have followed you. So let us not to be tested by the devil, the evil one.”
The Lord responded, and said: “What have all of you gained if you do the will of the Father, yet it is not bestowed on you from him as a gift when you are being tested by Satan? If all of you, however, are harassed by Satan and persecuted, and you do his [5] will, I [say] that he will love you, and make you equal to me, and consider [you] as having become beloved by his providence through your own choice. So will you not stop loving the flesh and fearing sufferings? Or are you unaware that you have not yet been mistreated and falsely accused, and have not yet been confined in prison, and sentenced illegally, and crucified by the mind, and buried in the sand, like myself, by the evil one? Will you dare pardon the flesh, you whom the Spirit surrounds like a wall? If you take into account how long the world was there <before> you were, and how long it will be there after you (are gone), you will discover that your life (lasts) but one day, and your sufferings but one hour, because the good will not enter into the world. So despise death, and think of life. Recall my cross and my death, and you will live.”
I, however, responded, and I said to him: “Lord, do not speak to us about the cross and death, because they are far [6] from you.”
The Lord responded, and said: “Truly I say I to you, no one will be saved without being faithful to (the example of) my cross. Those, however, who have been faithful to (the example of) my cross, the kingdom of God belongs to them. So be seekers after death, like the dead who seek after life, because what they seek will be revealed to them, and what will there be to disturb them? Regarding you, when you investigate death, it will inform you concerning election. Truly I say to you, not one of those who are afraid of death will be saved, because the kingdom <of God>[8] belongs to those who are put to death. Become better than I. Make yourselves to be like the son of the holy Spirit!”[9]
Prophecies and Parables
I then asked him: “Lord, how shall we be able to prophesy to those who ask us to prophesy to them? Because many are they who ask us and who expect to hear from us an oracle.”
The Lord answered, and said: “Do you not know that prophecy was decapitated with John?”
I, however, said: “Lord, is it possible to decapitate prophecy?”
The Lord said to me: “When all of you learn what ‘head’ means, and that prophecy originates from the head, (you will) know the meaning of ‘It was decapitated.’ [7] I at first spoke I to all of you with parables, and you did not understand.Now I speak to you plainly, and you do not comprehend. You, nevertheless, served as a parable within parables[10] for me, and as what is plain within plain things.[11]
“Hurry to be saved without being admonished! Rather, be eager on your own initiative, and if you can, arrive even before I do, because in this way the Father will love you.
“Grow to hate duplicity and evil thoughts, because (evil) thoughts give birth to duplicity, but duplicity is far from the truth.
“Do not let the kingdom of Heaven wither, because its case is like a palm shoot whose fruit has fallen down, surrounding it, sprouting leaves, and after they had sprouted, they caused their womb to dry up. This is the way it is with the fruit which grew from this one root: When it had been <gathered up>, fruit was produced through many. Better still would it be, were it possible, for you to produce new plantings; you would find it.
“Given that I have been glorified already in this way, why do all of you detain me while I am ready to depart? [8] Because after the [work], you have forced me to remain with you an additional eighteen days on account of the parables. For some it sufficed <to listen> to the teaching and to understand ‘The Shepherds,’ and ‘The Seed,’ and ‘The House,’ and ‘The Lamps of the Virgins,’ and ‘The Salary of the Workers,’ and ‘The Didrachmae and the Woman.’
“Be serious about the word, because concerning the word, its first part is faithfulness; the second, love; the third, works, because from these life results, because the word is like the case of a grain of wheat. When someone had sown it, he was faithful to it,[12] and when it had sprouted, he loved it, because he had seen several grains come from one, and when he had worked, he was saved, because he had prepared some as food, while he put (some) aside for sowing. You yourselves will be able to obtain the kingdom of Heaven in this way: If you do not obtain this with knowledge, you will be unable to find it.
Save Yourselves
This is why I say to you: Be sober! Be not deceived! Several times I have also said to all of you together, and to you alone as well, James, I have said: ‘Be saved!’ I have also commanded you[13] to follow me, and I have instructed you what to say in front of the rulers.
“See how I have descended, and have spoken, and have gone through tribulation, and have borne away my crown, [9] after saving all of you, because I descended to dwell with all of you, so that you could in turn dwell with me, and finding your houses unroofed, I have set up my dwelling-place in the houses that were able to receive me at the time of my descent.
“So put your trust in me, my brothers. Know what the great light is. The Father has no need of me, because a father does not need a son. The son, however, needs the father. I am going to him, because the Father of the Son has no need of you.
“Listen to the word! Understand knowledge! Love life, and no one will persecute you, nor will anyone distress you except you yourselves.
“O you wretches! O you unfortunate ones! O you fakers of the truth! O you counterfeiters of knowledge! O you sinners against the Spirit! Can you still dare to listen when you should have spoken from the beginning? Can you still dare to sleep when you should have been awake from the beginning, so that the kingdom of Heaven could accept you?
[10] “Truly I say to you, it is easier for someone who is pure to fall into defilement, and for a man of light to fall into darkness, than it is for you to rule or not to rule.
“I have recalled your tears, and your weeping, and your sorrow. They are far behind us. You, however, who are outside of the Father’s inheritance, weep now when it is needed, and mourn. Furthermore,[14] proclaim what is good. The Son ascends as is right.
“Truly I say I to you, if I had been sent to those who listen to me, and if I had spoken with them, I would never ascend from the earth. Be ashamed, therefore, over these things.
“Behold, I shall leave you and go away. Nor do I desire I to stay with you any longer, just like you yourselves have not desired such. So now, follow me quickly. For this reason I say to you that I descended on your account. You are the beloved. You are the ones who will be the author of life in many. Invoke the Father, beg God frequently, and he will give to you.[15]
Blessed is he who has seen you with him[16] when he was proclaimed among the angels, and glorified among the holy ones. To all of you belongs life. Rejoice and be glad as [11] sons of God. Keep [the] will (of God), so that you will be kept.[17] Accept my rebuke, and save yourselves. I will intercede for you with the Father, and he will abundantly forgive you.”
Few Have Found the Kingdom
And when we had listened to these sayings, we grew happy, because we had been sad because of the sayings we recorded previously.
When he, however, saw us being happy, he said: “Woe to all of you who have no advocate! Woe to you who are in need of grace! Blessed will they be who have spoken out freely, and (thus) obtained grace for themselves.
“Liken yourselves to the (case of) foreigners. How it is with them as they go about in front of your city? Why are you shocked when you willingly cast yourselves out, and separate yourselves from your city? Why do you willingly forsake your dwelling place, abandoning it to those who want to live in it? O you outcasts and refugees! Woe to you, because you will be captured!
“Or maybe you believe that the Father is affable, or that he is persuaded without prayers, or that he permits remission to one on someone else’s behalf, or that he puts up with someone who asks, (saying):[18] ‘Because he knows what (our) desire is, and what the flesh needs as well, is this not what desires the soul, given that apart from the soul the body does not sin, just like [12] the soul is not saved apart from [the] spirit?’ However, if the soul is saved apart from evil, and the spirit is saved as well, the body will then be freed from sin, because the spirit uplifts the soul, but the body kills it; that is, (the soul) is what puts itself to death.
“Truly I say to you, he will not at all forgive the soul of the sin, nor the flesh of the guilt, because not one of those who have donned the flesh will be saved, because do you imagine that many have found the kingdom of Heaven? Blessed is he who has seen himself as a fourth one in[19] Heaven!”[20]
Know Yourselves
When we had heard these sayings, we grew dejected. When he, however, noticed that we were dejected, he said: “This is the reason I tell you (all) this, so that you can know yourselves, because the kingdom of Heaven is like (the case of) an ear of grain after sprouting in a field, which when also ripening, scattered its fruit, and once more made the field to be full of ears for another year. You as well, hurry to reap an ear of life for yourselves, so that you can be filled with the kingdom, and for as long as I remain with you, harken to me, and obey me.
When I, however, leave you, remember me, remember me even because when I dwelt with you, you did not know me. Blessed will they be who have known me. Woe to those who have heard, and have not believed! Blessed will they be [13] who have not seen, [yet have believed]!
Once more I also [prevail upon] you, because I have been revealed to all of you as building a house that will be of great worth to you when you will find shelter under it. It will also be able to remain standing by the house of your neighbor when it threatens to fall. Truly I say to you: Woe to those on whose account I was sent down to this place. Blessed will they be who ascend to the Father! Again I admonish you. You who exist, become like those who do not exist, so that you can exist together with those who do not exist.
“Make not the kingdom of Heaven a desert inside you. Be not arrogant on account of the light that illuminates, but to yourselves be the way I myself am to you. It was on your account that I placed myself under the curse, so that you can be saved.”
Final Words
Peter, however, responded to these words, and said: “At times you urge us on to the kingdom of Heaven, and at times you repel us, Lord. At times you convince and draw us to faith and promise life to us, and then again you throw us out of the kingdom of Heaven.”
The Lord, however, responded and said to us: “I have given all of you faith repeatedly. What is more, I have revealed myself to you,[21] [14] O James, and not all of you have known me. Now I see all of you again rejoicing repeatedly, and when you are delighted at the promise of life, are you still dejected, and do you mourn when you are taught concerning the kingdom?
“You, however, by means of faith [and] knowledge, have obtained life. Disregard, therefore, the rebuff when you hear it. When, however, you hear the promise, rejoice all the more. Truly I say to you, he who will obtain life and be faithful to the kingdom will never depart from it, not even should the Father desire to exile[22] him.
“These matters I tell you up to this point. Now, however, I shall ascend to the place from where I came, but when I was willing to go, you threw me out, and instead of going with me, you have persecuted me. Pay attention, however, to the glory that is waiting for me, and having opened your heart, hear the hymns that that are waiting for me up with Heaven,[23] because today it is necessary for me to fill the right hand of the Father.[24]
“I, however, have uttered the final saying to you, and I shall leave you, I because a chariot of the Spirit has lifted me up on high, and fr
om this moment onward I shall strip myself, so that I can clothe myself. Pay attention, however. Blessed are they who have proclaimed the Son before his descent, so that when I have come, I can ascend.[25] Thrice blessed [15] are they who [were] proclaimed by the Son before they came into existence, so that you can have a share among them.”
Heavenly Ascent
After saying these things, he went away. We, however, bent the knee, I and Peter, and gave thanks, and directed our heart upward to Heaven.
With our ears we heard, and with our eyes we saw the tumult of wars, and a trumpet blast, and a huge commotion, and when we had gone past that place, we directed our mind farther upwards, and with our eyes beheld, and with our ears heard hymns, and angelic blessings, and angelic rejoicing, and heavenly majesties were singing praises, and we also rejoiced.
Afterwards, we again intended to direct our spirit upward to the Majesty, and after having ascended, we were permitted neither to see nor to hear anything, because the other disciples called to us, and asked us: “What did both of you hear from the master, and what did he say to you, and where has he gone?”
We, however, answered them: “He has ascended and has made with us a covenant, and promised life to all of us, and announced to us sons who would come after us, after commanding [16] [us] to love them, given that we would be [saved] because of them.”
Conclusion
And after hearing, they truly believed the revelation, but were disgruntled over those to be born, and therefore, not wanting to cause them to sin, I dispatched each of them to a different location.
However, I myself went up to Jerusalem, praying that I might gain a share among the beloved who are yet to be manifest, and I pray that the beginning may start with you, because in this way I shall be able to achieve salvation, given that they will be illuminated by me, by my faith, and by another’s that is better than my own, because I wish mine to be the lesser one.
So strive fervently to make yourself like them, and pray that you might gain a share with them, because beyond what I have related, the Savior gave no revelation to us for them.
We truly proclaim a share with those for whose sake the proclamation was made, those whom the Lord has made to be his sons.
Notes
[1] Accepting Kirchner’s restoration.
[2] “Indeed!” Literally, “no,” but here we have an asservation or an emphatic.
[3] “Mind,” literally, “heart.”
[4] Nagel’s emendation <Son of> is unnecessary.
[5] Nagel’s emendation “them” is unnecessary.
[6] Nagel’s emendation “them” is unnecessary.
[7] “Mind,” logos.
[8] The texts reads “of death,” which is generally emended to <of God>.
[9] Because this sentence immediately precedes a discussion of prophecy and of the prophet John the Baptizer, “the son of the holy Spirit” is likely a Semitism referring to John as one inspired by the holy Spirit of prophecy.
[10] This may be a version of a Semitic superlative idiom “parable of parables,” i.e., “the greatest parable,” in the sense of “the greatest enigma.”
[11] “Plain,” literally “revealed,” but the contrast is between the enigmatic and the plain or clear. “What is plain within plain things” may be a version of a Semitic superlative idiom, i.e., “the plainest thing.”
[12] That is, he faithfully watered and tended to it.
[13] “You,” singular.
[14] “Furthermore,” literally, “and.”
[15] “Father” and “God” are synonymous terms, not different entities.
[16] “With him,” i.e., with God, the Father.
[17] Literally “saved,” but more idiomatically, “kept.”
[18] The following sentences in quotation marks are rhetorically spoken as an excuse for sinning.
[19] “In Heaven,” or “with Heaven,” i.e., with God.
[20] “Heaven,” i.e., God, not heaven as the dwelling place of God.
[21] “You,” singular.
[22] “Exile” or “persecute.”
[23] “Heaven,” i.e., God, or “up in the heavens.”
[24] “To fill the right hand” is a Semitic idiom that refers to being installed in an office; see Exod 29:22; Judg 17:5; Ezek 43:26. Previous translators of the Apocryphon of James were unaware of this idiom.
[25] “Ascend,” not “ascend (again).” Jesus here makes a distinction between himself and the Son.