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The Secret Book of James
Mark M. Mattison · Translated text
Outside the canon. The Secret Book of James is not in the Bible of any tradition on the Scriptures shelf. It is hosted here as a historical record. The Scriptures shelf →
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Few Have Found the Kingdom
And when we heard these things, we were delighted, because we had been depressed about the things we mentioned before.
But when he saw us rejoicing, he said, “Woe to you who need an advocate! Woe to you who need grace! Blessed will be those who’ve spoken out and acquired grace for themselves!
“Be like foreigners. How are they viewed in your city? Why are you disturbed when you cast yourselves out on your own and separate yourselves from your city? Why do you leave your dwelling on your own and make it available for those who want to live in it? You outcasts and runaways! Woe to you, because you’ll be caught!
“Or do you think that the Father is a lover of humanity, or is persuaded by prayers, or grants grace to one on behalf of another, or puts up with one who seeks?
“(God) knows about desire and what the flesh needs. It’s not this (flesh) which desires the soul, because without the soul, the body doesn’t sin, just as 12 the soul isn’t saved without the spirit. But if the soul is saved without evil, and the spirit is also saved, then the body becomes sinless. For it’s the spirit that raises the soul, but the body that kills it; that is, (the soul) kills itself.
“Truly I tell you, (God) won’t ever forgive the sin of the soul or the guilt of the flesh, because no one who’s worn the flesh will be saved. Do you think that many have found the kingdom of heaven? Blessed is the one who’s seen oneself (at) the fourth (stage) in heaven.”