THE SECRET BOOK OF JAMES

As translated by Marvin W. Meyer

Chapter 1:1 James, writing to . . . Peace be with you from Peace! Love from Love! Grace from Grace! Faith from Faith! Life from Holy Life!

2. Since you have asked me to send you a secret book revealed to me and Peter by the Lord, I could not turn you down nor refuse you. So I have written it in Hebrew, and sent it to you and only you.

3 But, considering that you are a minister for the salvation of the saints, try to be careful not to communicate this book to many people, for the Savior did not even want to communicate it to all of us, his twelve disciples.

4 Nonetheless, blessed are those who will be saved through the faith of this treatise.

5 Ten months ago I sent you another secret book that the Savior revealed to me. Think of that book as a revelation to me, James.

6 As for this one, . . . (think of it as the Gospel of our Savior.)

7 The twelve disciples were all sitting together, recollecting what the Savior had said to each of them, secretly or openly, and organizing their recollections into books. I, for my part, was also writing my book.

8 Behold, the Savior appeared. He had left us, and we had been watching for him.

9 Five hundred fifty days after he arose from the dead, we said to him, Did you depart and leave us?

10 Jesus said, No, but I shall return to the place from which I came. If you wish to come with me, come!

11 They all answered and said, If you command us, we shall come.

12 He said, I tell you the truth: no one among you will ever enter the kingdom of heaven because I have commanded it, but rather because you yourselves are filled.

13 Leave James and Peter with me, that I may fill them.

14 After he summoned the two of them, he took them aside, and ordered the others to keep at their work.

Chapter 2:1 The Savior said, You have been treated kindly. . . . 2 . . . have not understood - do you not want to be filled? 3 Your hearts are drunk - do you not want to be sober? For shame! 4 From now on, while awake or asleep, remember: you have seen, you have spoken with, and you have listened to the Child of Humanity. 5 Woe to those who have seen the Child of Humanity! 6 Blessed are those who have not seen, who have not associated with, who have not spoken with, and who have not listened to anything from this Human Being: life is yours! 7 Understand this: the Child of Humanity healed you when you were sick, that you might reign. 8 Woe to those who have found rest from their sicknesses, for they will be sick again! 9 Blessed are those who have never been sick, but have known of rest before getting sick: the kingdom of the Divine is yours! 10 For this reason I tell you: be filled, and let there be no empty space within you, for otherwise the one who is to come can laugh at you.

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