A Homily on the Secret Book of James
The Secret Book of James is a Coptic text in Nag Hammadi Codex I, a codex that contains several Valentinian texts. This has led some scholars to consider the Secret Book of James to be a gnostic and perhaps a Valentinian document. It contains themes that are typical of gnostic texts—knowledge, self-knowledge, fullness, deficiency, and the like. Further, the discussion of people being of three parts—body, soul, and spirit—is reminiscent of the threefold division of elemental stuff and of people in Valentinian thought. The Secret Book of James was probably written in the first half of the second century; portions of the text may well be even older. The text was most likely composed in Greek, though it claims to have been written in Hebrew. The place of composition is unknown. (Barnstone, Meyer, 2003: p.341).
Dearly Beloved,
We gather today to explore a subtle realm of wisdom, a mystical conversation between the divine and humanity, as recorded in the Secret Book of James. The relevance of this text, nestled within the nuanced landscape of Gnostic Christianity, cries out for exploration and deep understanding.
Our hermeneutical lens for today is derived from Barker's temple theology. Margaret Barker, a renowned biblical scholar, emphasizes a Temple-centered Judeo-Christian tradition. She emphasizes the primacy of the First Temple Judaism where the heavenly and earthly realms are intricately interwoven, where the King was also a priest, and holiness was interpreted as visual glory (Barker, 2004). Through this lens, Gnosticism becomes not necessarily a radical, isolated segment, but rather an integral part of early Christian diversity.
The Secret Book of James, or Apocryphon of James (Nag Hammadi Codex I), takes us on a journey beyond superficial spirituality, asking us to understand the divinity within ourselves, much like how Barker's Temple theology urges us to seek the divine in everyday existence (Barker, 2008).
In one key conversation between James and Peter, Jesus says: “Know yourselves, and you will be known; and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you are in poverty and you are poverty” (Apocryphon of James, Codex I, Plate 9,10).
In another passage, Jesus speaks a parable. He depicts how; “the kingdom of heaven is like a head of grain that sprouted in a field. And when it was ripe, it scattered its seed, and again it filled the field with heads of grain for another year. So with you, be eager to harvest for yourselves a head of the grain of life that you may be filled with the kingdom.”
This represents the individualistic nature of gnosis. The gnostic path is like any other mystical tradition, wherewith the practitioner seeks union with the divine. There are two different aspects of faith. First, there is the exoteric (outer) aspect of faith, of which the majority fall into this camp. Then there is the hidden or inner meaning: The esoteric. Esotericism has negative connotations; however, it simply means the hidden teachings, which Paul himself talks about in 1. Corinthians 3:2;
“I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are still not able” (LSB 2022).
Jesus, also, in the canonical Gospel of Luke 8:9-10, speaks parables to the crowds, whilst the hidden mysteries are taught to the disciples. The great Church Father Origen taught that there were three different methods of reading Scripture: the bodily (literal), the psychic (soulful/psychological, moral), and the pneumatic (spiritual, Christological) (Blake, 2022).
The exoteric reading of scripture is literal and moral, whilst the esoteric is the pneumatic reading. It is contemplating Scripture through a Christological lens. This, is one of the hardest things to do, it also can be contentious, as the reading can come in conflict with the general exoteric interpretations. Esotericism is usually passed on through a teacher; however, one can read Scripture pneumatically through practices such as Lectio Divina. It is prayerful meditation of Scripture, allowing for the Holy Spirit to guide us through the text.
In the intersection of Barker's theology, we can identify the knowledge of oneself as being likened to a mirror that reflects the Divine (Barker, 2004). This implies the Temple, the dwelling place of God, is not an external edifice, but one's own body and life. It implies, within this divine-human synergy, the potential for a remnant of unfallen wisdom residing within us, the breath of God (ruach/pneuma), echoing the glories of the primordial temple whose restoration we long for (Barker, 2008).
The Secret Book of James offers profound teachings about suffering and death as well. When Jesus speaks about those who are persecuted and killed for His name, He is revealing a certain resemblance to the "Suffering Servant" archetype found in Isaiah 53, a passage given much import in Barker's analysis (Barker, 2012).
Concepts like embodiment, suffering, wisdom, and personal-knowledge intimate an esoteric tradition available to all but understood by a few. They also depict a strong sense of the interconnectivity of the heavenly and earthly realms. To know thyself is simply to recognize the divine in us all. Hence, the reason why Jesus says that those who do not know themselves are in poverty. If we could all awaken to our true nature, then we would live a more Christ-like way, we would recognize the importance of serving one another. The false self, is the one who sees only me and mine; it is egotistical, whilst the true self recognizes our co-independency.
The Kingdom of God is everywhere, but many of us are too blind to see it. The Gospel of Thomas illustrates how those who look to the heavens for the Kingdom, then the birds will precede them. Likewise, if they look to the depths of the oceans, then the fish will precede them. Rather, we are to look within and without. I always find the great prayer of St Patrick (St Patrick’s Breastplate), to be a perfect illustration;
“Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.”
The Kingdom of God is revealed in Christ, and it is those who die and rise again in Christ who participate in the Kingdom. All of Christ’s teachings are focused on the other, we are to love, serve, and forgive one another as Christ has served, loved, and forgiven us. The secret teachings are not really secret. The wisdom of God is all around us. The reason why we do not perceive it, is because of our enchantment with the world. The hymn of the pearl is a perfect example of our spiritual journey. We are all co-heirs of the Kingdom. God calls us out of Egypt, we either accept, or we continue to live in bondage.
The Light dwells in our midst, and those who are of light can see his glory; yet, those who are still in darkness cannot not see the light because they are not of the light. The ego is not from the light, but the true self is. The wisdom of men overcomplicates the simplicity of the gospel. Theology can be a stumbling block because it tries to define the undefinable. Words cannot convey what the Kingdom is… it is only through experiential participation with the divine that we can be free from our bondage with Egypt.
Jesus was critical of his contemporaries because they failed to see the wood for the trees. They focused on the literal interpretation of Scripture. The Law condemns because it reinforces the ego, whilst Christ is the selfless servant. In the Kingdom, there are no Jews nor Greeks. The Kingdom knows no borders or nations because the Kingdom is both immanent and transcendent. Know thyself and you will see yourself in your neighbour. This does not mean there is no personhood, this again is an illusion of the ego. Rather, it is recognizing our divine nature, the blessed seed within. An ancient Assyrian prayer asks God to burn away the briars and thorns that choke the blessed seed. The blessed seed is the spirit, the breath of God. It is the shard of light, the hidden pearl. The sarx (flesh) is not evil, it is the false self that is darkness. To crucify the flesh is to crucify the ego, which is echoed in Paul’s famous words; it is not longer I who live, but it is Christ in me (Gal 2:20).
In conclusion, the Gnostic Secret Book of James, when viewed through the lens of Barker's Temple Theology, calls on us not to shut God out of any part of our existence but rather bring divinity into a profound interaction with our everyday lives. It cries out the message: 'God is closer than you know, unlock Him from within'. Likewise, let us follow in the teachings of the Gospel of John, which speaks of living a life of Spirit and Truth. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear. Let us take away this critical lesson. Let us pursue wisdom and make it our dwelling place, for it is a doorway to the divine in the human, a testament to the unbreakable link between heaven and earth.
References:
- Barker, M. (2004). An Extraordinary Gathering of Angels.
- Barker, M. (2008). Temple Theology.
- Barker, M. (2012). The Priestly Vision of Genesis I.
-Barnstone, W, M, Meyer. (2003) The Gnostic Bible
- Blake, A. (2022) “Origen of Alexandria, pt. 4: The Spiritual Sense of Scripture - Modern Reformation” (Accessed 29/08/2023).
- https://accordance.bible/link/read/LSB#Luke_8:9
- Meyer, M. (1986). The Nag Hammadi scriptures: The revised and updated translation of sacred Gnostic texts, including The Secret Book of James.