Secret Sayings of the Savior

Secret Sayings   Jackson Snyder

Introduction

In 1979 I was teaching an adult Bible class in my local church. In researching one particular lesson, I found a magazine advertisement that said something like, "Newly Found Gnostic Gospels Disprove the Bible!" The ad then offered a book containing the "Gnostic Gospels" for a sum of money. I felt that, if these new "gospels" disproved the Bible (as the ad boldly proclaimed), then they must be diabolical. I was not willing to support the publishers of such texts by purchasing from them, though my curiosity was aroused.

Nearly 10 years later, during more advanced studies in scripture, I learned that the writings that came to be known as "Gnostic Gospels" were not found in 1979 at all as the ad implied, but in the 1940s, and had been in print for 30 years!

Furthermore, the writings were of great antiquity, some of the material possibly dating back to as early as 50 A.D.! As one who has always had a keen interest in Bible, I wondered why I had not been aware of the "Gnostic Gospels" before; why my church school teachers had never mentioned them; why I had never heard a sermon about them? If such writings contained even one extra-biblical saying of our Lord that we could deem authentic, shouldn't loving disciples be informed by those who are in the know?

Finally, in 1989 I bought the "Gnostic Gospels" published with the more appropriate title "The Hammadi Library" edited by scholar J. M. Robinson. In the Library I found that, during the second and third century, there were several vital Christian cults thriving, despite orthodox censure.  This was something of a surprise, since Sunday School had only informed us of Christians, Jews of three stripes, and pagans! 

And although the themes of these texts seem to bear only a cosmetic resemblance to the diversities of today's Christendom, there is still great value to the person of faith in reading them critically because they originated so early in the history of Christianity. 

Through them, one may examine the antagonists mentioned by [Pseudo-]Paul and other late New Testament writers first-hand, from their own perspectives (well, almost), and read previously unknown words of the Living Jesus, a few of them authentic (maybe), but many striking none the less.

Moreover, the Gnostic Gospels do not "disprove the Bible" in any way.

Later on, I learned that there also exists a wealth of extra-Biblical texts dating from the 3rd century B. C. to the 5th century A.D. that provide background for many of Jesus' more difficult biblical sayings and offer many extra-biblical sayings.  These collections of ancient letters, books, and sayings are published in books described in the bibliography of this paper, along with sources of purchase.  Most may also be found in public domain form on the world-wide web.

From some of these works, I have been able to glean these several pages of "Secret Sayings," which I have paraphrased and updated to the best of my limited ability. THESE SAYINGS REALLY ARE SECRET, for today's disciples of Christ seldom if ever are afforded the opportunity to experience these words by their uninformed or secretive church authorities.

So I here offer to the reader all the extra-biblical sayings of the Savior that I could find. Try not to read them with a doctrinarian attitude; rather, search for the pearls. Such are precious and satisfying rewards.

Jackson Hayes Snyder  1990 / 2000

The Odes of Shalomé (The Odes of Solomon)

Shalomé of the Cross was the daughter of Mary and sister of Yahshua of Nazareth. She is mentioned several times in the New Testament Scriptures as a witness to the crucifixion. The Egyptian Scriptures portray her as a person much more important than a mere onlooker. In them, she is a fervent disciple who harbors and nurtures her brother as she learns the Way of the True Worshipper. To this same Shalomé tradition has attributed forty-one songs composed in the Aramaic language of the holy family. Her spiritual insight has much in common with that of the Beloved Disciple and the Teacher of Righteousness. Yet Shalomé has more to offer than a religious comparison of darkness and light. Her songs comprise a young woman’s unique and often mystical vision of the ‘divine feminine,’ love both mundane and ethereal, and hope that reaches far beyond the boundaries of earth and sky.

The Authentic Peter: The Preaching of Simeon Kefa from the Journal of T. Flavius Clemens (Clement)

THE AUTHENTIC PETER: Ever wonder why Simon Peter only got a couple short letters in our Scriptures? Wouldn’t someone have recorded Peter’s AUTHENTIC acts and preaching? Of course his preaching was recorded! By Clement, an affluent Gentile convert, at the command of James the Just. So why would the Church Fathers bury the preaching of their first pope since Clement was their second pope? Because Peter's teachings are HEBRAIC. This volume is one-of-a-kind, containing teachings on many subjects, including deliverance, healing, true worship, and lost doctrines. We dispensed with churchy language in restored the original Hebraic names and titles of people, places and concepts - and a full GLOSSARY.