Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of doing things "in secret" is a recurring theme in the Bible, emphasizing the importance of sincerity, humility, and the inner life of faith over outward appearances. This theme is particularly evident in the teachings of Jesus and the wisdom literature of the Old and New Testaments.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, the idea of secrecy often relates to the hidden wisdom and knowledge of God.
Deuteronomy 29:29 states, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." This verse highlights the distinction between God's sovereign knowledge and what He chooses to reveal to humanity. The emphasis is on trust and obedience to God's revealed will, while acknowledging that some aspects of His divine plan remain hidden.
The Psalms also reflect on the notion of secrecy, particularly in the context of God's protection and guidance.
Psalm 91:1 declares, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." Here, the "secret place" symbolizes a spiritual refuge where believers find safety and intimacy with God.
New Testament TeachingsIn the New Testament, Jesus frequently addresses the importance of performing righteous acts in secret, contrasting it with the hypocritical behavior of seeking public approval. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs His followers on the proper attitude towards giving, praying, and fasting.
Matthew 6:3-4 advises, "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Similarly, in
Matthew 6:6, Jesus teaches about prayer: "But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." This instruction underscores the value of private devotion and the assurance that God, who sees all, acknowledges and rewards genuine faith.
The theme of secrecy in spiritual practices is further reinforced in
Matthew 6:17-18 regarding fasting: "But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Jesus emphasizes that the true purpose of fasting is not to gain human admiration but to deepen one's relationship with God.
Apostolic InsightsThe apostle Paul also touches on the theme of secrecy in the context of the Christian life. In
Colossians 3:3, he writes, "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." This verse speaks to the believer's spiritual union with Christ, a profound mystery that is not always visible to the world but is a source of strength and identity for the Christian.
Furthermore, in
1 Corinthians 4:5, Paul advises, "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God." This passage highlights the ultimate revelation of all things by God, who alone knows the true intentions and secrets of the heart.
ConclusionThe biblical theme of doing things "in secret" serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of inner sincerity and the pursuit of a genuine relationship with God. It calls believers to focus on the unseen and eternal, trusting that God, who sees in secret, will reward their faithfulness.
Topical Bible Verses
Matthew 6:3-4But when you do alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does:
Topicalbible.orgJames 1:22
But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
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James 4:6
But he gives more grace. Why he said, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
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James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
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Jude 1:3
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write to you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
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Greek
4601. sigao -- to keep silent, to keepsecret... to keep silent, to keep
secret. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sigao Phonetic
Spelling: (see-gah'-o) Short Definition: I keep silent Definition: intrans
...2931. kruphe -- hidden,secret
... hidden,secret. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: kruphe Phonetic Spelling:
(kroo-fay') Short Definition: insecret, secretly Definition: insecret...
2931a. kruphaios -- hidden,secret
... hidden,secret. Transliteration: kruphaios Short Definition:secret. Word Origin
from kruphe Definition hidden,secret NASB Word Usagesecret (2). 2931, 2931a...
3466. musterion -- a mystery orsecret doctrine
... a mystery orsecret doctrine. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: musterion
Phonetic Spelling: (moos-tay'-ree-on) Short Definition: anything hidden, a...
614. apokruphos -- hidden
... hidden. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: apokruphos Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-ok'-roo-fos) Short Definition: hidden away,secret Definition: hidden away...
2927. kruptos -- hidden
... hidden. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: kruptos Phonetic Spelling:
(kroop-tos') Short Definition: hidden,secret Definition: hidden,secret; as subst...
5587. psithurismos -- a whispering
... of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: psithurismos Phonetic Spelling:
(psith-oo-ris-mos') Short Definition: a whispering,secret slandering Definition:...
5009. tameion -- an inner chamber
... an inner chamber. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: tameion Phonetic
Spelling: (tam-i'-on) Short Definition: asecret chamber Definition: a store...
5588. psithuristes -- a whisperer
... Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: psithuristes Phonetic Spelling:
(psith-oo-ris-tace') Short Definition: a whisperer,secret slanderer Definition...
2928. krupto -- to hide
... Word Origin a prim. verb Definition to hide NASB Word Usage concealed (1), hid
(7), hidden (8), hide (1),secret (1), things hidden (1). to conceal....
Strong's Hebrew
8587. taalumah -- a hidden thing,secret... taalumah. 8588 . a hidden thing,
secret. Transliteration: taalumah Phonetic Spelling:
(tah-al-oom-maw') Short Definition: secrets.
... thing that is hid,
secret.
...4565. mistar -- asecret place, hiding place
... 4564, 4565. mistar. 4566 . asecret place, hiding place. Transliteration:
mistar Phonetic Spelling: (mis-tawr') Short Definition: places....
7328. raz -- asecret
... 7327, 7328. raz. 7329 . asecret. Transliteration: raz Phonetic Spelling:
(rawz) Short Definition: mystery. Word...secret. (Aramaic...
5475. sod -- council, counsel
... Word Usage circle (1), company (1), consultation (1), council (5), fellowship (1),
friendship (1), gathering (1), intimate (1), plans (1),secret (2),secret...
5640. satham -- to stop up, shut up, keep close
... Definition to stop up, shut up, keep close NASB Word Usage closed (1), conceal
(1), concealed (1), cut off (1), hidden part (1), keep thesecret (1),secret (1...
5641. sathar -- to hide, conceal
... conceal NASB Word Usage absent (1), conceal (3), concealed (4), cover (1), hid
(11), hidden (16), hide (33), hides (4), hiding (3), placed (1),secret things (...
5956. alam -- to conceal
... 1), disregard* (1), escapes (1), ever (1), hidden (10), hide (6), hides (1), melts
(1), neglect (1), pay no attention (2), pretenders (1),secret (1), shuts (1...
3909. lat -- secrecy, mystery
... arts. Word Origin from lut Definition secrecy, mystery NASB Word Usage
secret arts (4), secretly (4).secret, incantation. A form...
5643a. sether -- a covering, hiding place, secrecy
... 5643, 5643a. sether. 5643b . a covering, hiding place, secrecy.
Transliteration: sether Short Definition:secret. Word Origin from...
2934. taman -- to hide, conceal
... hide, lay privily, insecret. A primitive root; to hide (by covering over) -- hide,
lay privily, insecret. 2933, 2934. taman. 2935 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Secret Power
Secret Power. <.Secret Power Dwight L. Moody. Produced by Keith G. Richardson
Table of Contents. Title Page. PREFACE. CHAPTER I. POWER--ITS SOURCE....
TheSecret
... FOR THE CHILDREN THESECRET. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899. Long ago, within a castle....
There to learn the bless??dsecret. How to give the weary rest....
Secret Faults
... VOLUME I: PSALMS I to XLIXSECRET FAULTS. 'Who can understand his errors?
cleanse Thou me fromsecret faults.' Psalm 19:12. The...
Secret Sins
...Secret Sins. A Sermon (No.116).... REV. CH SPURGEON. at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey
Gardens. "Cleanse thou me fromsecret faults."Psalm 19:12....
TheSecret of Winsomeness.
... (Mark vi:30-34.) TheSecret of Winsomeness. That's... winsomeness. For the
realsecret of a transfigured life is a transmitted life....
TheSecret of Gladness
... THESECRET OF GLADNESS.... I wish now to meditate on thissecret of imperviousness
to sorrow arising from the felt presence of the Christ....
TheSecret of Tranquillity
... VOLUME I: PSALMS I to XLIX THESECRET OF TRANQUILLITY.... Thesecret of tranquillity
is found, secondly, in freedom from the perplexity of choosing our path....
TheSecret of the Lord
... TheSecret of the Lord. TP... Words that none can tell; Yet, O Lord, Thy wondroussecret.
Knows my heart full well. I, in wonder and in silence,. Listen and adore,....
ASecret Rendezvous
... ASECRET RENDEZVOUS.... (a) Jesus knows disciples whom the other disciples
know not. This man was one of the of 'secret' disciples....
TheSecret of victory
... THE SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES THESECRET OF VICTORY.... It opens for us thesecret of
victory, in that old far-off struggle and in to-day's conflicts....
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