LIST–Secrecy in the New Testament

As Mormons we are often accused of being “secretive” because of certain teachings that we hold too sacred to divulge to the general public. There are experiences and truths that we deem so special that they should be uttered only in the appropriate setting. The major source of this type of teaching is the Temple, where the Lord has asked us to hold private and sacred certain things that we learn there.

The following list is of passages in the New Testament in which Jesus or an apostle asks his audience to keep quiet or secret the things they have seen and heard. I post this is a reference list for future use. At a later date I will include some similar quotes from post-biblical Ancient Christians. If you can’t wait, see this website.

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“It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given” (Matthew 13:11).
“Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand” (Matthew 13:14).
“Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. (Matthew 16:20)
“All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given” (Matthew 19:11).
“He taught them many things by parables, … as they were able to hear it” (Mark 4:2, 33).
“And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.” (Mark 8:30)
“And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them” (Luke 18:34).
“If I tell you, ye will not believe” (Luke 22:67).
“The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:5).
“If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” (John 3:12).
“This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60).
“Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word” (John 8:43).
“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now” (John 16:12).
“The time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father” (John 16:25).
“As yet they knew not the scripture” (John 20:9).
Jesus appeared “not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen” (Acts 10:41).
“They . . . were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia” (Acts 16:6).
“As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind” (Romans 1:28).
“I . . . could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, . . . I have fed you with milk, and not with meat” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).
“Unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (2 Corinthians 12:4).
“By revelation he made known unto me the mystery; . . . which in other ages was not made known” (Ephesians 3:3-5).
“The mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (Colossians 1:26).
“Many things . . . hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11).
“Many things . . . I would not write with paper and ink; but I . . . come unto you and speak face to face” (2 John 1:12).