Introduction:
The concept of keeping secrets is addressed in various contexts throughout the Bible. From the wisdom literature to the teachings of Jesus, the Scriptures provide guidance on when it is appropriate to keep matters confidential and when transparency is necessary. The Bible acknowledges the complexity of human relationships and the need for discretion, while also emphasizing truthfulness and integrity.

Old Testament Insights:
In the Old Testament, the importance of discretion and the ability to keep a secret is often highlighted. Proverbs 11:13 states, "A gossip reveals a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence." This verse underscores the value of being trustworthy and the harm that gossip can cause within a community. The wisdom literature frequently contrasts the behavior of the wise and the foolish, with the wise being those who know when to speak and when to remain silent.

The account of Joseph in Genesis provides an example of discretion in action. Joseph, after interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, is entrusted with the secret of the coming famine and the plan to store grain. His ability to keep this information confidential until the appropriate time demonstrates the importance of discretion in leadership and stewardship.

New Testament Teachings:
In the New Testament, Jesus Himself exemplifies the balance between secrecy and revelation. In Mark 1:44 , after healing a leper, Jesus instructs him, "See that you don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Here, Jesus emphasizes the importance of timing and the fulfillment of the law, showing that some matters are to be kept private until the right moment.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the issue of secrets in his epistles. In 1 Corinthians 4:1 , Paul writes, "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." This passage highlights the responsibility of believers to handle divine truths with care and discretion, recognizing that not all knowledge is to be shared indiscriminately.

Ethical Considerations:
The Bible encourages believers to exercise wisdom and discernment in keeping secrets. While confidentiality is important, it must be balanced with honesty and integrity. Ephesians 4:25 instructs, "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body." This verse reminds Christians that truthfulness is foundational to community life, and secrets should not be kept if they perpetuate falsehood or harm others.

Spiritual Secrets:
The Bible also speaks of spiritual secrets, or mysteries, that are revealed by God in His timing. 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 acknowledges that while some divine truths are hidden, others are revealed for the purpose of guiding believers in righteousness.

Conclusion:
The biblical perspective on keeping secrets is multifaceted, recognizing the need for discretion while upholding the principles of truth and integrity. Believers are called to be wise stewards of information, discerning when to keep matters confidential and when to speak openly for the benefit of others and the glory of God.1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
Topicalbible.org

Romans 10:9
That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
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Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
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Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
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Suffocated Trees
... sunshine. Moreover, if you begin keeping secrets from your parents in this
way you will have no one to check you in your misdeeds. Your ...
/.../chidley/fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/suffocated trees.htm

Examples from the Old Testament, Balaam, Moses, and Hezekiah, to ...
... How Completely the Instruction and Conduct of Christ Are in Keeping with the ... Since,
then, He had censured their hypocrisy, which covered the secrets of the ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xxviii examples from the old.htm

Certain Heavenly Secrets, visions, and Revelations. The Effects of ...
... and it happens now from time to time, that our Lord showed me still greater secrets. ...
provided our Lord did not permit me to forget what He was keeping for us. ...
/.../the life of st teresa of jesus/chapter xxxviii certain heavenly secrets.htm

Under the Shepherd's Care.
... "He knoweth the secrets of the ... We can entrust to Him the keeping of our hearts, the
ordering of our lives, the care of our children, the converts whom GOD has ...
//christianbookshelf.org/taylor/a ribband of blue/under the shepherds care.htm

Christ's Friendship: Its Intimacy
... Christ's friends share with Him in all the secrets the Father has entrusted to Him.
Let us think what this means. When Christ spoke of keeping His Father's ...
/.../christs friendship its intimacy.htm

Whether the Demons' Intellect is Darkened by Privation of the ...
... But this is not in keeping with their unhappiness: for this seems to ... is likewise
twofold: the first is purely speculative, as when Divine secrets are imparted ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the demons intellect is.htm

From the Seventh to the End of the Tenth Commandment
... give you something, or unless you have been put to an expense by keeping it ... Another
way of injuring your neighbor is revealing the secrets he has confided to you ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 34 from the seventh.htm

Prayer and Obedience
... Would God make the keeping of His commandments a condition of effectual prayer,
think you ... another trade to learn, before he proceeds to learn the secrets of the ...
/.../bounds/the necessity of prayer/ix prayer and obedience.htm

The Trial at Caesarea
... it is man's duty to live a life of sobriety and temperance, keeping the passions ...
He showed how it extends to the deep secrets of man's moral nature and throws ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 39 the trial at.htm

The Lord Our Shepherd
... and keeping of you, as a shepherd is charged with the care and keeping of his ... And
yet, if the secrets of some Christian hearts should be revealed, I fear that ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 4 the lord our.htm

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