Sodom, had it been possible, than Lot who sat in the gate.  Events are moving

rapidly, and believers will continually be confronted with the choice of

faction, fellowship and faithfulness.  While we most earnestly pray that

faction may be forever avoided, and true fellowship most eagerly pursued, we

do, at the same time, pray that, 'by honour and dishonour, by evil report and

good report: as deceivers and yet true', that come what may, even though

faithfulness should foreshadow the forsaken and solitary parallel of 2

Timothy 1:15, 'This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned

away from me', it may be held unashamed, knowing Whom we have believed, and

find its other and blessed parallel in 2 Timothy 4:7, 'I have kept the

'That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus' (Col. 1:28).

Paul, writing about his earlier ministry, said, 'I have planted,

Apollos watered; but God gave the increase'.

And again, 'As a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another

buildeth thereon'.  'Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building' (1 Cor.

It is evident that beyond the responsibility of sowing true seed, and

of laying the true foundation, the apostle looks to God to 'give the

increase'; and even the work actually performed by him was 'according to the

grace of God which is given' unto him.  There is therefore from this

standpoint a holy care -less -ness that must ever accompany the labours of

one who realizes that God alone gives life and growth and fruit.

That this does not by any means present a complete aspect of ministry

the epistles to the Corinthians will abundantly show.  How these epistles

reveal the heart of this faithful apostle, yearning, fearful, anxious for his

children in the faith!  What an epistle, that written to the Galatians is, in

this particular!  This other phase of ministry is brought before us in

Colossians 1:28:

'Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all

wisdom: that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus'.

For this the apostle 'laboured', and 'strove', and had a great

'conflict'.  It must ever be the same, while truth and the world and the

flesh remain unchanged.

One cannot but be anxious at the state of Christian testimony.  The

signs of the times, while not directly referring to the Church of the One

Body, point clearly to the approaching end of this age.  The coming of the

Lord to the earth, the meeting of the Lord in the air must be anticipated, if

by ever so small a space, by the realization of the 'hope of glory':

'When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear (be manifested), Then shall

ye also appear (be manifested) with Him In Glory' (Col. 3:4).

As professing Christianity more and more openly leaves the Lord and His

truth, as leagues and combines encircle the earth in their deadly embrace,

how can we stand by and watch dear children of God dallying with that which

they themselves will finally repudiate as an unholy thing?  Paul not only

desired that the Corinthians should build upon the one true Foundation, but