and when it can be proved that the church of Colosse were instructed to perform the rite of literal circumcision, it

will be time enough to argue that the burial with baptism that follows takes place at the font by sprinkling or at the

pool by immersion.

Assuming that the reader has travelled with us in spirit so far and is willing to examine the clusters of blessings

that may be represented by this bunch of the grapes of Eshcol, let us turn our attention to some of the unique features

of this great Epistle to the Ephesians.

ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

(Eph. 1:3)

Writing to the believer before the great dispensational landmark of Acts 28, Paul speaks of `the blessing of

Abraham' coming on the Gentiles, but Abraham is never mentioned in the `Prison Epistles', and no blessing of

Abraham is associated either with `heavenly places' or `before the foundation of the world'. There are some terms

used in the Scriptures, which by their very nature and the place they occupy in the scheme of salvation, come over

and over again in the writings of the apostle. Such terms as `faith', `redemption', `justification' will come to the

mind immediately, and are found in many of the epistles whether written before or after Acts 28. No one moreover

could deny the use of the word `blessing' when speaking of these great doctrines of salvation, yet the fact remains

that Romans 15:29 `the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ', 1 Corinthians 10:16 `the cup of blessing

which we bless' and Galatians 3:14 `the blessing of Abraham' are the only other occurrences of the word in Paul's

epistles. So far as the Prison Epistles are concerned Ephesians 1:3 stands alone, the word `blessing' meeting us in

the very opening words of the new revelation and never again employed in any capacity by the apostle. Terms such

as `seated together' and `blessing' receive emphasis by their glorious solitariness. They stand alone and are beyond

Green, in his handbook says that where the adjective pas `all' in the singular number is written without the

article `the', it signifies `every', but with the article it means `the whole of' the object which it qualifies. Thus pasa

polis means `every city'; pasa he polis or he pasa polis `the whole city' and he polis pasa would have a slightly

different meaning - either `the city, all of it' or `the city in every part'.

The church of the one body is blessed `with every blessing that is spiritual'. This is even wider in its scope than

to say `all spiritual blessings', for if the number of the blessings were but few - say four, they could still be defined

as `all spiritual', whereas the mind reels as it endeavours to grasp the fact that there is no blessing that comes under

the category of `spiritual' that is omitted. It is highly improbable, that, while we are in this life, we shall be able to

appreciate a tithe of what is here so freely bestowed.

In complete contrast with the spiritual blessings of the Mystery, are the `carnal' or `natural' blessings of the law.

`Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field ... blessed shall be thy basket and thy

store ... the LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses ... the LORD shall make thee

plenteous in goods ...' (Deut. 28:1-11).

`Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in His ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine

hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of

thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table'. (Psa. 128:1-3).

How completely opposite all this is from the experience of the believer under the dispensation of grace. Like

Paul, he may know what it is to suffer need, to be in want, to know what it is to be continually in trouble. He will

have no guarantee of a settled dwelling-place, he has no promise of special protection during periods of danger, his

`basket and store' may show impoverishment, while the ungodly may appear to prosper. It would be foolish to

assess a man's spiritual worth today by the size of his bank balance, or any other material standard. Ephesians 1:3

does not speak of daily bread, of dwelling-place, of home comforts or of business success. It visualizes a new plane,

the spiritual, which is on resurrection ground. The earnest of our inheritance is not a bunch of grapes as it was when

the spies returned with the grapes of Eshcol, neither are our enemies men of flesh and blood, but they are spiritual

Canaanites, principalities and powers.