idea of something `equivalent'.  Abraham, when negotiating the purchase of the

cave of Machpelah, said:

`for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me' (Gen. 23:9).

The Hebrew is given in the margin `full money', the Greek version being

arguriou tou axiou.  This was `weighed in the balances' to the last shekel of

the 400 as we see in verse 16.  This same sense is felt in Job 11:6:

`God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth'.

Here again the LXX uses axios.  The idea of comparison is seen in Proverbs

3:15 `not to be compared unto her'.  Such is the word that Paul uses at the

opening of his exhortation, `Walk worthy'.  Walk so that there may be a

comparison between doctrine and practice.

The word axios is an adverb, and standing alone would be translated

`worthily', but the word does not stand alone in any of its occurrences in the

New Testament; it is always followed by such an expression as `of the Lord', `of

the calling', `of the gospel'.  `Worthy of the Lord' must be taken as an

adverbial phrase.  `As becometh saints' (Rom. 16:2) is literally `worthy of

saints'.  `After a godly sort' (3 John 6) is literally `worthy of God'.  The

word axios comes three times in the Prison epistles, and in each case it is

associated either with the calling, the gospel, or the Lord.  We are not allowed

to think merely of the walk, not merely of walking worthily, not simply to be

studying our walk as such, but ever to think of the walk as it is related to

something higher and nobler than ourselves:

In Ephesians 4:1  we have

`walk worthy of the calling'.

In Philippians 1:27

`manner of life worthy of the gospel'.

In Colossians 1:10

`walk worthy of the Lord'.

How it must influence us if we but remember that in the one scale of the

balance is our calling, the gospel, yea, even the Lord Himself.  What a walk

that must be therefore that shall be `worthy'.

The word `walk' occurs in the epistle seven times, and therefore bears the

hallmark of Divine emphasis:

A

Walk according to (kata) world.

B

Good works.

C  4:1.

Walk worthy.

A

Walk as (kathos) Gentiles.

B  5:2.

In love.

As light.

The negative is grouped under A, the positive under B.  We need both.  We

need to be warned of that walk which is according to the age of this world, of

that walk which partakes of the characteristics of those conditions we have left

behind.  We are exhorted to remember that we were once Gentiles in the flesh,