Peter, James and John recognised quite clearly that just as the gospel of the circumcision had been entrusted to them,

so the gospel of the uncircumcision had been committed to Paul, and that just as surely as Peter had been appointed

an apostle of the circumcision, so as surely had Paul been commissioned as the apostle to the Gentiles, and in

recognition of this difference James, Cephas and John gave their right hands of fellowship (Gal. 2:7-9). Was John

mistaken here?

As a further instance of two dispensations or dealings of God with different companies, is the fact that at the

same time that He, the God of Abraham, Isaac and of Jacob gave to Israel the law of Sinai, the nations of the earth

were under a different covenant of conscience (Rom. 1:18 to 2:29; Acts 17:25-28).

The last objection that we propose to meet is expounded as follows:

`C.H.W.'s theory requires that a believer must have more knowledge to have a certain position in Christ. This is a

form of gnosticism'.

It is not given to man to read the thoughts and intents of the heart; only by their fruits can we conclude that any

one is or is not in a certain calling, just as we insist that a man must `believe' before we can assume that he is a

KNOWING .

. . . . . YOUR ELECTION.

How could the apostle write to the Thessalonians and say:

`Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God' (1 Thess. 1:4)?

Would he not lay himself open to something of the same criticism as is levelled at us in the preceding quotation?

Paul makes no claim to have had access to the secret Will of God; he tells us that he knew that these Thessalonians

were elect because of their work of faith, their labour of love, and their patience of hope and because the gospel

came not unto them in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, and because

these Thessalonians became followers of the apostles and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction

and with joy of the Holy Ghost (1 Thess. 1:3-6).

In like manner when we meet a believer who makes it manifest that he has no knowledge of the revelation made

to Paul as the steward of the Mystery, who not only does not believe the distinctive teaching of the Mystery, but

antagonizes it, and berates those who do, then he is one who belongs to a denomination whose creed is contrary to

the `form of sound words' given by Paul (2 Tim. 1:13), who observes ceremonies and ordinances contrary to the

injunction of Colossians 2:16.

as well as SAINTS.

FAITHFUL

The Epistle to the Ephesians and the Epistle to the Colossians, both instruments for revealing the high calling of

the dispensation of the Mystery, is addressed not only to `saints' but to `faithful' (Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:2). Faithfulness is

personal, and cannot be imputed. If one would attain to any measure of assurance in regard to this high calling, that

must be `the full assurance of UNDERSTANDING'; it must reach out unto Christ, not only as in John 20:30,31 for `life'

but to find in Him:

`All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. 2:2,3).

Shall we charge the apostle with `gnosticism'?

There is such a thing as `The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him ... that ye may know what

is the hope of His calling' (Eph. 1:17,18), and the true believer will not be intimidated by such epithets as

`Gnosticism' as he ponders these weighty words of truth.

The mystery of His will is `made known'

The Mystery itself was `made known'

The manifold wisdom of God is `made known'