The apostle's desire was that the Mystery should be `made known' (Eph. 1:9; 3:3,10; 6:19).

Does it follow that this knowledge automatically comes with the gift of life? Even Peter says `Add to your faith

virtue; and to virtue knowledge' (2 Pet. 1:5). Peter desired that his readers should not be barren and unfruitful in the

knowledge of the Lord (2 Pet. 1:8), he urged them to give diligence to make their calling and election sure, saying:

`... if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the

everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' (2 Pet. 1:10,11).

Was Peter lapsing into `gnosticism' ?

John, who wrote against the incipient gnosticism of his day, supplemented his emphasis upon believing, by

`These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: that ye may know that ye have

eternal life' (1 John 5:13).

Shall we charge Paul, Peter and John with `Gnosticism' because they stress the words `know', `knowledge',

`make known' and the like? We do not attain to `a certain position in Christ' because we happen to know a little

more than another, that is an unpardonable perversion, but the knowledge of our calling is the only way that we can

be assured ourselves, or that we can be recognized as a fellow member. The criticism we have considered simply

draws a red-herring across our path and attempts to frighten us with the word `gnosticism'.

THE EIGHT SIGNS.

It is evident that whatever John meant by chapter 20:30,31 this gospel of `life through His Name' is implicit in

the eight signs especially selected, and a careful examination of them will make it very obvious that the revelation of

the Mystery as entrusted to Paul, the Prisoner of Jesus Christ to us Gentiles, can have no possible place in them.

`Search and See'.

To lift out John 20:30,31, turn a blind eye to the eight signs, and then without the slightest Scriptural warrant to

suggest that these verses are on all fours with Ephesians 2:4-6 is self condemned. First let us observe how closely

John has associated these signs with a work done and consequent believing, summed up as it is in John 20:30,31.

The Eight Signs 2:1 to 21:14.