will involve the denial of SELF and the loss of SOUL, that we may sow to the SPIRIT,

and reap in the day of Christ. One may gain the "whole world" now at the price of

faithfulness (the Lord Himself knew the temptation, see Matt. 4: 8), but the soul would

be forfeited in the day when faithful ones would "find" theirs. These words "forfeit" and

"find" have their equivalents in Heb. 10: and 11: The Hebrew believers had suffered for

their faith, they had suffered together with prisoners, they had submitted to the spoiling of

their goods with joy, for they knew that they had more enduring and better possessions,

they lost their souls in this life that they might find them (10: 34). The "forfeiting" of the

soul of Matt. 16: seems echoed in Heb. 10: 38, 39, "if any draw back", "we are not of

those drawing back unto destruction", the "finding" of the soul, being echoed in the

words, "but of faith unto the acquiring of the soul". Heb. 11: follows with a long list of

those who lost their souls in this life, who gave up much of that which they might

legitimately have enjoyed, in view of the better resurrection. The question, "What shall a

man give in ransom for his soul", (apparently if forfeited by reason of seeking selfish

interests in this life), is echoed in the account of Esau, who having bartered the spiritual

for the temporal found no place for repentance (Heb. 12: 17).  The "gaining" or

"winning" of the whole world finds reflection in the apostle's own confession in Phil. 3:,

where he willingly loses all his "gains" that he may "win" or "gain" Christ. He says that

he did not hold his souls as valuable, honourable, precious.  (See usage of timios,

Acts 5: 34, I Cor. 3: 12, I Pet. 1: 19;  and time, Rom. 9: 21, II Tim. 2: 20, 21; and

atimia, I Cor. 11: 14, II Cor. 6: 8).  He knew what it was to be classed among the

"offscouring of all things". Among the sustaining powers that enabled him to rise above

persecution, disgrace, libel, and opposition, that enabled him to reckon his dearest

possessions as so much refuse, was the great purpose of his life, "so that I may finish my

course". That he did so finish, his last epistle testifies, for writing to Timothy he says, "I

have finished my course. . . . henceforth a crown". That every reader of The Berean

Expositor may be able so to say is one of the definite objects before the writer. May it be

our blessed privilege.

We have seen the inflexible purpose that sustained the apostle in his endeavour at all

costs to "finish his course, even the ministry he had received of the Lord Jesus". We now

consider a passage where he shows the goal he set before himself regarding his ministry

of the truth of the mystery among the saints. His purpose is expressed by the words, "that

we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus". Two presentations are spoken of in

Col. 1:, and they are related to each other as fruit is to root, or building to foundation.

The first is spoken of in verse 22:--