reach one's goal. That this is innate in the word two passages will show. In Phil. 3: 12

the apostle explains what he means by being perfect, by adding, "That I may apprehend

that for which I am also apprehended to Christ Jesus", and in Gal. 3: 3 he places

"perfected" in antithesis to "begin": "Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made

perfect (ended, as it were, finished off) by the flesh?"  Perdition set over against

perfectness then means to end in waste. Therein lies the tragedy of drawing back. The

foundation is laid, the builder will be saved, but he may be saved "so as by fire". He may

not himself be lost, but he may "suffer loss", and see his life's work turn to smoke

(I Cor. 3:). This was the dreadful possibility before the Hebrews.

If Phil. 3: speaks of "enemies", Heb. 10: speaks of "adversaries". If Phil. 3:

speaks of "enemies of the cross of Christ", Heb. 10: speaks of "treading under foot the

Son of God". If Phil. 3: speaks of a "prize" to be won, Heb. 10: speaks of a "reward".

If Phil. 4: says "the Lord is near" (eggus), Heb. 10: says "the day is drawing near"

(eggizo). In Volume XIII (pages 139-142) we give nine items where the Sermon on the

Mount runs parallel with Philippians, not of course confusing their distinctive teaching.

This article we will not repeat here, but mention it as confirming the fact that these three

sets of Scripture, each using perfection over against perdition, express a scriptural

principle. As we gain knowledge of the meaning of perdition in Heb. 10: we begin to

sense the meaning of "saving the soul" also.

Peripoiesis occurs but five times in the N.T., viz.:--

Peripoieomai is translated "purchased" in Acts 20: 23,

and "purchase"

in

I Tim. 3: 13.

Not only must we have the true conception of the word "saving", but we must also be

sure that we have no traditional warp regarding the expression "saving the souls". It is

used in evangelical preaching and literature as though it expressed the goal of the gospel

of grace, but the striking thing is that Paul has no use for the expression. Peter uses the

words "the salvation (soterian, not peripoiesis) of your souls", but not in the sense it is

usually employed, for he speaks of "salvation ready to be revealed at the last time . . . . .

at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1: 5-9). So far as the present is concerned,

believers are exhorted rather to lose their souls, which is not a popular expression to-day.

The moment we see this we are on the track of the truth of Heb. 10: Matt. 16: supplies

the key:--