bias, or inclination. There are instances of such a use in the Apocrypha: as, for example,

"to take part with" and "to be well affected" (I Mac. 10: 20, II Mac. 14: 26). It should

be our earnest prayer that we may ever "incline" and be "well affected" towards the

"things that be of God", realizing that such an attitude will often be opposed to the

"things that be of men".

Scripture does not veil the fact, that to many there is something very offensive about

the doctrine of the cross, and we should realize how diametrically opposed are the "things

of God" to the "things of men" in this particular.

The self-same word is used in Matt. 16: and in Gal. 5:, to indicate the attitude of

God and man to the cross.

In both places the Greek word is skandalon, a word which is translated many times

It is painfully evident from Phil. 3: that it was possible for a believer, by his walk, to

become an "enemy" of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3: 18), and the message of the cross

could be emptied of meaning by resorting to "wisdom of words" (I Cor. 1: 17). There are

many contrasts instituted by Paul between the things of God and the things of men, as for

example the opening words of Gal. 1: 1, or his attitude to "man's day" (I Cor. 4: 3), but

this we can only suggest to the reader, space not allowing of further comment here.

"The grace of God" is the characteristic of that gospel for which the apostle Paul was

willing to live and to die (Acts 20: 24), and unto that grace of God he had been

recommended at the beginning of his public ministry (Acts 15: 40), and which was still

his stay when he became the Lord's prisoner (Eph. 3: 7).

The dispensation of the mystery, ministered by Paul as the prisoner of Jesus Christ for

us Gentiles, was "the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph. 3: 2), and this same grace

of God which brings salvation, teaches us to "live . . . . . looking for that blessed hope"

(Titus 2: 11-13).

Let us not forget that "grace" and "gratitude" are never far apart in the renewed mind.