wisdom and revelation would be granted. At the close of the prayer, the Apostle reverts

to this "recognition", and once again we must carefully examine the original in order to

perceive the truth. In the first instance we must note that there are several readings of the

manuscripts of Col. 1: 10.

The Received Text reads eis ten epignosin, "unto the knowledge". A few MSS read

en te epignosei "in the knowledge", but the bulk of the best texts read simply te

epignosei, the dative case, without either the prepositions eis or en. Some of these

readings can be seen in the footnotes of various editions of the Greek New Testament.

"The Companion Bible" notes a few, but textual criticism is a specialized study,

consequently we translate Col. 1: 10: "Being fruitful in every good work, and increasing

by the recognition, or acknowledgment, of God."

It is "by" the acknowledgment of God, that we both "bear fruit" and "increase", and

apart from that acknowledgment or recognition growth ceases, sight becomes dim, and

the keenness that once characterized our pursuit of the high truth of the Mystery wanes.

We believe that the Apostle in Eph. 1: 17 is not concerned with "knowledge", he, in

effect, says "we must stop for a while. In the charter of the church there is enough

knowledge to last a lifetime--what is needed is the grace and the willingness to

acknowledge the wondrous truth". It is just here that so many fail. We have met those

whose intelligence was bright enough for them to see very clearly that with the passing of

Israel a new dispensation was called for.  They saw only too well that there were

exceeding different conditions in the Mystery from that which obtained during the Acts,

they drew back, not because they did not see, but because they saw only too well, and

realized that a price would be exacted by christendom if they dared to step out into the

full light and liberty of the Mystery. So, failing to "acknowledge" what they had seen,

they soon failed to recognize the truth, and are now quite content with the ordinances and

their appropriations of Pentecost. The fear of man bringeth a snare, and "repentance unto

the acknowledging of the truth" (II Tim. 2: 25) is the only means of deliverance.