the habit of putting the finger to the nose, to indicate derision. In writers of rhetoric

mykterismos is ordinarily treated as a species of irony. Dr. Bullinger gives it separately

under Chleuasmos or mocking, and Luke uses an intensive form of this same word in

chapter 16: 14 where he describes the scoffing attitude of the Pharisees. Just as men

`mocked' God by saying `corban' (Mark 7: 11) so the believer may fall into the same

evil by a hypocritical parsimony. The Apostle uses the figure of sowing and reaping in

II Cor. 9: 6, where the particular reference is to the collection for the poor believers of

Judaea. The churches of Galatia also were invited to take part in this gift (I Cor. 16: 1).

Under this figure of sowing and reaping is included the whole of life's activities, and

without using one word of philosophical jargon nevertheless brings before us the whole

philosophy of cause and effect. Every action may be likened to `sowing'. Reward and

punishment alike may be compared with `reaping', and just as men do not gather figs

from thorns, nor grapes from a bramble bush (Luke 6: 44), so any action that has `the

flesh' as its goal must assuredly reap corruption, every action that has `the spirit' as its

goal must as assuredly reap life everlasting. The brother who undertakes to restore

another who has been overtaken in a fault can do it in a spirit of meekness, or a spirit of

spiritual pride; one believer may fulfil the law of Christ by bearing the burden of a

fellow believer, the other may think himself `something' and refuse to stoop so low, one

who is taught in the Word may communicate with him that teaches, or he may withhold

such fellowship. It matters not, all such sowing must have a corresponding reaping.

The Apostle passes from the beneficence that belongs to `him that is taught in the

word' (verse 6) to the general underlying principle of all such action (verses 7, 8), and

now in verse 9 he rounds the matter off with an exhortation to continuance and patience,

acknowledging the intrusion of weariness at time, but exhorting all to keep the end in

sight, bring the practical call to liberal and generous fellowship to a conclusion by saying:

It appears that at this point Paul takes the pen from the hand of the writer, and with

evident labour, writes the closing verses. This we must consider in our next article thus

bringing the study of this most important epistle to a fit conclusion.