truths apart and have in consequence put forward views which come little short of

fatalism. This is disastrous to growth in grace and response to the revealed will of God.

Verse one continues `and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness'.

Epignosis, translated `acknowledge' has not the meaning of full knowledge so much as

knowledge acted on, that is acknowledgment. Paul is not only revealing truth here, but

stressing its practical claims on the believer's life. The whole epistle revolving as it does

around the subject of good works, is really an exposition of what the believer's practical

acknowledgment should be. This truth is `after godliness'. The word godliness is a

translation of the Greek eusebeia and occurs ten times in Paul's writings, all of them

begin in the Pastoral epistles. They are I Tim. 2: 2; 3: 16; 4: 7, 8; 6: 3, 5, 6, 11;

II Tim. 3: 5; Titus 1: 1.  Eusebeia is composed of eu, meaning `well', and sebomai `to

worship'.

Perhaps `God-fearing' comes nearer its meaning than `godliness',

remembering the O.T. phrase `the fear of the Lord' which occurs fourteen times in the

Book of Proverbs. This fear is not the same as fear in the sense of being afraid, but

reverence for God, a strong desire not to do anything that will hurt or grieve the One who

is our Heavenly Father. Such will `well-reverence' Him and so exhibit the godliness that

these epistles stress so much. Thus the word has a deeper meaning than piety and is

closely linked with true worship which is at the heart of all truth.

Verse two leads on to eternal life; "in hope of eternal life which God, that cannot lie,

promised before the ages of time". This is the `promise of life which is in Christ Jesus"

(II Tim. 1: 1), hope and promise being often linked together in Scripture. Men, as sinners,

are `alienated from the life of God' (Eph. 4: 18) but `life and incorruption' have been

brought to light through the gospel of the grace of God (II Tim. 1: 10, 11) ministered by

the Apostle Paul. John in his first epistle tells us "God hath given unto us eternal life and

this life is in His Son . . . he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (I John 5: 11, 12).

From these Scriptures it is surely clear that living forever (divorced from Christ), is a

delusion, but for the believer in the Lord Jesus this is absolute certainty, for it is based on

a promise made by God and He cannot lie. How sure and steadfast this must be then!

We can have indeed `full assurance of faith' as we look beyond this present life which

Scripture likens to a disappearing vapour (James 4: 14). Strictly speaking the word

`eternal' is the Greek aionios, eonian or age-long. There is a phase of this which relates

to the earthly purpose of God through redeemed Israel and is featured in the Gospels.

Another aspect of it is the basis of the hope of the Mystery. It is useless looking forward

to being seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus and being shown the exceeding

riches of God's grace in the ages to come (Eph. 2: 6, 7) unless we have the necessary life

given us to enjoy it.

God's promise of life goes back "before the world began", or better, before the ages

of time, which is nearer the original. This is linked up with the plan of God and His

grace which also takes us back before time commenced, using the same phrase as here

(II Tim. 1: 9). Eph. 1: 4 assures us that we were elected in Christ before the overthrow of

the world. The Body of Christ is the only calling of the redeemed that reaches so far

back into the past. Other callings have the time period "since the foundation of the