makes Him indulge in favouritism in revealing this Truth to some and not to all the

members of the Body.

Timothy was commanded to "guard" the good deposit of truth  (I.Tim.vi.20;

II.Tim.i.14) and the word "guard" means to watch over carefully something that is costly

and precious. He was then commanded to pass this truth on to those who could be

described as "faithful men who shall be able to teach others also" (II Tim. 2: 2), or as the

N.I.V. translates it, "entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others",

and this clearly shows the importance that God puts upon this super-heavenly calling by

the restrictions He has given and its great stress on faithfulness and reliability.

In this "good deposit" of truth is the great revelation of the creation of the New Man,

revealed through Paul the prisoner who had received it by revelation from the ascended

Christ (Eph. 3: 3). It now comes as a challenge to us today who have received it by faith

and enlightenment. "The eyes of your understanding having been enlightened" (Eph.i.18,

note the tense) is a necessary prelude to knowing the new calling and its hope, as this

verse insists, for it is impossible to be faithful to something that is not known or

understood. If all this truthfully describes our Christian witness, we can look forward to

the Lord's approval when we meet Him face to face. We cannot play fast and loose with

the "high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3: 14) which has been entrusted to our