It is surprising, in one sense, to note the emphasis which the apostle Paul puts upon

"joy". When we come to think of the life he lived, the nature of the revelation made

known to and through him--the stewardship of the Mystery--his bonds and

imprisonment, the loneliness and the abuse that seemed his daily meat, we should not be

surprised, speaking after the manner of men, if "joy" never entered his vocabulary.

But, thank God, we do not speak after the manner of men, having seen enough of the

grace of God to be prepared for songs in the night and psalms from the innermost prison.

Again and again in the epistles to the Philippians Paul bids his readers "rejoice", even

though some brethren (not merely pagan enemies) were endeavouring to add affliction to

his bonds.

The ministry for which The Berean Expositor was first called into existence, and

which justifies its continuance, is one so fraught with problems, and which makes such

demands upon both reader and writer, that it is absolutely necessary that into all the hard

study, and in some cases isolation that the truth entails, should be brought the

remembrance that faith is not cold but warm and living, and that there is a "joy of faith"

(Phil. 1: 25), as well as the subject-matter of the faith, the fight of faith and steadfastness

in the faith. Faith not only leads to justification, acceptance and life, blessings indeed

beyond computation, but to "joy and peace in believing" (Rom. 15: 13) with which we

should be as much filled, as "with the spirit".

"Not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God" (I Thess. 2: 13).