Study Desk

But when He who set me apart even from my birth, and called me by His grace,

saw fit to reveal His Son within me in order that I might tell among the Gentiles the Good News concerning Him, at once I did not confer with any human being,

But although my companion Titus was a Greek they did not insist upon even his being circumcised.

for He who had been at work within Peter with a view to his Apostleship to the Jews had also been at work within me with a view to my Apostleship to the Gentiles--

Now when Peter visited Antioch, I remonstrated with him to his face, because he had incurred just censure.

He who gives you His Spirit and works miracles among you--does He do so on the ground of your obedience to the Law, or is it the result of your having heard and believed:

even as Abraham believed God, and his faith was placed to his account as righteousness?

(Now the promises were given to Abraham and to his seed. God did not say "and to seeds," as if speaking of many, but "and to your seed," since He spoke of only one--and this is Christ.)

but he is under the control of guardians and trustees until the time his father has appointed.

But, when the time was fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born subject to Law,

And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of His Son to enter your hearts and cry "Abba! our Father!"

But let every man scrutinize his own conduct, and then he will find out, not with reference to another but with reference to himself, what he has to boast of.

For every man will have to carry his own load.

He who sows in the field of his lower nature, will from that nature reap destruction; but he who sows to serve the Spirit will from the Spirit reap the Life of the Ages.

even as, in His love, He chose us as His own in Christ before the creation of the world, that we might be holy and without blemish in His presence.

For He pre-destined us to be adopted by Himself as sons through Jesus Christ--such being His gracious will and pleasure--

to the praise of the splendour of His grace with which He has enriched us in the beloved One.

It is in Him, and through the shedding of His blood, that we have our deliverance--the forgiveness of our offences--so abundant was God's grace,

when He made known to us the secret of His will. And this is in harmony with God's merciful purpose

for the government of the world when the times are ripe for it--the purpose which He has cherished in His own mind of restoring the whole creation to find its one Head in Christ; yes, things in Heaven and things on earth, to find their one Head in Him.