The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 6:8-9, “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing

great wonders and signs among the people.

9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen,

including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and

Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen.”

After I had written to you yesterday about the stoning of Stephen,

I couldn’t get away from the thought that the whole dispute had

originated in the Synagogue of the Freedmen. According to the

historian Josephus, these freedmen were Jews (and descendents

of Jews) who had been expelled from Rome. While the designation

freedmen was truly political in nature, it struck me that even today

some people consider themselves “spiritually free” because they

belong to a church. This came to light again this week when I was

speaking to a young girl at the gym. I asked her if she were a

Christian, to which she responded, “Yes.” Then I asked her what

church she attended and she named a denomination, but said

she didn’t really get to attend because of sports activities at the

university. Some years ago, I met a man who said he was a

Christian because he attended the Church of Christ. I asked him

who he believe Christ was, and he answered, “He is God.” “Oh,”

I said, “then the true church might be the Church of God” (one

of two denominations by that same designation.) The point is

attending church (any church) does not make one a Christian.

How many church attendees are truly Christian? I wonder.

Free from the law—oh, happy condition!
Jesus hath bled, and there is remission;
Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,
Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36).

Love you all more than you’ll ever know,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas