The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Colossians 1:28, “And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ.”

One thing I learned in college English class that I shall never forget: the verb is the most powerful word in any sentence! In most cases, the verb is the action word and defines all other words in the sentence. Paul uses four verbs in this second-to-the-last verse in this first chapter.

1. “We proclaim Him!” The word for “proclaim” is kataggello. The word is a present, active, indicative verb, with the connotation of a broad dissemination. Paul was not one to mince words or hide them from the hearts that needed them. We are to be active as we share the Gospel, and we are to be continually sharing it. Of course, the sharing has many and varied ways. Sometimes, it will be just a word, dropped into the conversation. Sometimes, it will be a full-blown and informative “how-to-be-saved” discussion, ending with prayer for the LORD to change a life.

2. “…admonishing every man…” The word for “admonish” is nouthetountes, meaning giving counsel and instruction to us that we might avoid inappropriate conduct. We probably all need that admonition, even if we have received the LORD Jesus as our Savior. Perhaps, the word means that, while we have been saved, we have yet to allow Christ to be LORD of our lives in every area and in every situation.

3. “…teaching every man with all wisdom…” The word “teaching” is didaskontes; and “wisdom,” sophia, while not a verb, couples with “teaching” to say that we are to take into careful account how much we are to say in our witnessing. Sometimes, we lose the person by talking too much about what they already don’t understand. We’re not witnessing to show how much we know; we’re witnessing of the One who will be most meaningful to their lives.

4. “…that we may present every man complete in Christ.” The word “present” is parastesomen, and

has a relationship with the concept of sacrifice. No person is “complete in Christ” until he has expressed sorrow for his sin and yielded his life to Christ, as fully and completely as he knows. It is

a “self-sacrifice” of the person to the will of the LORD Jesus. When we do that, we are “complete in

Christ.”

Now, knowing all of the above, don’t you see how important it is for us to reach the lost for Jesus? And

CHRISTmastime is the very best occasion of the year to get started. With all of the tinsel and lights, more people are thinking about Jesus than you know. Now is the time for us to think about Him, too!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”