The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 23:19-22, “And the commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately,

‘What is it that you have to report to me?’

20 And he said, ‘The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council, as though they

were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him.

21 ‘So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under

a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.’

22 Therefore the commander let the young man go, instructing him, ‘Tell no one that you have notified me of these

things.’”

Did you ever sell someone short? That’s another way of saying “Did you ever look at someone, especially a child, and say to yourself, “He’s just a kid! He could never do what I need him to do!” There’s no way of knowing, of course, but it would be interesting to know exactly what went through the Commander’s mind when Paul’s young nephew shared the conspiracy that was afoot, a conspiracy to kill his Uncle Paul.

Did the boy’s manner strike strangely in the way he spoke to the Commander? It was as if he just blurted it all out! The childish way in which he instructed the military leader is itself amusing. “So, do not listen to them!” he said rather commandingly, leaving nothing to chance. Children tend to be forthright and determined in the way they say things. This boy’s facts were in tandum with his determination. His mind was not cluttered with the sights inside the prison. He knew what he was saying and why it was necessary to get it all straight.

The very mention of the boy’s manner of speech contrasts with what we would expect. As adults, we often feel sensitive, and sometimes necessary to add to the facts our implications. Yet, these only clutter the minds of our hearers and leave them wondering what it was we really intended to say. Little kids only clutter their rooms, not their minds. They learn mind clutter from us.

How old was Paul’s nephew? It’s impossible to know with certainty. The word for “lad” in Greek is ?????????, neaniskos, meaning “a young man,” making him to be somewhere in the range of 8 to 10 years old, but possessing

a clear concept of truth and bespeaking the decorum of a well-trained child. We would all do well to examine the pattern of a well-trained youth, even better to exploit it. Let’s examine ourselves carefully. The better behaved we are, the clearer our mission will be to ourselves and to those we pray to win to the Savior.

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.”