The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 1:1-7, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”

Did you ever have a sound spanking when you were still quite young? To ask that question is to answer it. We had a “weeping willow” tree in our back yard. And it was years before I knew that name designated the tree. Oh, I knew it was a tree, but I was equally assurred that I was the “weeping” part. Believe me, it was no laughing matter.

In his first letter, the Apostle Paul soundly scolded the Corinthian Church. Here, Paul teft Ephesus awaiting Titus’ appearance at Philippi. Paul’s first letter soundly excoreated the Church for her wrongdoing. Unlike the first, this second letter is tender and loving. Such tenderness, in fact, led the the Corinthian Church not only to reverse her demeanor, but to engage in a contributuib to the needs of Macedonian churches.

Isn’t this the way it ought to be? Should we not learn from those who knew the LORD and had been
appointed by Him to be His disciples? Should we not live to love and cooperate with thos who had come to know Christ Jesus as LORD? Thus, Paul gives an Explanation (1:1-7:16) of why he was so stern in that First Epistle.

Further, Paul now exhorts the newly-recharged congretation to perform some good deeds both in their community and in other regions of the world. They accepted the challenge and that’s why he praised them to the churches in Macedonia (8:1-9:27).

In a strange almost reversal, and a bit of sternness, the apostle vindicated his apostleship and proved his right to their love and respect (10:1-13:14), How is your church doing? Conceivably, she needs a spanking and a dose of what Paul gave the Corinthians. Just remember that even the harshest discipline can result in blessing if it’s administered with a spoonful of love.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom