The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 1:9-18, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.
12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”
13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.
16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

There were several churches in the small town where I lived as a boy. Each had beliefs that differed from the others, yet there were no quarrels that I can recall. Each year, at the appropriate time, the churches formed a combined choir came together to sing the praises of the LORD. It is hardly the situation in which we find ourselves today!

Paul admonished the Corinthian Church for its division. It seemed to embrace exactly what Satan desired. One group praised this one as its leader, another that one. Quarrels abounded throughout! No one was following the love that Christ Jesus desired for His Church.

It’s much like that today. Pastors are confusing people everywhere! Many are not preaching the Gospel at all. Their focus is upon themselves and their “gospel” concerns money, enabling them to live a lavish lifestyle, the like of which is unknown to their congregation. Surely, this is exceedingly hurtful to the LORD Jesus, who gave Himself on the Cross for our sins.

We must pray for such pastors, that they will return to the purity of the Gospel. Our LORD is not the Lord of such divisions. And we must thank Him for those who hold firmly to
the true doctrines of the “faith once delivered to the saints.”

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