The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 11:1-6. “I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.
2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.
3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.
5 For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.
6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.”

Have you ever played games? Of course, you have. But, I’m not speaking of the kind of games which you are thinking. Perhaps, one of your parents was a “gamester.” Moms and dads can be, you know. Then, when you queried about who was coming or where the prankster parent was taking you, you found that parents can be tricksters as much as anyone else.

The Apostle Paul was no prankster! But he did engage in a bit of “foolishness.” He said so himself. “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.” He had every right to be jealous. He was the LORD’s servant; and he had led them to faith in Christ. It was his express desire to present each and every believer to Christ in the fashion that Christ desired.

Paul then mentions Eve. Yes, she is the same Eve that was created to be with Adam in those early days of creation! The serpent lied to Eve; and in the process of her yielding to the serpent’s temptation, sin, which had been unknown up to that time, deceived her into plunging the whole of creation into sin against the will of the LORD!

Paul did not want the believers in Corinth to be misled, as Eve had been. Verse four in the passage above is the revelation of the deceit that would have mislead the believers. It was someone Paul undoubtedly knew, yet he did not reveal it to the Corinthian believers. He actually chides the Corinthians saying, “you bear this beautifully” (v. 4).

Paul undoubtedly anticipated the attitude of the Corinthians when he admitted to being “unskilled in speech.” Yet, simultaneously, he vindicated himself when he said, “…even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge…” (v. 6).

Serious, godly pastors do not preach for money! Yes, but they have to live, just the same. Still, there are those who desire only the money! Watch out for them! Don’t be robbed of the Truth by those who could care less. Follow Jesus only!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

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

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