The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ephesians 5:25-30: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body.”

The apostle Paul was in Rome when he wrote this epistle to the Ephesians. It was at that time around 10 years since the Ephesian Church was founded, and it has been said that “this epistle surpasses all others in sublimity of style and is preeminent, even among the apostle’s writings.”

Its distinctive teaching concerns the Church as the Body of Christ and the believers as members of that holy body. It’s worth comparing the church today with this epistle; we might quickly discover that the “wrong” within the church is directly traceable to our own doorstep. Ouch! That strikes rather close to home, does it not?

As with all of Paul’s writings, he sets forth a doctrinal section (chapters 1-3) to which he then compares the practical section (chapters 4-6). The practical section always rests upon the doctrinal. That also means that what we do always rests upon what we are. Oh, how easy that is to say; yet, how hard it is to do!

By the report I heard at church yesterday, we had a great Vacation Bible School! It simply proves that we have to be something in order to do anything! Yet, everything is good when it comes from the LORD!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

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