The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Colossians 2:8-12, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in

the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;

12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

I will be clear and concise at the beginning: I have never been in jail! When we examine the Scriptures, however, we learn that while

there are some who ought not to have been there, there are some who ought to be there, but are not!

Paul was not the founder of the Church in Colosse. As a matter of fact, he was a prisoner in Rome when heresy attacked the Colossian congregation. “Flesh is essentially evil…” Heresy prevails when people

leave or ignore the Scriptures and allow human thought to prevail. Here in Colosse, we have a mixture of Judaism, Gnosticism, Asceticism with a ‘dash’ of angel worship.” (Imagine what kind of messy Church that would have been!)

I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have remained there long. Paul, however, knew that unless things were straightened out, other churches would be infected with the same thing!

Thus, Paul preached doctrine in chapters 1-2, and doctrine’s practical results in 3-4. It wasn’t long, but he bathes his words in love and solemnly warns the Colossians with clear, practical teaching. It’s a message every true church needs and should heed.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene

(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

Dear Grands,

Philippians 4:1-7, “Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.

3 Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

If ever there were an epistle that ought to be greatly valued by Gentiles, it is the Letter to the Philippians. It was written to the first Church founded in Europe. While Philippians is hardly the deepest, it is one of the sweetest letters ever written by the Apostle Paul.

While there is not a solitary quotation from the Old Testament in the epistle, the words “joy” and “rejoice” are found in every chapter. Notice that only three times is the Holy Spirit mentioned, yet the entire epistle contains more praise than any other writing.

Then dissension broke out within the church, threatening the peace that the Word of God had planted and cultivated within the church.

Two of the leading women experienced confrontation, leading to a virtual split within the church. Paul worked hard to revive unity, without which the church would ultimately fail. Instead of reproving the women for their opposition, Paul worked to fill their minds with the greatness and love of the Lord Jesus Christ! How wise he was! Unity is possible when we lose sight of “self” and rest our eyes on the Scriptures! May the Lord help us all.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene

(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

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

Dear Grands,

Galatians 3:1-7: “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6 Even so, Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.

Galatia is a broad strip of country in Asia Minor, inhabited by a mixed race, consisting predominantly of Gauls. The Gauls had left their own country (known today as France) some 300 years B.C. and settled there following a successful military campaign.

The temperament of the Celts was very fickle, so that when Paul and other competent teachers of biblical truth left to go elsewhere, the Galatians would slip back into their old ways of worship. Yet, this epistle has done more than any other to emancipate people from Judaism, Romanism, Ritualism, and every other form of externalism, all of which have threatened the freedom and spirituality of the Gospel.

Galatians cites Paul’s apostolic authority, his defense, and exposition of salvation and sanctification by faith alone. The doctrine of justification by faith is stated here more emphatically than in any of Paul’s other writings. Here he teaches everything from revelation, justification, and divine unification, including liberty and service—all through justification.

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

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 5:14-19, “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, 16 Therefore, from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

There was no church with which Paul was ever affiliated that gave him more trouble than this church in Corinth. It was hardly controlled by the love of Christ. Remember that the Corinthians were chiefly viewed as a lower class of people (1 Cor. 1:26), making persistent the problems they faced. It was the kind of congregation that compelled its leadership to simply seek another people.

Yet, Paul never forgot his own conversion and the calling to share the gospel, regardless of the attitudes that clamored against it. He emphasized that Christ’s death and resurrection should be visible within the people that claimed to have been changed, so that now they follow His Son, Jesus, as their Leader.

Paul speaks forthrightly to these Corinthian believers, just as he speaks to us. “You simply cannot go on living like you used to do,” he says. “Christ died to make you a ‘new creature.’ Now, start living like it!”

There’s an old adage that says, “You’ve got to be something before you can do anything.” Are we what He needs us to be?

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