RD 101 - Lesson #60 - Both

by Jack Eberle
    The amazing Scriptures have been under attack ever since God put His breath into words.  Today, the Scripture is under attack more than ever. Satan has used the worldly, but up-dated medias with lots of new and updated wrinkles of technology. Unbelieving man has followed shredded and twisted adversary Satan to seemingly put God in wraps.  Yet God’s Word, for those who will take their time to discover, are continuously learning quiet and obscured facts of His Holy Word.  Our Lord has guided and assured us that each and every word of His precious Scriptures is important for those who love Him.
    This amazing word “both” is found in a very significant place in Acts 26:16. Here are the words of our Lord, spoken to the astonished Paul, who was on the way to Damascus to get orders requiring him to capture some of God’s more serious believers who were giving problems to the Jewish hierarchy. Paul had ranked highly in this Jewish establishment – and very sincerely thought he was doing God’s will to persecute these heretical Jewish believers in the Christ. Paul had not met Christ yet, but at the time of our passage, he was about to in such a unique way.
    Paul is telling the story of this meeting with the Christ to a Roman regional. King Agrippa found the story fascinating. Yet, he couldn’t believe it (verse 28). Though this is story enough for most, we haven’t reached the climax of the narrative.  God’s and Christ’s Words are always “key”! Verses 14-15 proceed further to the climax.  In 14, it is reported that Christ speaks to Paul. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”  Then Paul is told further, “I am Jesus Whom you persecute!” Then our Lord tells Paul what he expects him to do. See Vs. 16. You will see that Christ has two ministries for him to pursue. These are the WORDS of our Christ and Lord. He has decided to place these sacred, instructive words in His book.
    Further study of the Holy Scriptures will show that Paul indeed had two ministries, and they were so important that Paul had written 14 portions of Holy Writ by God’s ordination. The first seven portions were written before the great divide – Acts 28:28. They were Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, I and II Thessalonians and Hebrews.  After the great divide of Acts 28:28, where the Jewish nation was set aside, and were no longer given preferred treatment, our Lord gave Paul the commission of writing seven letters to the “nations”. Those letters were Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II Timothy, Titus and Philemon. “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.” Reader, Friend: Have you heard it?