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 If
there is a book or letter in the New Testament addressed to
Robert F. Turner I have failed to find it; nor do I recall a
single command that was specifically addressed to me. But as I
read Dr. Luke’s treatise regarding the history of the early
disciples of Christ (addressed, either specifically or as a
literary mechanism, to “Theophilus”) I notice he gives the
gist of a sermon preached by Peter and the apostles, about 30
A.D., to some Jews in Jerusalem; in which they were told to “repent
and be baptized. .“ He didn’t say the Lord wanted me to do
that! But he did say the promise was to “all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” The
context indicates the blessings of the promise are for those who
do what he told the Jews of his audience to do.
Then
I read a first-century biography on the life of Christ, and find
that He told his disciples they were to wait in Jerusalem until
they received the Holy Spirit (“he will guide you into all
truth”). Then they were to go into all the world and teach all
nations, every creature: “He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved...” Since Luke’s history refers to this
promise, and describes the Jerusalem sermon as a result of these
promised events; I begin to get the idea that the Pentecost
message was for Robert Turner — a creature of one of the
nations.
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A
fellow named Paul wrote some letters during the first century,
addressed — not to Robert Turner, but to some followers of
Christ of his day. These “creatures” were far removed from
Jerusalem, and were gentiles like me, yet they had believed,
repented, and been baptized; and evidently enjoyed the promised
blessings as did the Jerusalem converts.
The
evidence accumulates — I am more convinced that Christ has a
common message for mankind, and that the “sent ones”
delivered this message in person and by writing (Lu. 1:1-4; Jn.
20:30-31; 2 Pet. 3:1-2). The apostle Paul told saints in Ephesus
(not RFT) that they could understand his knowledge by reading
what he wrote. (I got that information by reading his inspired
letter — just like I read uninspired letters written to me
today.) I begin to think I can understand about Jesus Christ,
just like the Ephesians did — even before I read a single book
on “Art of Exegesis” or “The Role of Examples in
Interpretative Analysis.”
He
may not know if he got it by example or command, but maybe there’s
still hope for any ol’ hillbilly who can hear or read, and
love the Lord.
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