"What fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness? … And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?" (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).
It was boldly stated, in connection with the recent world-wide Missionary Congress in Edinburgh, that the missionary no longer says to the heathen "Your religion is a lie, " but "Your religion has the root of the matter in it; you, too, feel the hunger for the Eternal even as we do; you have the half truth — we bring you the whole truth." Further, "the missionary sets himself to build the city of God, he must first ascertain how far the city is built to his hands."
When the Galatian church desired to mix the ordinances of Judaism with the truth of Christ, Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote to them "O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?" (Gal. 3:1). "How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements? … I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain" (Gal. 4:9-10).
When the Colossian church was in danger of being deceived into thinking that the philosophy of the Greeks could help to complete what they supposed was lacking in Christ, he wrote: "Beware lest any man beguile you with philosophy and vain deceit… and not after Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:8-9).
To the Corinthians he wrote: "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).
When he first visited that heathen city he did not find the city of God partly built within it, for he wrote: "According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is" (1 Cor. 3:10-13).
In that day of manifestation what shall be said to those who are attempting to build the gold, silver, and precious stones of the truth as it is in Jesus, with the wood, hay, and stubble of a corrupt and devil-inspired heathenism? For their religion is not "the half-truth;" for "the things that the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils" (1 Cor. 10:20; cf. Lev. 17:7; Deut. 31:17).
That there are many in heathen lands, awakened of God, who are hungering after Him, we believe to be blessedly true, but that deep heart-hunger will not be satisfied by the false gospel that tells them that they have the half-truth, but by Christ and Him alone, the Bread of God — a full Christ for empty and hopeless sinners, the One who said "I am the Truth."