Paul’s Exclusive Christianity

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 13, 1906

Paul’s Exclusive Christianity

THE apostle Paul preached an exclusive Christianity. He did not believe that the religion of Jesus Christ was simply one of many good religions; and therefore when he preached among the heathen, he plainly declared that “they are no gods, that are made with hands.” Contrasting his course with that of some of the liberal theologians of to-day, The Western Recorder says that “if Paul had been imbued with the spirit we see in prominent quarters in these days, he would have reasoned with himself in this wise:” —

I see that I have been too extreme in saying that there are no gods made with hands, and that Diana is no real divinity. Just listen to this great cry—“Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” And there are many highly respectable people joining in that cry. There are philosophers and statesmen, as well as many men of prominence in other lines, and certainly their utterances should be treated with respect. After all, there must be something divine in Diana, and while we should not go to the extreme of repudiating Christ and worshiping at Diana’s shrine, neither should we go to the other extreme and say that Diana has no valid claim to worship. I find my old theology is out of date in this Ephesian atmosphere, and it needs to be restated so as to suit these new conditions. What will do very well for Jerusalem, will not do for Ephesus. They didn’t know everything down in Judea, and I have broadened out beyond the old views I held in Jerusalem. I will reconstruct my theology so as to bring Diana in, without leaving Christ out, and will recognize the truth there is in the Diana cult. We should always keep our minds open to new truths, and I find I have been wrong in deciding so absolutely against Diana. So I will take the good elements of the Diana theology and will combine them with the best of the Christ theology, and so will make a theology that is up-to-date, and suited to these changed conditions.

The absurdity of such a course on the part of the apostle Paul seems very apparent; but there was just as much justification for the “New Theology” then as there is now. Jesus is the only Saviour.