It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” Prov 19:2

“Many noble hearted Christians have gone out as missionaries and as aid workers amongst the heathen wholly unprepared for what they have encountered—intelligent individuals with app ability to reason for themselves. Many have found that the heathen were full of questions; logical questions too, which they as Christians had never thought of and which they were wholly unprepared to answer. Comparatively few missionaries are able to hold their own in argument with peoples of such countries as India, China and Japan. There is no danger of converting these people, but rather the reverse; there is a far greater danger to themselves, of their own loss of faith, both in regards to themselves and in the Bible, Why? Because of their own misunderstandings and misapprehension as to its teachings, because when one in possession of an honest disposition is asked questions for which he has no answer he begins to realizes his own lack begins to doubt his faith and his ability to speak as a mouth piece of the Lord. And what good is a missionary who has no confidence in the message he brings?

Missionaries are thus handicapped by a lack of knowledge, knowledge of the truth. Full of commendable zeal they nevertheless leave our shores intent to preach the gospel of good news, but instead in ignorance many are found preaching a gospel of bad news, of woe and despair for the vast majority of God’s creation. They are saddened to inform the heathen that their forefathers have gone to a place of eternal torment, and that unless they accept Christ they too along with their friends and family will soon be joining them.

Many of these receive a very rude awakening when asked some very reasonable questions in regards to this hell of eternal torment in which they speak, such as where precisely it is located, and why a God who claims to be the God of Love would create such a place in the first place. Why such a God would exercise no pity or compassion upon the ignorant, but instead condemn both them and their forefathers to such a horrible eternity without first making known to them that this was the just consequences of sin and that he had provided but one remedy, belief in Christ, belief in an individual with whom they had never even heard of before. More over in regards to their forefathers who had lived prior to the first advent of Christ, the question is asked, how could they have possibly known of the one name under the heavens by which they might be saved when no such individual had arisen yet?

Why all the different denominations-different theories on the terms of Salvation—by water, by election, by free grace, by joining the church, etc.?

The missionary (aid worker), wholly unable to answer these logical questions, instead insist that faith alone is sufficient, follow our example they say, just believe, don’t worry about the facts, leave the facts to the Lord. Such find it much more productive to gather around themselves, those of likewise mind, the ignorant, “simple ones” (the naïve) those who likewise lack knowledge, lack understanding, such are less likely to ask such reasonable questions, questions which they themselves have no answers.

Nevertheless we would not wish to dissuade those who would do a good work, let all Christians, missionaries, aid workers and such know assuredly that their labors to do good unto their fellow man and to spread the gospel as best they know even if ignorantly are not in vain, and will in due time receive a just recompense of reward. Remember the Lord Judges us according to the intentions of the heart, according to what we have, not according to what we have not.”

The foregoing was derived from some remarks made by Brother John A Meggison’s Notes.