If Jesus Is the Only Way
to God, What About Those Who Have Never Heard of Him?
FOUR RESOURCES
Paul Copan, True for You, but Not for Me, Part 5.
John Sanders, ed. What About Those Who Have Never Heard: Three
Views.
William Lane Craig, "No Other Name": A Middle Knowledge Perspective on the
Exclusivity of Salvation Through Christ,” reasonablefaith.org.
William Lane Craig, On Guard, chapter 10.
***
THE QUESTION - What if someone has
never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus?
THE POT OF STEW
GOD’S
DESIRE IS THAT ALL BE SAVED.
2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Tim 2:4 – God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge
of the truth.
SOME PERSONS HAVE “TRANSWORLD DEPRAVITY.”
Persons who have self-inflicted “transworld
depravity” will not want God, or God in Christ.
So God is not unjust in applying eternal justice
to them; viz., everlasting separation from his presence. (1 Thessalonians 1)
Note: "transworld depravity" (from Alvin Plantinga) in this case
means: in any possible world X will reject Christ if offered the opportunity.
God can’t make people
freely choose to respond to the gospel. “Some might be like NYU philosopher
Thomas Nagel, who said, ‘I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the
universe to be like that.’ Indeed, with every new indication of God’s reality,
a person might come to resent or hate him even more.”
GOD HAS GIVEN PERSONS FREE WILL.
God has given persons free will. This is risky.
Some will likely freely choose to reject God’s offer of salvation, and his
revelation in creation and the moral law within (Romans 1 and 2).
As C.S. Lewis wrote, re. this, there are two
kinds of persons: one who says to God “Thy will be done,” and one to whom God
says “Thy will be done.”
WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO
NEVER HEAR ABOUT JESUS?
ROMANS CHS. 1 & 2
Romans 1 says that, even without a knowledge of
Christ, people have an opportunity to know God. We read: 18 The
wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and
wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since
what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to
them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s
invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Theologically, this is called "natural
revelation."
8. Romans 2 says: (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
8. Romans 2 says: (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
So it seems likely that
some persons will be saved by following the moral law within.
Their salvation is still in Christ. The cross of
Christ is the bridge over the gap that separates us from God.
WE CAN TRUST THAT GOD IS LOVING AND JUST.
This is an argument from authority.
We can trust that the eternal outcome of every
person is in the hands of a loving and just God.
We can trust that God
has the question of the unevangelized figured out.
Further, God has done so much to reach us all, even to suffer with us in a world filled with evil and misery, that we have good reason to believe the unevangelized are in excellent hands.
We can trust that God is loving and just. So God won’t condemn anyone for being born at the wrong time and place (viz., in a time and place where the message of the Gospel of Jesus was not known).
God is able to reach people in ways we don’t expect. For example, he can reveal himself – and has done so – through visions or angelic messengers. Copan cites examples of Jesus appearing to Muslims who had never heard of him.
In the end we can trust in a good God to do no wrong. “We should not think about the unevangelized apart from God’s character, motives, and good purposes.” (Copan)
Further, God has done so much to reach us all, even to suffer with us in a world filled with evil and misery, that we have good reason to believe the unevangelized are in excellent hands.
We can trust that God is loving and just. So God won’t condemn anyone for being born at the wrong time and place (viz., in a time and place where the message of the Gospel of Jesus was not known).
God is able to reach people in ways we don’t expect. For example, he can reveal himself – and has done so – through visions or angelic messengers. Copan cites examples of Jesus appearing to Muslims who had never heard of him.
In the end we can trust in a good God to do no wrong. “We should not think about the unevangelized apart from God’s character, motives, and good purposes.” (Copan)
All who desire to be saved will have the opportunity to be saved.
NEXT ONE-HOUR SEMINARY – ANDY GRIFFITH, ON "WHAT IS EVANGELISM?"