What about those people who died without ever having heard of Jesus Christ? What happened to them? How could they accept salvation from someone they never knew anything about?
2006-07-23 16:27:36 · 32 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Alright, to those of you who say everyone's had a chance, what about those who died BEFORE Jesus existed as a human on Earth?
2006-07-23 16:41:37 · update #1
Those who never heard will be given a chance in the 1st Resurrection.
Afterwards, they will be given a chance to stand firm at the release of Satan after his 1000 year abyssing.
Is not it cool?
God gives everyone(even babies, autistics, and people who because of their geographical location, never had a fair chance), a chance, to respond to the Good News Of God's Kingdom.
2006-07-23 16:29:19 · answer #1 · answered by Tim 47 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I love how people are responding to this question as if Christianity has *always* been around. What about people thousands of years ago, BEFORE Christ?
I mean Dante Aligheri, author of the Comedia (The Divine Comedy), grappled with this issue in the Middle Ages and resorted to putting particular good "pagans" (those who lived BEFORE Christ) in Purgatory, because of the belief that if one did not accept Jesus as Savior then one could not enter Heaven.
How can people claim, even today, that "everyone" has heard of Jesus and "everyone" has heard of God.
And from what I've been reading on these boards, apparently a belief in God, no matter how strong, ain't enough to get you into heaven.
Even here - look how many people just say "Hell"!
2006-07-23 16:40:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I to have asked myself this question many times. The only straight conclusion that I have been able to come up with is that have misinterpeted the concepts trying to be communicated to us. What if the concept of heaven is actually being given one chance to walk on this planet? What if the concept of hell is nothing more than failing to make the best of the life you have been given? What if the salvation offered by Christ was simply a blueprint for living your life to the fullest? If you look at the heaven, hell, salvation concepts like that, then the answer becomes clearer. The people who never heard of Christ made the choice of weather to be heaven or in hell by either making the most of their one chance to walk the earth, or by failing to make the most of their one chance.
2006-07-23 16:44:50 · answer #3 · answered by drpedigo_2000 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All creation testifies to the existence of the one true God.
No one is without excuse. Everyone who has seen their own hand would have to know that God exists. A person who never had contact with another soul who could explain salvation to them is in an area that only can be judged by God. If their heart was true and they didn't resort to worshiping the creation instead of the creator, they stand a good chance of receiving grace. That is not the norm but the exception.
2006-07-23 16:41:14 · answer #4 · answered by Bimpster 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Had everyone who never heard of Jesus was ok, the "Great Commission" of Matthew 28:18-20 is the most illogical thing in history.
Mt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.”
John 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
There is only one way, not 2.
2006-07-23 16:37:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A valid question and one that many have wondered about. In our human understanding we often limit our understanding to what we can see and visualize. While many things to do with death, belief, religion etc is matters of Faith it is very possible that at some point these people who never were preached to will at some point in time have the opportunity to deny or accept Jesus Christ. Many believe that upon death the spirit separates from the body and proceeds to an intermediate place where it is ministered to by angels and spirits. There are many uncertain questions about the afterlife but I have enough faith to believe that Jesus Christ would present himself or God would enable man to have enough knowledge to make the necessary decisions regarding his eternity..
2006-07-23 16:42:15 · answer #6 · answered by alagk 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How can you accept salvation from someone who has never existed? Nothing different happened to those people who died without hearing about Jesus. Whatever happens after we die probably is the same for all of us.
2006-07-23 16:36:45 · answer #7 · answered by tomleah_06 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When Jesus came to Earth and died for the sins of all humanity, during the 3 days He was dead, He went to the pits of Hades and freed the captive souls and took the keys of death and hell away from Satan.
2006-07-23 16:32:21 · answer #8 · answered by blaze 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hell and Heaven is inside us, if we are good a human being, living on earth will equate to living in heaven, if we are bad then we are in hell. Jesus Christ is also with in us, if you are a good human being then you listen to the Christ in you and if your not then your avoiding the Christ in you. Religion or being saved has nothing to do with going to hell or heaven. Listen to your inner conscience or the Christ, inside you and you will never see hell weather here or when you leave from here.
2006-07-23 16:35:41 · answer #9 · answered by h s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no one will stand in front of God and say "I didn't know". everyone has been given the chance to know God through missionaries as well as many other ways.
those who passed away before the Bible, knew that there was a God. the saints of old who died went to paradise, after Jesus died, he went and got them and took them to heaven. they were then under the new covenant.
2006-07-23 16:33:55 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've wondered that before too. I'd like to believe at some point in someone's life (before the age of accountability of course) they would somehow be introduced to God/Jesus. But I honestly don't know. I think the Bible is pretty much black and white, but I also think God has mercy beyond our comprehension.
2006-07-23 16:30:08 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋