How were people before the time of Jesus saved?

[Paul of Eugene OR]

I have heard it be said that the people before the time of Jesus were saved by faith in the saviour who was to come, but I don't know.

Did someone like Abel knew to trust in the saviour to come? Did the OT-people knew to trust in the saviour for salvation? Is there even one verse in the OT that says that salvation comes from trusting in a future saviour? Aren't OT more about keeping the Laws and following God?

I know there are a lot of prophecies in the OT about Jesus, still did the people understand these prophecies? Didn't even the Jews believe that Christ was going to be an earthly ruler?

All one has to do to be saved is repent of sins and trust God for salvation.
It helps one to do this if one learns about Jesus and His death on the cross for our sins.
But it is not uttering the word but receiving The Word that gives us salvation.

Mic 6:8
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
NASU

 

[Barney2.0]

No...this is never true. Salvation is never by works.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Then no one was saved.

 

[GodsGrace101]

I have heard it be said that the people before the time of Jesus were saved by faith in the saviour who was to come, but I don't know.

Did someone like Abel knew to trust in the saviour to come? Did the OT-people knew to trust in the saviour for salvation? Is there even one verse in the OT that says that salvation comes from trusting in a future saviour? Aren't OT more about keeping the Laws and following God?

I know there are a lot of prophecies in the OT about Jesus, still did the people understand these prophecies? Didn't even the Jews believe that Christ was going to be an earthly ruler?

Hi Zoidar.
Long time.

I've only read 7 posts and the replies are all different and very interesting indeed!

In the O.T. people got saved the same way they do today...
They had faith in God.
Romans 1:19-20
19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

God has always revealed Himself to mankind.
There have always been those who accepted and believed in a God, and those who haven't. Think of the American Indian...

Then why do we need Jesus at all?
Think of the difference between the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant. That's the reason...

 

[ICONO'CLAST]

Your protestant soteriology is in error. It has never been a part of Christianity and is only recent. @☦Marius☦ , above, rightly described the Christian view of salvation we have held since the beginning.

No....it was held by the Apostles who got it from God so that would be the beginning.People have strayed into error since then...hence the reformation. Scripture is quite clear however.

 

[ICONO'CLAST]

1 Pet 3

The passage does not say Jesus preached to them. It says the Spirit did through Noah....when they were alive before the flood.

 

[ICONO'CLAST]

Then no one was saved.

Hebrews 11 says othe wise.God has been saving people from Gen 3;15

 

[Tolworth John]

have heard it be said that the people before the time of Jesus were saved by faith in the saviour who was to come, but I don't know.

Then does it matter as they are more than 2000 years dead.

God is not bound by his creation of time. He is outside of time and can apply te benefits of calvary to who he wants, when he wants where ever they are in time.

 

[HTacianas]

No....it was held by the Apostles who got it from God so that would be the beginning.People have strayed into error since then...hence the reformation. Scripture is quite clear however.

The apostles neither held nor taught any such thing. And the Church has never strayed into error.

 

[FatalHeart]

Not supported directly by scripture.

Souls in prison means what then?

 

[Barney2.0]

Hebrews 11 says othe wise.God has been saving people from Gen 3;15

How, If they don’t follow his commandments there won’t be any saving.

 

[Dave L]

Souls in prison means what then?

It means what it says, but you are adding your ideas about the outcome that scripture says nothing about.

 

[Barney2.0]

No....it was held by the Apostles who got it from God so that would be the beginning.People have strayed into error since then...hence the reformation. Scripture is quite clear however.

The reformation was aimed at referring reforming the Catholic Church not making up new heretical doctrines. God promised that the Church would be infallible, if God allowed the successors of the Apostles to fall into such grave errors it means he’s not a very trustworthy God. Luckily Christ passed down his authority to the Apostles in the great commission and the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost.

 

[Dave L]

Zachariah 9:11
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

1 Peter 3:19
in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison

Ephesians 4:8-10
Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

It remains conjecture on your part. Lower regions of the earth (us) is up for grabs if you want to make more out of it than what it says. Water-less pit? That's up for grabs too. But Jesus provides us with living waters which seem closer to the meaning of Zechariah.....

 

[JoeP222w]

I have heard it be said that the people before the time of Jesus were saved by faith in the saviour who was to come, but I don't know.

Did someone like Abel knew to trust in the saviour to come? Did the OT-people knew to trust in the saviour for salvation? Is there even one verse in the OT that says that salvation comes from trusting in a future saviour? Aren't OT more about keeping the Laws and following God?

I know there are a lot of prophecies in the OT about Jesus, still did the people understand these prophecies? Didn't even the Jews believe that Christ was going to be an earthly ruler?

The same way people are saved now: by repenting of sin and trusting in God, by faith alone, by His grace alone, and not trusting in their works.

 

[Danthemailman]

How were people before the time of Jesus saved? Interesting detailed answer to that question found here - How were people saved before Jesus died for our sins?

 

[LightLoveHope]

Before Jesus, knowing God was being an Israelite.
The whole sacrificial system, the way of obtaining forgiveness, of approaching God, of living life individually was laid out clearly, step by step.
It was though at a distance, without the indwelling Holy Spirit, but formal and ceremonial.

With Jesus and after the cross, the Kingdom of God came to earth, and each believer became a temple of the living God.

Outside of this we have very little information or direction.
Most of mankind was doomed to the grave.

You could argue this is unfair, how can the innocent be judged?
But look at Israel and look at the church. Revelation and understanding does not change
the general flow of how people live. It is almost impossible for man to commune with God
which is the sad reality, even when they knew Him amongst them in a pillar of fire and
of smoke.

As in Korahs rebellion, people get so self obsessed they stand against Gods leaders and
get destroyed, when they were claiming it was God himself who would agree with them.
The heart of man is truly lost and not sensible, even when faced with the King.

 

[Ken Rank]

I have heard it be said that the people before the time of Jesus were saved by faith in the saviour who was to come, but I don't know.

Did someone like Abel knew to trust in the saviour to come? Did the OT-people knew to trust in the saviour for salvation? Is there even one verse in the OT that says that salvation comes from trusting in a future saviour? Aren't OT more about keeping the Laws and following God?

I know there are a lot of prophecies in the OT about Jesus, still did the people understand these prophecies? Didn't even the Jews believe that Christ was going to be an earthly ruler?

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He does not change. He is also no respecter of persons which means one isn't going to be given a path to life and another a different path, there is always only one path. So whether one lives looking forward to the work messiah would do, or lives looking back at the work he did, his faith is still placed in the one who could reverse the curse of sin and death. Nobody in the "OT" worked their way to salvation and Jews today don't think they work their way to life. It's a farce... salvation is and always has been a free gift based on grace not works.

 

[Tree of Life]

Before Jesus, any Jew who followed the law of Moses was saved and any Gentile who followed the law of Noah was saved.

Saved by their obedience to the Law?

 

[Barney2.0]

Saved by their obedience to the Law?

Yes, obedience to the law was required before Jesus set foot on this world.

 

[Tree of Life]

Yes, obedience to the law was required before Jesus set foot on this world.

Where did you get that idea? Paul says that no man can be saved by works of the Law (Romans 3:20) and that people have always been justified through faith (Romans 1:17).

Contrary to what you're saying, if anyone is saved at any time it is because of Christ. All who are saved are saved by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and they receive this salvation by grace through faith.