How were people before the time of Jesus saved?

[ICONO'CLAST]

Jesus didn’t come down yet, so again I ask how were they saved?

Jesus came down 2000 yrs ago and told us all we need to know.
Hebrews 11 speaks of the salvation of people throughout the OT>

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

It sounds like your church is not teaching you correctly...
look here:
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

 

[LastSeven]

Jesus went down to the dead, when He died on the cross and saved those that heard and believed.

You're referring to

1 Peter 3:18-20 King James Version (KJV)
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Greatly misunderstood, but you're not entirely wrong. This is a reference to Jesus saving those who had lived before, but they weren't saved because he preached to them in hell and they accepted. Not at all. Rather they were saved by his resurrection, just as we have been.

Notice the words "By which". Newer translations are further off the mark by omitting those words, but this is key. It refers to his "spirit". The line before says he was "quickened by the spirit", in other words made alive by the spirit of God. It is by this same spirit of God that the others were saved.

The prison they were in was not hell, as so many assume. Rather it was the prison of death, not having the promise of resurrection until the resurrection of Jesus.

 

[Blade]

Zoider.. it really does not say.. one verse says "Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison” Take HIM at HIS word...

Also before Christ died He looked on them that duh none on earth were saved or a Church He said "if you were blind you would have no sin. You say you see your sin remains". This for ME helps today when we wonder about those that never heard.

One has to look at the Father and Christ. This was all planned from the start. While the WORLD was in sin.. He came.. He became what He created. So.. everyone gets a choice. I don't know how..HAHA..well SOME will understand this some wont but,..

Ever be talking to God...you have GOD so to speak on the line.. and NEVER ASK what you always wanted to ask. Well how can you send all these people to hell I asked at the age of 13 or so. He came right back with "for God so loved the world...everyone gets a choice"..I was thinking NOW..how do they get this choice? And like I said SOME will understand this...it happens SO many times. As if SOME things we try to want to ask.. will not effect help in any way. I know I put my self out there but.. Its HIM I love Its HIM I serve..

Some had the HOPE of the coming messiah.. they BELIEVED in Him...and yet NEVER saw Him...FAITH

 

[LastSeven]

Blade are you suggesting universalism?

 

[Paulus59]

I copy & pasted this from GotQuestions.org

Hope it clarifies the topic for you!

********************************************

Question: "How were people saved before Jesus died for our sins?"

Answer: Since the fall of man, the basis of salvation has always been the death of Christ. No
one, either prior to the cross or since the cross, would ever be saved without that one pivotal
event in the history of the world. Christ's death paid the penalty for past sins of Old Testament
saints and future sins of New Testament saints.

The requirement for salvation has always been faith. The object of one's faith for salvation has
always been God. The psalmist wrote, "Blessed are all who take refuge in him" (Psalm 2:12).
Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abraham believed God and that was enough for God to credit it to
him for righteousness (see also Romans 4:3-8). The Old Testament sacrificial system did not
take away sin, as Hebrews 10:1-10 clearly teaches. It did, however, point to the day when the
Son of God would shed His blood for the sinful human race.

What has changed through the ages is the content of a believer's faith. God's requirement of
what must be believed is based on the amount of revelation He has given mankind up to that
time. This is called progressive revelation. Adam believed the promise God gave in Genesis
3:15 that the Seed of the woman would conquer Satan. Adam believed Him, demonstrated by
the name he gave Eve (v. 20) and the Lord indicated His acceptance immediately by covering
them with coats of skin (v. 21). At that point that is all Adam knew, but he believed it.

Abraham believed God according to the promises and new revelation God gave him in Genesis
12 and 15. Prior to Moses, no Scripture was written, but mankind was responsible for what God
had revealed. Throughout the Old Testament, believers came to salvation because they
believed that God would someday take care of their sin problem. Today, we look back, believing
that He has already taken care of our sins on the cross (John 3:16; Hebrews 9:28).

What about believers in Christ's day, prior to the cross and resurrection? What did they believe?
Did they understand the full picture of Christ dying on a cross for their sins? Late in His ministry,
"Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at
the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on
the third day be raised to life" (Matthew 16:21-22). What was the reaction of His disciples to this
message? "Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This
shall never happen to you!"" Peter and the other disciples did not know the full truth, yet they
were saved because they believed that God would take care of their sin problem. They didn't
exactly know how He would accomplish that, any more than Adam, Abraham, Moses, or David
knew how, but they believed God.

Today, we have more revelation than the people living before the resurrection of Christ; we
know the full picture. "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many
times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he
appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe" (Hebrews 1:1-2). Our
salvation is still based on the death of Christ, our faith is still the requirement for salvation, and
the object of our faith is still God. Today, for us, the content of our faith is that Jesus Christ died
for our sins, He was buried, and He rose the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

 

[Barney2.0]

That's definitely NOT the Orthodox view on this.

It is, which was why Paul said Christ has set us free from the law.

 

[Barney2.0]

Jesus came down 2000 yrs ago and told us all we need to know.
Hebrews 11 speaks of the salvation of people throughout the OT>

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

It sounds like your church is not teaching you correctly...
look here:
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Where’s faith alone? No man is justified solely by the law which is what Hebrew 11 says.

 

[Barney2.0]

I'd be careful about correcting the apostle Paul if I were you. Why should I accept your words over his? The risen Christ appeared to Paul and taught him.

I get my teachings from Paul and James themselves.

 

[GodsGrace101]

Yes. The scripture says so:

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Heb 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Yes. See:

Gen 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Abraham, Moses, Joshua, etc spake to the Son of God directly, and it is written of them:

Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

Joh 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Consider Abraham with Isaac on the mount, and the sacrifice, and the Ram.

Moses and the Israelites had the same Gospel:

Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Isaiah had it:

Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

along with many others from the beginning (Seth, Noah, Job).

Hebrews 11 itself on the whole, among other places already cited:

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

What did Abel "hope for"? What could he not yet "see" directly? The event of the Cross, through the sacrifice of the "lamb" "slain from the foundation of the world", but he did see it by faith, even in the clothing of his parents, Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21), and so offered of the "firstlings" of his flock, in the "seed" to come (Genesis 3:15)

Following God and keeping His commandments is always required, from Adam to the last man, see:

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man (Adam).
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

The Gospel is not contrary to that, but in harmony with it.

They understood as far as they needed to then, and saw by faith.

Yes. They are partly correct, just got the timing incorrect. They desired political deliverance, politcal reforms, rather than true deliverance (from sin, Matthew 1:21; 1 John 3:4), and character/heart reform, even as it is now, for events are already repeating for the last time.

BC,
Is this you???

 

[Daftendirekt]

They were saved by believing in the Savior to come. OT Judaic Law was important, but it was there to set them apart from the pagans, not just to save them.

 

[☦Marius☦]

It is, which was why Paul said Christ has set us free from the law.

It's not. Because that's not the patristic view on things. Paul also claimed that no one was saved by the law.

The only thing the law did was keep the Jews ritually pure, and allowed them to understand that Christ was coming to fulfil that law.

 

[☦Marius☦]

I get my teachings from Paul and James themselves.

Evidence for Christ’s Descent Into Hell - Orthodox Reformed Bridge

Saint Paul and the "Works of the Law" - Orthodox Reformed Bridge

 

[Barney2.0]

Evidence for Christ’s Descent Into Hell - Orthodox Reformed Bridge

Saint Paul and the "Works of the Law" - Orthodox Reformed Bridge

We are no longer justified by works of the law because Jesus has nullified the effect of the law on us, the article is talking about the works of law in the light of the New Covenant.

 

[Barney2.0]

It's not. Because that's not the patristic view on things. Paul also claimed that no one was saved by the law.

The only thing the law did was keep the Jews ritually pure, and allowed them to understand that Christ was coming to fulfil that law.

Paul said no one is saved by the law not no one was saved by the law. The law was meant to keep Jews in bondage and limited guidance until the son of man could bring the fulfillment of the law and full limitless guidance.

 

[bling]

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 did forgive sins prior to Christ coming to earth:

Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.

Jeremiah 18:8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.

Ez. 14: 14 even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Ezekiel 18:30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.

Psalms 103: 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,4 who redeems your life from the pi and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Jeremiah 36:3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy

The prophets told the people to repent/turn (something they could do of their own free will) and God would forgive their sins. The obeying of the Law was impossible to do, so no one was saved by the Law and the people would realize this by trying and seek God's mercy (forgiveness).

Paul helps understand the contrast between before and after the cross with:

Ro. 3: 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—

According to Ro. 3:25 the contrast between those forgiven of, repented of sins of individuals before the cross were forgiven but not punished, while those sins after the cross were not only forgiven, but punished (really disciplined which is the same Greek word as punished). After the cross we can be crucified “with” Christ (empathetically) while prior to the cross people could not be crucified empathetically “with” Christ because He had not been crucified, so no way to fairly/justly discipline.

 

[☦Marius☦]

Paul said no one is saved by the law not no one was saved by the law. The law was meant to keep Jews in bondage and limited guidance until the son of man could bring the fulfillment of the law and full limitless guidance.

Until the crucifixion, nobody except those directly taken to heaven by God had eternal life or death, but were simply kept in Hades (in either Abraham's bosom or sheol).

I suggest you actually learn what the Church teaches before preaching to others about your personal interpretation of scripture.

The law did not save. Otherwise there was no point. The law did not regenerate men into a state of theosis. The law did not provide rebirth through Baptism. The law did not provide a communal based spiritual life.

These are what save through faith. They are what keeps us spiritually alive and progress us toward God.

 

[ICONO'CLAST]

Where’s faith alone? No man is justified solely by the law which is what Hebrew 11 says.

Do you desire too attempt to add something to the perfect work of Christ?
Faith is the instrument that lays hold of Christ.
Christ Jesus has done a perfect and complete work.
The saving faith in Hebrews 11 led to works of obedience.

 

[zoidar]

The American Indian didn't know about Hindu's or Jesus.
But they did know about the Great Spirit...God.
They would fit nicely into Romans 1:19-20.

They weren't in touch with any other culture, but they did know about God. Ditto for many tribes in Central America and Africa..they don't know God's name, but they know about God and some of them worship Him in faith and heart, and some of them don't -- it's just a tribal "put on".

See?

How were those Indians saved then? By believing in the Great Spirit?

 

[Barney2.0]

Do you desire too attempt to add something to the perfect work of Christ?
Faith is the instrumentalist that lays hold of Christ.
Christ Jesus has done a perfect and complete work.
The saving faith in Hebrews 11 led to works of obedience.

Men can profess faith without works of faith to show for it.

 

[Barney2.0]

Until the crucifixion, nobody except those directly taken to heaven by God had eternal life or death, but were simply kept in Hades (in either Abraham's bosom or sheol).

I suggest you actually learn what the Church teaches before preaching to others about your personal interpretation of scripture.

The law did not save. Otherwise there was no point. The law did not regenerate men into a state of theosis. The law did not provide rebirth through Baptism. The law did not provide a communal based spiritual life.

These are what save through faith. They are what keeps us spiritually alive and progress us toward God.

If God didn’t save anyone before Jesus then that would make him unjust. If the law didn’t save even temporarily then there was no point in it. Baptism replaces circumcision as a sign of the New Covenant while circumcision was of the Old Covenant. The law was sent to guide the Israelites for a specific time, the Old Testament specifically talks about keeping the law at many points.