What Happends To Those Who Die Without Hearing The Word Of God

[James Is Back]

Let's say you have an isolated tribe somewhere in the world that believes in multiple gods. And one dies without hearing the gospel. What do you think would happen to him/her?

I'm hoping I'm asking these questions in the right sections. This sight can be overwhelming!

 

[bbbbbbb]

What will happen? God will judge them according to His righteousness and justice. If Romans 1 is accurate (and I believe it is) then they are sinners who have rejected God and His revelation through nature and will be judged accordingly.

 

[ViaCrucis]

We consign them in our hopes and prayers to the infinite love, mercy, and judgments of God who is alone wise, good, kind, and knows all things.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[football5680]

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:13-16)

Only God knows for sure what will happen. Polytheism may go against the natural law written on our hearts so they could be condemned for that.

 

[Albion]

Let's say you have an isolated tribe somewhere in the world that believes in multiple gods. And one dies without hearing the gospel. What do you think would happen to him/her?

I'm hoping I'm asking these questions in the right sections. This sight can be overwhelming!

Since you mention it, no, there's nothing "denomination specific" about your question.

My answer, in any case, is that the Bible gives us no indication that such people will be saved. If the Bible is our ultimate source of guidance (which I believe it is), then that's all we can say.

 

[barryatlake]

The Christian Holy Bible is comprised of both OT and NT for our comprehension of the Written Word. Both are necessary.
As far as Christians go, if as you think, then all those that died before the correct Canonical Books of our Holy Bible was compiled, must have also descended into Hell. Meaning that before circa 389 A.D. no want-to-be Christian was saved, which would be ridiculous because they had Jesus and then the verbal Teachings from His Apostles. Only Judaism had the correct holy Books for the practicing Jew, Christian no. Early Christians had only Oral Sacred Traditional Teaching. Christ's Church teaches that those who through no fault of their own never heard the "Good News" of Jesus but lived a good life [ active good conscience ] then God would accept them into Heaven.

 

[Albion]

The Christian Holy Bible is comprised of both OT and NT for our comprehension of the Written Word. Both are necessary.
As far as Christians go, if as you think, then all those that died before the correct Canonical Books of our Holy Bible was compiled, must have also descended into Hell.

That's not only illogical, but it's contrary to standard Christian thinking. You'd be doing yourself a favor to study up on this particular issue if it interests you this much.

Meaning that before circa 389 A.D. no want-to-be Christian was saved, which would be ridiculous

You're right that this line of argument is ridiculous.

Only Judaism had the correct holy Books for the practicing Jew, Christian no. Early Christians had only Oral Sacred Traditional Teaching.

I don't know where you picked up that notion. Much of the NT was written within a few years of the Ascension.

Christ's Church teaches that those who through no fault of their own never heard the "Good News" of Jesus but lived a good life [ active good conscience ] then God would accept them into Heaven.

Well, no. That's not so. And of course the Bible says no such thing. Just the opposite.

 

[Targaryen]

We consign them in our hopes and prayers to the infinite love, mercy, and judgments of God who is alone wise, good, kind, and knows all things.

-CryptoLutheran

Indeed.

 

[barryatlake]

Albion, care to show this from the Holy Bible.
''Well, no. That's not so. And of course the Bible says no such thing. Just the opposite.''

As I wrote: " Early Christians had only Oral Sacred Traditional Teaching. Christ's Church teaches that those who through no fault of their own never heard the "Good News" of Jesus but lived a good life [ active good conscience ] then God would accept them into Heaven. "

 

[Albion]

As I wrote: " Early Christians had only Oral Sacred Traditional Teaching.

And as I pointed out to you, that's incorrect. The Early Christians certainly did have most of what we now call the Bible. And that's the earliest Christians.

Albion, care to show this from the Holy Bible.

Of course, but here's something that would help you more directly. Look into your catechism or whatever and see what your own church says about those, like Moses, who died before the coming of the Savior. Then we could discuss this further. It's pointless to argue for or against something no one in either of our churches believes.

 

[barryatlake]

Albion, again you are mistaken, because in the first four centuries of the Church many books, such as the seven letters of Ignatius, the Letter of Clement [the fourth pope] to the Corinthians, the Didache, and The Shepherd were revered by many Christians as inspired but were later shown to be non-inspired.

It was not until the Councils of Hippo and Carthage that the Catholic Church defined which books made it into the New Testament and which didn't. Probably the council fathers studied the (complete) Muratorian Fragment and other documents, including, of course, the books in question themselves, but it was not until these councils that the Church officially settled the issue.

The plain fact of the matter is that the canon of the Bible was not settled in the first years of the Church. It was settled only after repeated (and perhaps heated) discussions, and the final listing was determined by Catholic bishops. This is an inescapable fact, no matter how many people wish to escape from it.

 

[jacksonduluth]

That's not only illogical, but it's contrary to standard Christian thinking. You'd be doing yourself a favor to study up on this particular issue if it interests you this much. You're right that this line of argument is ridiculous. I don't know where you picked up that notion. Much of the NT was written within a few years of the Ascension. Well, no. That's not so. And of course the Bible says no such thing. Just the opposite.

I find this interesting. Can you direct me to the specific portions of the text you were referring to?

 

[Albion]

I find this interesting. Can you direct me to the specific portions of the text you were referring to?

Hi. Here are some verses you can check out:


Matt 16.32-33
John 6.45
John 11.25
Romans 3.20
Romans 10.12-15
1 John 9.11-12

 

[throughfiierytrial]

The Christian Holy Bible is comprised of both OT and NT for our comprehension of the Written Word. Both are necessary.
As far as Christians go, if as you think, then all those that died before the correct Canonical Books of our Holy Bible was compiled, must have also descended into Hell. Meaning that before circa 389 A.D. no want-to-be Christian was saved, which would be ridiculous because they had Jesus and then the verbal Teachings from His Apostles. Only Judaism had the correct holy Books for the practicing Jew, Christian no. Early Christians had only Oral Sacred Traditional Teaching. Christ's Church teaches that those who through no fault of their own never heard the "Good News" of Jesus but lived a good life [ active good conscience ] then God would accept them into Heaven.

I disagree with the above quote from barryatlake. There can be no one who lives, or ever lived, a "good life" apart from Jesus...that is to say without Christ in their heart/faith in Christ. Jesus says, Apart from Me you can do no good thing...John 15:5. We are declared righteous by our faith (Romans 4:5). Works must stem from faith therefore to be considered righteous works or "good" works in God's sight. We are ALL sin-cursed from birth beginning with the fall of Adam and Eve. See Romans 3:9,23 and Romans 5:14 and Psalm 51:5.

 

[barryatlake]

I disagree with your interpretation of Romans 3: 29 ] you and some other Protestants use this verse "all have sinned" in an attempt to prove that Mary was also with sin. But "all have sinned " only means that all are subject to original sin. Mary was spared from original sin by God, not herself. The popular analogy is God let us fall in the mud puddle, and cleaned us up afterward through baptism. In Mary's case, God did not let her enter the mud puddle.

Rom. 3:23 - "all have sinned" also refers only to those able to commit sin. This is not everyone. For example, infants, the [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse], and the senile cannot sin.

Rom. 3:23 - finally, "all have sinned," but Jesus must be an exception to this rule. This means that Mary can be an exception as well. Note that the Greek word for all is "pantes."

 

[Albion]

I disagree with the above quote from barryatlake. There can be no one who lives, or ever lived, a "good life" apart from Jesus...that is to say without Christ in their heart/faith in Christ. .

You're right of course. But remember that he is only voicing whatever the current POV of his denomination happens to be. In the last half-century, it has moved from "no salvation outside the church" to " 'good' pagans may be saved, even if they've never heard of Jesus."

 

[throughchristimchanged]

Let's say you have an isolated tribe somewhere in the world that believes in multiple gods. And one dies without hearing the gospel. What do you think would happen to him/her?

I'm hoping I'm asking these questions in the right sections. This sight can be overwhelming!

it saddens me

 

[Albion]

it saddens me

The loss of even one soul should sadden all of us. Yet we do believe Our Lord when he said it would happen, don't we?

The thing is, we don't know everything about how God works and we are not given to know all of this in the life we are living now.

 

[barryatlake]

Albion,in reference to your post #16,--------- try getting it right. " Through no fault of their own ,'' which includes infants and the mentally challenged along with of course the unlearned indigenous peoples of the earth. Also, Christians of all denominations that believe in and follow the "Good News " of Salvation will possibly be saved and attain 'Paradise", everybody will be judged by Jesus including Catholics. The only reason I became Catholic is because of the assurance of receiving the "Fullness of the Faith ''. Jesus has offered us His whole banquet, why insult Jesus by refusing His best meal while only accepting a mere man-made ham sandwich

 

[Juelrei]

Let's say you have an isolated tribe somewhere in the world that believes in multiple gods. And one dies without hearing the gospel. What do you think would happen to him/her?

I'm hoping I'm asking these questions in the right sections. This sight can be overwhelming!

This is a hypothetical question that assumes, but doesn't have statistics of a real group that maybe hasn't heard the gospel yet.
The question assumes that God won't or can't do a global wide rival and awakening unto God.

Yet the Bible states that the gospel shall be preached to all the world and then shall the end come.

What about all the people of the world that hadn't heard the gospel from the time of Pentecost till before the late nineteenth century when it became easier to get all around the world.

Many died believing in different religious things, not hearing that there is one true God who sent His Son to save mankind. What about them?

Do they maybe go into a "Not having heard" section of hell?

I believe that God in His Mercy and Grace can sort it all out just fine at the White Throne Judgement.