(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see how)
Focus Question:
What about those who've never heard about Jesus?
Intro:
Yesterday we introduced the idea of “salvation history” and saw Jesus’ response to the Canaanite woman demonstrating the beginning of the end…a turning from the Jews and their rejection of the Messiah to a ministry to non-Jews. Matthew 16 today completes that transition in terms of “salvation history.”
But there is one question that often comes up when thinking about this topic…and it’s an objection you will sometimes hear (and may have even wondered about yourself) — if Jesus is the only path to salvation, what about those who have never heard about Jesus?
This not only seems like it’d be a problem for a whole bunch of people from Adam and Eve to the time of Jesus, but in the couple thousand years since Jesus, too. So let’s read the rest of Matthew’s gospel about this transition point in history — where the special covenant with the nation of Israel is ending and the message is shifting to the whole world, and then let’s tackle this focus question.
New Testament segment:
Passage: Matthew 16
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 28
Words: ~592
If we look at the whole of the book of Matthew, you’d find that the transition in question began a couple days ago at the end of chapter 13 and into chapter 14. Then the rejection of Jesus was because they didn’t really understand. Today’s conclusion of this transition, however, ends with today hearing about the disciple’s “getting it” — you’re the Christ, the Messiah, the promised One, the Son of God!
So about this common objection — If Jesus is The Dude, what about those who haven’t heard? We haven’t tackled something in terms of your conversational apologetic skills lately, so here we go. Since we don’t have a lot of time in this podcast, let me summarize the explanation from Sean McDowell, and I’ve put his video in today’s post, #1146.
If Biblical account is true, everyone knows God exists for at least two reasons: creation and conscience.
20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.[1]
15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them 16 on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus. [2]
If anyone believes, God will find a way to get to them the specific knowledge of salvation. – a dream, a vision, a missionary, the internet.
If someone rejects creation and conscience, why does God have to get that person further information?
We don’t know.
If God is God, he’s just, fair, good by definition. He will judge fairly in the end.
The question is not “What about those other people who have never heard…it’s what are you going to do now that you’ve heard?” (3)
Old Testament segment:
Passage: None today
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses:
Words: ~
Today we’ll do something a little different. The next OT book we’ll go through is Isaiah, but given that, roughly speaking, our reading plan follows the chronological order of the OT, we’re a few psalms behind. So, today we’re just going to have a little worship time with an extended Wisdom Segment reading some Psalms.
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Psalm 49, 50, 53, 55
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 20+23+6+23 = 72
Words: ~328+377+98+377 = ~1180
The bottom line:
One thing I’ll add here that we often say on this show…IF God could create the cosmos, bringing something out of nothing, then he could cause a virgin birth, a resurrection, and could make sure that all those who truly seek Him to be saved. We know Jesus appears to people in dreams even today, we know Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness, we know there were non-Israelites in the OT like Ruth that believed. And we know such a God could choose to communicate to us reliably through something we call the Bible.
So consider what Sean said…
If the Bible’s true, it says that all people know — from creation and in our consciences — that there is a God, there is moral standard, and we don’t measure up. And is God just, fair, and good by definition? Yes.
Then we know two things. One, He’ll make sure that everyone will be judged fairly based on what they know and how He he reveals Himself. And two, even if you and I can’t give a perfect answer, we can trust Him, and the main question isn’t “What about other people?,” it’s “What about you?”
Love you!
Roger
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ro 1:20.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ro 2:15–16.
(3) While I’ve embedded the video below, you really should also subscribe to Sean’s YouTube channel. Always good stuff.