salvation for Gentiles before Christ
Submitted by lidoladie on Tue, 04/06/2010 - 7:27am
I was just asked this question on Easter...What happen to the Gentiles who died before Christ died for us? I have heard several theories but would like to hear from you. Thank you for this forum.
Jesus' statement in John 14:6--"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," along with Paul's great thesis expressed in Romans and Ephesians that we are "saved by grace through faith in Christ," are the fundamental statements regarding our salvation. If we are a "saved" person, it is by virtue of who Christ is and what he did on our behalf.
Given that, what happens to Gentiles (or anyone else, for that matter), born before Christ? I would argue that if such a person responded to God in genuine faith--given the information he had--that God would include him in the plan of salvation. How could God hold a person accountable for something he clearly could not know? As Abraham said in Genesis 18: 25, "Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
I have a 3-part article on "Salvation" in the "Bible Study Resources" section of the web site, under "Articles." In the article I address Salvation--including your question--in detail.