From: jmanghan@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (I am G!)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Salvation and the purpose of evangelization
Date: 28 Aug 92 05:42:54 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <Aug.27.02.37.42.1992.934@athos.rutgers.edu> dabbott@augean.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au (Derek Abbott) writes:
>
>If salvation is possible without having even heard the name "Jesus"
>(as in the case of an eskimo 3000 years ago) then we ask what is
>the purpose of evangelization and what is the need for doing it
>with any urgency?

Two Scriptures to show that salvation is not available to those who
don't believe in Jesus...

'Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we must be saved.' Acts 4:12

'I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the
Father except throught me.' John 14:6

>However, if we say that salvation is only open to those who are
>exposed to Jesus (in their lifetimes) then what does happen to
>the poor eskimo who lived 3000 years ago or the child born
>today with a severe mental handicap?
>
>Does anyone have the answer to this tension?
>
Well, about the eskimo part...an answer is not totally clear, but
maybe a secret is kind of revealed in these two Scriptures...

'God presented him [Jesus] as a sacrifice of atonement, through
faith in his blood.  He did this to demonstrate his justice, because
in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand
unpunished...' Romans 3:25 

'He [Jesus] was put to death in the body but made alive by the
Spirit through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in
prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days
of Noah while the ark was being built.' 1Peter 3:18-20

What does Peter say?  He says Jesus went after his death to preach
to those spirits who disobeyed long ago in Noah's day...whether this
means the disobeying angels, or the disobeying spirits of men, I do
not know.  Any one have the greek on this?

About the mental handicapped child...well, I don't really know.  I
could guess that if that child died in child hood, as Jesus says in
Matt 19:14 that the Kingdom of God belongs to those such as kids.
As a handicapped adult, I guess I could venture to say that if you
are talking about a case where faith is not possible in one who
cannot comprehend Jesus, then I feel that God is a God of justice
and fairness...and I think that they may have mercy because in the
same turn, as they cannot understand faith, they also cannot
understand sin.  Any other opinions on this?

JeeMan

"And now I will show you the most excellent way.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, 
I am only a resounding gong, or a clanging cymbal.  I f I have the
gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love,
I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender 
my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing....And
now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest
of these is love."--1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3, 13:13
-- 
JeeMan

"Do you want to get rocked???" --Def Leppard