As a missionary and church leader, the topic of what happens to people who die without ever hearing the Gospel comes up frequently. This post is part 2 of a series that contain an unpublished article I wrote on this issue some time back after devoting serious time and effort to studying this issue. When I need to refresh my memory on the relevant Bible verses and arguments, this article is still what I turn to as a starting point. Please feel free to ask questions or challenge any of my Biblical interpretation, reasoning or conclusions.
The other evangelical answer concerning the question of the unevangelized is known as exclusivism or restrictivism. This view has been the one historically preferred by the church and, until recently, has clearly been the dominant view among orthodox Christians. Among the most prominent defenders of exclusivism are Augustine, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Carl Henry, R.C. Sproul, and Ronald Nash.[1]
Exclusivists affirm several beliefs that comprise their argument. First, all are guilty and without excuse before God, even the unevangelized. Inclusivists agree with this point, but they have a problem with the exclusivist view that, without special revelation, men and women will always suppress the truth. The only special revelation valid for salvation after the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ is the explicit gospel message as communicated by a human witness or by the written Word of God, although some allow for supernatural communication of the gospel through visions, dreams, or heavenly beings. In other words, a person must place explicit faith in Jesus Christ, including His atoning death and His resurrection, in order to be saved. The exclusivist position enjoys the best support in scripture and will be argued in more detail in the following paragraphs.
Exclusivists and inclusivists agree that every individual on earth needs to be saved. As Paul clearly states in Romans 3:10-18, quoting a litany of Old Testament passages, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one…destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” The reason the unevangelized are included among the unrighteous is “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what had been made so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks…and their foolish heart was darkened” (Rom 1:19-21). While there is great debate regarding the content of the revelation that can be gleaned from nature and human conscience, the context of Romans 1-3 clearly suggests that the only sure result from this knowledge is just condemnation for rejecting it.[2]
More to come in Part 3.
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