I Hope I'm Wrong, But I’m Afraid I’m Right (2)
Owen B. Moseley
In the previous article I began a discussion of the thought: I'm afraid that all who have not heard the gospel are in a lost condition and that they will be eternally lost if they never hear the gospel. This article continues with that thought.
Paul stated that Jesus will be revealed from heaven “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8) The Greek word for “know not” (do not know) does not indicate a refusal to know. However, there are some who would argue that that is the meaning. They would suggest that it refers to those who refuse to know, as did Pharaoh in Exodus 5:2--“And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” Those who say that “know not” refers to “refusing to know” are wrong. (However, the eternal outcome will be the same for this category of people.)
Some say “know not” refers to those who are totally ignorant, through no fault of their own, of God’s will. Jesus said that the servant who did not know his master's will and who did things worthy of punishment would be beaten with few stripes, Luke 12:48--“But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Even a few stripes is punishment. (There will be no punishment in heaven.)
The logical conclusion of any rational student of God’s word: The ignorant, willfully or unwillfully, may be punished less, but still they will be punished. They will not be saved eternally.
Some will ask: How can people call on name of Lord if they have not heard? Paul answered that very question in Romans 10:13-14? “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” These verses clearly teach that those who have not heard of Christ cannot be saved. They also clearly teach that those who know the gospel have a responsibility to spread the gospel.
Preachers are needed to spread the gospel. However, this does not mean that all preachers necessarily must be as we tend to envision—paid professionals. Oftentimes, we tend to think that the only ones responsible for spreading the gospel are those who are paid to preach. (Were the first preachers of the gospel “paid professionals”?) I suggest that we as individual Christians need to do more preaching of God’s word. Also, I would suggest that the Bible in and of itself can, to some extent, serve as its own preacher. That is why various print ministries that print the Bible and Bible related materials in different languages are so important and why we should support them financially.
The important fact for each of us to focus on is that people can't call upon the Lord without a knowledge of Him. That is why it so critically important that we do all we can to cause others, in many and diverse ways, to have a knowledge of Christ and of God.
In speaking of Christ, Peter said that there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved, Acts 4:12. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
I'm afraid that people who have not heard of Jesus are lost. I hope I'm wrong, but I’m afraid I’m right. Based on my understanding of the scriptures, I'm sure I'm right. Therefore, I think that each of us needs to realize how truly blessed we are that someone taught us the gospel of Christ. Also, we must recognize and accept the heavy responsibility that each Christian has to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
In the next article, I will discuss another group of people about which “I hope I’m wrong, but, I’m afraid I’m right.
Owen B. Moseley
In the previous article I began a discussion of the thought: I'm afraid that all who have not heard the gospel are in a lost condition and that they will be eternally lost if they never hear the gospel. This article continues with that thought.
Paul stated that Jesus will be revealed from heaven “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8) The Greek word for “know not” (do not know) does not indicate a refusal to know. However, there are some who would argue that that is the meaning. They would suggest that it refers to those who refuse to know, as did Pharaoh in Exodus 5:2--“And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” Those who say that “know not” refers to “refusing to know” are wrong. (However, the eternal outcome will be the same for this category of people.)
Some say “know not” refers to those who are totally ignorant, through no fault of their own, of God’s will. Jesus said that the servant who did not know his master's will and who did things worthy of punishment would be beaten with few stripes, Luke 12:48--“But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Even a few stripes is punishment. (There will be no punishment in heaven.)
The logical conclusion of any rational student of God’s word: The ignorant, willfully or unwillfully, may be punished less, but still they will be punished. They will not be saved eternally.
Some will ask: How can people call on name of Lord if they have not heard? Paul answered that very question in Romans 10:13-14? “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” These verses clearly teach that those who have not heard of Christ cannot be saved. They also clearly teach that those who know the gospel have a responsibility to spread the gospel.
Preachers are needed to spread the gospel. However, this does not mean that all preachers necessarily must be as we tend to envision—paid professionals. Oftentimes, we tend to think that the only ones responsible for spreading the gospel are those who are paid to preach. (Were the first preachers of the gospel “paid professionals”?) I suggest that we as individual Christians need to do more preaching of God’s word. Also, I would suggest that the Bible in and of itself can, to some extent, serve as its own preacher. That is why various print ministries that print the Bible and Bible related materials in different languages are so important and why we should support them financially.
The important fact for each of us to focus on is that people can't call upon the Lord without a knowledge of Him. That is why it so critically important that we do all we can to cause others, in many and diverse ways, to have a knowledge of Christ and of God.
In speaking of Christ, Peter said that there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved, Acts 4:12. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
I'm afraid that people who have not heard of Jesus are lost. I hope I'm wrong, but I’m afraid I’m right. Based on my understanding of the scriptures, I'm sure I'm right. Therefore, I think that each of us needs to realize how truly blessed we are that someone taught us the gospel of Christ. Also, we must recognize and accept the heavy responsibility that each Christian has to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
In the next article, I will discuss another group of people about which “I hope I’m wrong, but, I’m afraid I’m right.
