Views of the Unreached Before Pentecost

Dave Moser

Looking for a resource suggestion: Is anyone familiar with any works (in Logos preferred) discussing differing views of the fate of unreached people prior to the Great Commission and Pentecost?

Thanks!

MJ. Smith

Not sure what you mean - are you asking the for resources on the Jewish views?

Dave Moser

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/558820#Comment_558820

MJ. Smith said:

Not sure what you mean - are you asking the for resources on the Jewish views?

That does need clarification, doesn't it? I'm looking for summaries of the whole range of current views about the possibility for salvation for those outside the covenant community pre-Messiah.

Rosie Perera

There is a whole chapter on the range of current views on the fate of unreached people in general (Chapter 11, "The Destiny of the Unevangelized Debate") in Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology. But this doesn't quite address your question because it doesn't cover "what about those who lived before Christ?" And it only covers views within the evangelical spectrum, not more broadly than that. But...the "Further Reading" section at the end of this chapter might possibly give you some places to go looking for answers:

Further Reading

Clendenin, Daniel B. Many Gods, Many Lords: Christianity Encounters World Religions. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1996.
Crockett, William V, and James G. Sigountos, eds. Through No Fault of Their Own? The Fate of Those Who Have Never Heard. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1991.
Erickson, Millard J. How Shall They Be Saved? The Destiny of Those Who Do Not Hear of Jesus. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1996.
Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti. An Introduction to the Theology of Religions: Biblical, Historical, and Contemporary Perspectives. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2003.
Morgan, Christopher W., and Robert A. Peterson, eds. Faith Comes by Hearing: A Response to Inclusivism. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008.
Nash, Ronald H. Is Jesus the Only Savior? Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.
Netland, Harold A. Encountering Religious Pluralism: The Challenge to Christian Faith and Mission. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2001.
Okholm, Dennis L., and Timothy R. Phillips, eds. Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Pinnock, Clark H. A Wideness in God’s Mercy: The Finality of Jesus Christ in a World of Religions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.
Sanders, John. No Other Name: An Investigation into the Destiny of the Unevangelized. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992.
———, ed. What about Those Who Have Never Heard? Three Views on the Destiny of the Unevangelized. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1995.
Tiessen, Terrance L. Who Can Be Saved? Reassessing Salvation in Christ and World Religions. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2004.
Yong, Amos. Beyond the Impasse: Toward a Pneumatological Theology of Religions. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003.

Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 213.

Unfortunately, Logos doesn't carry any of those books in the bibliography. [:(] Big boo!

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/558840#Comment_558840

Dave Moser said:

MJ. Smith said:

Not sure what you mean - are you asking the for resources on the Jewish views?

That does need clarification, doesn't it? I'm looking for summaries of the whole range of current views about the possibility for salvation for those outside the covenant community pre-Messiah.

I'm curious about why you care.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/558840#Comment_558840

Dave Moser said:

I'm looking for summaries of the whole range of current views about the possibility for salvation for those outside the covenant community pre-Messiah.

Afraid I can't really help - outside my range of interest now that I know what you're asking. It's the kind of "knowing the mind of God" question that I avoid. Good luck on your quest.

NB.Mick

Dave Moser said:

Looking for a resource suggestion: Is anyone familiar with any works (in Logos preferred) discussing differing views of the fate of unreached people prior to the Great Commission and Pentecost?

Thanks!

Dave,

Rosies suggestion sounds good. 

You may also want to check out Roger Olson's blog at Patheos. IIRC he more than once addressed this question to argue against the (to him) inconsistent position of those who hold to a rather inclusivist view of salvation pre-crucification/Christ_preaching_to_the_souls_in_sheol/resurrection/GC/Pentecost/whatever_event_is_assumed and similarily a rather exclusivist view post-that_event. Olson often gives good advice on further reading and you may learn about different positions there.

Another idea (again, I'm not familiar with a specific resource here) would be to look for details on the concept of pre-christian saints, like Vergil, who is assumed to be one on basis of a "messianic prophecy" he wrote. It seems more people expect to meet the author of the Anaeid in heaven (including C.S. Lewis, whose work unfortunately is not yet in Logos) than Balaam, who was a real prophet whose eyes were opened by JHWH. 

 

Dave Moser

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/558850#Comment_558850

Thanks all for your help!

David Paul said:

I'm curious about why you care.

Mostly because God's people weren't:

1. explicitly charged with making disciples of all nations prior to the great commission and
2. empowered with the Holy Spirit for missions in the same way prior to Pentecost.

I'm interested in seeing if there's any discussion about how the first Advent and Pentecost changed things with respect to missions.

David Thomas

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/559073#Comment_559073

This resource may be of interest to you http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/13_1_PDFs/01_Kaiser.pdf It is authored by the former Dean of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and President of Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. He is also published in several Logos resources. Here is a sample - https://www.logos.com/product/25312/walter-c-kaiser-collection

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/559073#Comment_559073

Dave Moser said:

Thanks all for your help!

David Paul said:

I'm curious about why you care.

Mostly because God's people weren't:

1. explicitly charged with making disciples of all nations prior to the great commission and
2. empowered with the Holy Spirit for missions in the same way prior to Pentecost.

I'm interested in seeing if there's any discussion about how the first Advent and Pentecost changed things with respect to missions.

Dave's Kaiser article mentions Exo. 19, which is one of the sections most germane to this concept, and I agree that it is inevitable that one conclude that Israel's purpose was to mediate YHWH and His will (Tohraah) to the nations. One could mention the promises to Abraham as well, but in these and any other potential examples (Solomon's witness through wisdom, for example) the follow through can only be described as shoddy at best--a la mote and beam stuff. That said, I would seriously question the effectiveness of "the church" on exactly the same grounds. I don't see any difference in the "before and after" pivot of Pentecost...at least not in the areas that actually matter. As always, it (the situation that exists) is what prophecy dictates it must be.

I would also question whether YHWH has the same perspective about such matters that Christians (of any stripe) or that humans (in general) do.