This question comes up perennially. Most recently it was posed to me this way: What about those who have never heard about Jesus in remote regions of the world like jungle tribes, etc.? Will they go to hell because no one ever got to them to tell them? If a Christian is disobedient or lazy and did not go to reach those people will God judge them the same anyway?
Before I answer this question in a straight-forward manner, I’d like to begin with a parable.
THE PARABLE
Imagine a country where ten men have been charged, tried, and rightfully convicted for murder. In all ten cases, the men were proven to be serial killers, and the evidence was overwhelming and incontrovertible. All ten men were sentenced to capital punishment, and all ten men were scheduled for execution on the same day.
About a week before the execution day, one of the criminals writes a letter to a governor requesting pardon. In the letter, the criminal does not claim innocence, but rather expresses contrition and asks for mercy related to his many past crimes. The governor, shockingly, says “yes” and grants the pardon. The criminal is set free, and the other nine serial killers are all executed on the scheduled date.
The next day, one local newspaper runs this headline: “In Surprise Move, Governor Pardons Terrible Killer.” You could have guessed that this would have been the reaction.
However, imagine another newspaper that phrases their front page story this way: “Nine Men Killed Because They Didn’t Ask for Pardon.”
This second newspaper went on to describe the situation as if it was perfectly reasonable for the governor to pardon the one guy, and crazy that the other nine would receive their punishment. In fact, at one point the article in the second newspaper actually reads: “All nine men were killed, when the only thing they did wrong was not know to ask the governor for a pardon. What an injustice.”
THE INTERPRETATION
That second newspaper article would be an unusual reaction to the situation, right? To be sure, there was a kind of injustice – but it involved the man who was set free. That man was the one who was not treated fairly, as he received better than he deserved. However, the nine men who were executed for their murderous behaviors, they were actually the ones treated fairly.
The most glaring error in that second newspaper article would be the part that says, “the only thing they did wrong” was not asking for/receiving a pardon. That is obviously untrue. They did far more wrong than that. They were tried and punished for a long list of injustices that they had perpetrated on other people.
It would be far more correct to say that the nine men were treated as they deserved while one man was shown grace, rather than to say that only one man received justice, while the other nine men were unjustly punished for the crime of not contacting the governor. In other words, it would be the first headline that would be closer to the truth: “In Surprise Move, Governor Pardons Terrible Killer.”
BACK TO OUR QUESTION
I hope this parable and its interpretation is helpful in thinking through the question at hand: What about people who have never heard about Jesus? Will they be punished when they didn’t know?
It seems to me the answer is fairly easy to ascertain if you’ve been in a good church for a while. For many years now, Christians have been clear on what it takes to be saved from the judgement one deserves. One must believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). So, of course, people who do not believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ will not be saved from the judgement they deserve.
However, for a lot of people, it’s not that easy. For some reason, that seems unfair to them. And I am pretty sure that’s because Christians have been clear on what it takes to be saved but have not been very clear on what it takes to be condemned.
PREACHERS HAVE EVEN BEEN UNCLEAR ON THIS
Years ago, I can remember hearing a pastor say something like: “Only one sin can send you to hell. The sin of repeatedly hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and continually rejecting it until you die.” Since then, I’ve seen (online) several preachers who have said similar things.
The main problem with this kind of preaching is that it isn’t true. It’s not something that the Bible says. It doesn’t even match the behaviors of the earliest missionaries found in the book of Acts.
WHY DO CHRISTIANS DO MISSIONS?
If people don’t receive a pardon for their sins from God through Jesus Christ, they are condemned because of their sins. This is why Christians have been sending out missionaries for the last 2,000 years. And it’s why the Apostle Paul endured imprisonment, stoning, riots, shipwrecks, and beatings as he travelled around the Mediterranean world proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles.
If there was a “Go Straight to Heaven, Do Not Pass Hell” card for people who have not yet heard the gospel, then Paul was wasting his time going around telling everyone about Jesus. In fact, he wasn’t just wasting his time, he was making it worse for the people he was reaching! After all, if “knowing about Jesus and then rejecting Him” is the only sin that sends people to Hell, then making sure that no one knows about Jesus would be the very kindest thing a person could do for someone else.
So, to adopt this view (that you aren’t eligible for Hell unless you’ve flat-out rejected the gospel) would make evangelism into one of the worst sins in the Bible.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Notice what Romans chapter ten says.
Before I answer this question in a straight-forward manner, I’d like to begin with a parable.
THE PARABLE
Imagine a country where ten men have been charged, tried, and rightfully convicted for murder. In all ten cases, the men were proven to be serial killers, and the evidence was overwhelming and incontrovertible. All ten men were sentenced to capital punishment, and all ten men were scheduled for execution on the same day.
About a week before the execution day, one of the criminals writes a letter to a governor requesting pardon. In the letter, the criminal does not claim innocence, but rather expresses contrition and asks for mercy related to his many past crimes. The governor, shockingly, says “yes” and grants the pardon. The criminal is set free, and the other nine serial killers are all executed on the scheduled date.
The next day, one local newspaper runs this headline: “In Surprise Move, Governor Pardons Terrible Killer.” You could have guessed that this would have been the reaction.
However, imagine another newspaper that phrases their front page story this way: “Nine Men Killed Because They Didn’t Ask for Pardon.”
This second newspaper went on to describe the situation as if it was perfectly reasonable for the governor to pardon the one guy, and crazy that the other nine would receive their punishment. In fact, at one point the article in the second newspaper actually reads: “All nine men were killed, when the only thing they did wrong was not know to ask the governor for a pardon. What an injustice.”
THE INTERPRETATION
That second newspaper article would be an unusual reaction to the situation, right? To be sure, there was a kind of injustice – but it involved the man who was set free. That man was the one who was not treated fairly, as he received better than he deserved. However, the nine men who were executed for their murderous behaviors, they were actually the ones treated fairly.
The most glaring error in that second newspaper article would be the part that says, “the only thing they did wrong” was not asking for/receiving a pardon. That is obviously untrue. They did far more wrong than that. They were tried and punished for a long list of injustices that they had perpetrated on other people.
It would be far more correct to say that the nine men were treated as they deserved while one man was shown grace, rather than to say that only one man received justice, while the other nine men were unjustly punished for the crime of not contacting the governor. In other words, it would be the first headline that would be closer to the truth: “In Surprise Move, Governor Pardons Terrible Killer.”
BACK TO OUR QUESTION
I hope this parable and its interpretation is helpful in thinking through the question at hand: What about people who have never heard about Jesus? Will they be punished when they didn’t know?
It seems to me the answer is fairly easy to ascertain if you’ve been in a good church for a while. For many years now, Christians have been clear on what it takes to be saved from the judgement one deserves. One must believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). So, of course, people who do not believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ will not be saved from the judgement they deserve.
However, for a lot of people, it’s not that easy. For some reason, that seems unfair to them. And I am pretty sure that’s because Christians have been clear on what it takes to be saved but have not been very clear on what it takes to be condemned.
PREACHERS HAVE EVEN BEEN UNCLEAR ON THIS
Years ago, I can remember hearing a pastor say something like: “Only one sin can send you to hell. The sin of repeatedly hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and continually rejecting it until you die.” Since then, I’ve seen (online) several preachers who have said similar things.
The main problem with this kind of preaching is that it isn’t true. It’s not something that the Bible says. It doesn’t even match the behaviors of the earliest missionaries found in the book of Acts.
WHY DO CHRISTIANS DO MISSIONS?
If people don’t receive a pardon for their sins from God through Jesus Christ, they are condemned because of their sins. This is why Christians have been sending out missionaries for the last 2,000 years. And it’s why the Apostle Paul endured imprisonment, stoning, riots, shipwrecks, and beatings as he travelled around the Mediterranean world proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles.
If there was a “Go Straight to Heaven, Do Not Pass Hell” card for people who have not yet heard the gospel, then Paul was wasting his time going around telling everyone about Jesus. In fact, he wasn’t just wasting his time, he was making it worse for the people he was reaching! After all, if “knowing about Jesus and then rejecting Him” is the only sin that sends people to Hell, then making sure that no one knows about Jesus would be the very kindest thing a person could do for someone else.
So, to adopt this view (that you aren’t eligible for Hell unless you’ve flat-out rejected the gospel) would make evangelism into one of the worst sins in the Bible.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Notice what Romans chapter ten says.
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?” ~ Romans 10:13-1
Hmm. If it were true that God’s judgment is only for the people who hear and reject the gospel, this would be a weird verse to include in the Bible. It seems to me that many Christians believe that what Paul actually meant was: “everyone who doesnot call on the name of the Lord will be saved… particularly if it was because of ignorance.” However, Paul doesn’t say that. In fact, he pretty much says the opposite of that.
Also, check out this section from the first chapter of Romans.
Also, check out this section from the first chapter of Romans.
“For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth since what can be known about God is evident among them because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.”
~ Romans 1:18-20
Notice it doesn’t say that God’s wrath is revealed against the people who hear and reject the gospel. No, that alone is not what condemns a person. The wrath is revealed because of the people’s unrighteousness. Also notice that it specifies that God can execute His wrath justly, because people are “without excuse.”
So, if not hearing about the gospel causes a person to be with excuse and therefore not eligible for God’s wrath, the writer of this text sure didn’t know that. He makes it clear that every sinner knows enough about God “through what He has made” (notice that’s not the same thing as the gospel) that they are morally accountable to God. They should not commit the sins that they commit. However, they do. They keep sinning. They keep going against His ways. The next chapter even implies that they know better than to do this because of their “conscience” (see Romans 2:12-16). And that is why God judges them. God condemns people because of their sin. Sin sends people to hell. And God has every right to decide this.
The person in the jungle (who sins over and over again until the day he dies) is judged for those sins after this life. He is not judged for what he did with the gospel. He is judged for what he did with his life.
When the Bible describes the people who are judged for all of eternity, it says:
So, if not hearing about the gospel causes a person to be with excuse and therefore not eligible for God’s wrath, the writer of this text sure didn’t know that. He makes it clear that every sinner knows enough about God “through what He has made” (notice that’s not the same thing as the gospel) that they are morally accountable to God. They should not commit the sins that they commit. However, they do. They keep sinning. They keep going against His ways. The next chapter even implies that they know better than to do this because of their “conscience” (see Romans 2:12-16). And that is why God judges them. God condemns people because of their sin. Sin sends people to hell. And God has every right to decide this.
The person in the jungle (who sins over and over again until the day he dies) is judged for those sins after this life. He is not judged for what he did with the gospel. He is judged for what he did with his life.
When the Bible describes the people who are judged for all of eternity, it says:
“The cowards, unbelievers, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars – their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death”
~ Revelation 21:8
Again, please notice that this lake is not exclusively for people who hear and reject the gospel. I suppose they are included in the word, “unbelievers,” but they aren’t the only ones there. Notice that murderers, sexually immoral people, and liars also go there.
So, this is what I was referring to earlier when I said that Christians have been clear on what saves us (Jesus), but they have not been clear on what condemns us (sin).
CONCLUSION
This is why I began with the parable. Once you realize the nine men are guilty of heinous crimes, you realize that they are not getting punished simply because they didn’t know about the governor’s ability to pardon.
And that also highlights what we wrongly assume about people who’ve never heard of Jesus. When someone says it wouldn’t be fair for people in the jungle to be punished without having heard about Jesus, the assumption seems to be that all these citizens of the jungle are innocent. They haven’t sinned. They deserve to be with God for all of eternity because of their righteousness, and they simply weren’t told about how to buy a ticket to heaven. Therefore, it’s not fair for these innocent people to go to hell based on a little ignorance. But that is not the case. That’s not what the Bible says. That’s not what is reflected in reality. The truth is that everyone is a sinner and that no one deserves to be pardoned by God for their sins.
The lack of clarity on this issue has caused Christians to doubt one of the clearest doctrines in the Bible, and has led many people to seriously consider a belief that would make the practice of evangelism to be one of the most spiritually destructive actions on the planet.
Sin condemns. Jesus saves. That’s why we should tell people about Him.
So, this is what I was referring to earlier when I said that Christians have been clear on what saves us (Jesus), but they have not been clear on what condemns us (sin).
CONCLUSION
This is why I began with the parable. Once you realize the nine men are guilty of heinous crimes, you realize that they are not getting punished simply because they didn’t know about the governor’s ability to pardon.
And that also highlights what we wrongly assume about people who’ve never heard of Jesus. When someone says it wouldn’t be fair for people in the jungle to be punished without having heard about Jesus, the assumption seems to be that all these citizens of the jungle are innocent. They haven’t sinned. They deserve to be with God for all of eternity because of their righteousness, and they simply weren’t told about how to buy a ticket to heaven. Therefore, it’s not fair for these innocent people to go to hell based on a little ignorance. But that is not the case. That’s not what the Bible says. That’s not what is reflected in reality. The truth is that everyone is a sinner and that no one deserves to be pardoned by God for their sins.
The lack of clarity on this issue has caused Christians to doubt one of the clearest doctrines in the Bible, and has led many people to seriously consider a belief that would make the practice of evangelism to be one of the most spiritually destructive actions on the planet.
Sin condemns. Jesus saves. That’s why we should tell people about Him.
