by jimwalton » Fri Feb 28, 2020 8:18 am
The hypothetical situation you describe would be unfair, yes. You're making an assumption that a person who has never heard about Jesus automatically goes to hell, which the Bible doesn't affirm. You also seem to making a false assumption that God reconciliatory efforts need to happen in the afterlife because they are inadequate in this life, also which the Bible does not affirm. If I am interpreting this incorrectly, I'm glad to receive clarification and to discuss it further.
Colossians 1.20 teaches that God is in the process of reconciling all things to Himself, so we have to interpret what that means. It certain doesn't mean universalism (the idea that everyone will end up in heaven no matter what), which is a blatantly non-biblical idea.
We see that Jesus is the agent of reconciliation, which goes along with John 14.6, that all people who come to God must come through Him.
Philippians 2.10-11 says that all things will be in submission to Christ (even things that are hostile to Him). So we have not universal salvation, but universal submission.
Doug Moo says that through the work of Christ on the cross, God has brought His entire rebellious creation back under the rule of His sovereign power. Again, not cosmic salvation but cosmic renewal.
Shawn Bawulski, an advocate of reconciliationism, says that all things will be reconciled to God, but not in the same way. "For believers, reconciliation is brought about by salvation. The cosmos itself will be reconciled in that it will no longer be subject to frustration (Rom. 8.19-23). For the 'principalities and powers,' the reconciliation is best understood as finding realization through their conquest (Col. 2.13-15)—the imposing of peace. In the same way, the reprobate will participate in the final reconciliation by way of conquest and pacification. Christ will bring all things, even the principalities and the reprobate, under his divine rule and order by defeat."
So, as you see, interpretation gets difficult, but there seems to be a common gist to what these are all saying.
As far as your murdered man who never heard, Romans 5.13 assures us that God does not hold people accountable for what could not have possibly known. How this will play itself out at the final judgment we are never told. But there are several things we are told: God knows everything, God is not cruel, and God will be fair.
Last bumped by Anonymous on Fri Feb 28, 2020 8:18 am.