What About Those Who’ve Never Heard?

Along with teaching writing and using social media and YouTube, I regularly speak on college campuses. One thing I always do during these events (and really enjoy) is open it up for questions.

I’ve probably spoken at half a dozen universities this past year, and one question has come up every single time. That’s right: Every. Single Time.

What about those who’ve never heard of Jesus?

I understand the question. It seems intrinsically unfair that somebody would go to Hell for eternity simply because they never heard the name of Jesus. Admittedly, this is a serious challenge to the goodness and justice of God.

Although a ton more can be said, here’s a few points I make in response.

First, while it’s certainly true that not everybody has heard the name of Jesus, the Bible teaches that everybody has some witness to the existence of God. Romans 1:18-21 and Psalm 19:1-2 both make this clear: Creation itself points to a Cosmic Creator. Nature testifies that there is something above and beyond the universe. And we are not that God.

Second, Romans 2 teaches that we all have a moral conscience. We know there is such a thing as right and wrong. The moral law is written on our hearts. We know we’ve fallen short of moral perfection and we feel guilty. Why? Because we are guilty.

“Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life” – Romans 2:14-16

This is what theologians call general revelation: the basic knowledge of God that is available to all people through creation and conscience.

Now here’s the question that follows from God’s general revelation:

If everybody has some knowledge of God already, and some people reject even that knowledge, why is God obligated to reveal more about Himself — namely, the specific name of Jesus?

While general revelation is not enough to save someone, I do think it is enough to condemn someone. Humanity is not judged for lacking information alone; we are judged for rejecting the truth we do have.

This raises another question: If general revelation is enough to condemn but not save, then how are people saved who only have general revelation? Or are they all condemned merely because of where they happen to live?

Here’s the key: If somebody genuinely responds to the light God has given them through general revelation, God is capable of bringing them further revelation.

And this is important: God is not limited by our means of communication.

We often think in terms of missionaries, Bible translations, churches, or internet access. But built into the Christian understanding of the world is the belief that God communicates in many ways including nature and conscience (as we have seen), and also through dreams, visions, and other supernatural encounters.

Given the goodness of God, it is reasonable to believe that if someone would respond to special revelation, then God would ensure they have such knowledge.

Interestingly, there are countless testimonies today, especially in Muslim-majority countries, of people who claim to have encountered Jesus through dreams and visions and then turned to follow Him. I’ve included some examples of these instances here. I’ve done full videos documenting some of these stories and the evidence surrounding them.

A Final (Important) Point

It bothers me less today than it used to that I don’t know exactly how God will judge those who’ve never heard.

Everything I’ve said so far is my best attempt at making sense of the biblical data. But ultimately, this is God’s responsibility, not mine.

If the kind of God revealed in Scripture truly exists a God who is perfectly good, perfectly just, and all-powerful then He will judge rightly according to His character.

I do not believe anyone will stand before God able to say with complete honesty, “If I had only heard the name of Jesus, I would have believed.”

And honestly, I think this question can sometimes become a way of avoiding the real issue.

Because everyone who asks me this question has, in fact, heard. That includes everyone in the college audiences and it includes you.

We’ve heard the name of Jesus. We’ve heard His teachings. We can read the Scriptures. We can examine the evidence for His life, death, and resurrection.

So my encouragement is this:

Don’t let your uncertainty about how God judges those who haven’t heard keep you from responding as someone who has heard. One day, none of us will be able to stand before God and use someone else’s hypothetical situation as an excuse for our own failure to embrace the truth.