Did those who lived before Christ have any hope for salvation?

[jmt356]

Jesus said that He is “the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Paul wrote that “by grace you have salvation through faith” (in Jesus) (Eph 2:8). Does this mean that the Jews and Gentiles who lived before Christ and thus did not have an opportunity to learn of and believe in Him had no hope of salvation, and are condemned?
Paul seems to indicate this with respect to Gentiles who “were at that time without Christ … having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12). It seems to me that the pre-Christ Jews were in this same situation; because their only hope for salvation was Jesus, they were unable to available themselves of the opportunity for salvation since they did not know of Jesus and thus could not believe in Him.

 

[Nintentacle]

Well, I'm pretty sure Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Elijah, and David had salvation.

They were looking to the future instead of the past.

 

[Jesse]

Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world....people have been getting saved this way - forever.

 

[LovethroughDove]

Before you know of Jesus.....
Romans 9:14What then shall I say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

After you have heard the gospel....
John 3:18-21Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Hebrews 10:29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot

 

[Gregg]

Jesus said that He is “the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Paul wrote that “by grace you have salvation through faith” (in Jesus) (Eph 2:8). Does this mean that the Jews and Gentiles who lived before Christ and thus did not have an opportunity to learn of and believe in Him had no hope of salvation, and are condemned?
Paul seems to indicate this with respect to Gentiles who “were at that time without Christ … having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12). It seems to me that the pre-Christ Jews were in this same situation; because their only hope for salvation was Jesus, they were unable to available themselves of the opportunity for salvation since they did not know of Jesus and thus could not believe in Him.

This is a great question that you have asked.

The OT saints were being preserved by God until Christ came; they were sanctified. Once Christ appeared as High Priest and King, and having offered His own flesh and blood, the OT believers were saved by Christ. Paul explains these things in Hebrews:

"For by one offering He has perfected in perpetuity the ones being sanctified" (Heb 10:14 LITV, see Heb 7:19,8:6). Christ's sacrifice [for atonement to God and for eternal salvation] became the final sacrifice for those who were already sanctified, the OT saints. Heb 10:14 indicates that the OT saints were waiting for the final sacrifice of Christ, and when He accomplished that, they entered into His body as do the NT saints upon believing in the LORD Jesus Christ. Paul refers again to the OT saints in Heb 12:23, "and to spirits of just ones who have been perfected." The OT saints were not perfected until Christ came. ". . . that they should not be perfected apart from us" (Heb 11:40 LITV).

You referred to Ephesians in your OP. Paul refers to the OT saints waiting until a certain time for Christ; "for the administration of the fullness of the times to head up all things in Christ, both the things in the heavens, and the things on earth . . ." (Eph 1:10 LITV). The "things in the heavens" would include the OT saints. The OT saints and the NT saints have been incorporated into the same body of Christ, "He making us both one" (Eph 2:14), "that He might in Himself create the two into one new man"(Eph 2"15), and "might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross" (Eph 2:16).

So you asked in your OP - Did the OT saints have any hope for salvation? Christ was their hope, they were waiting for Him as their God and Savior. "About which salvation the prophets sought out and searched out, prophesying concerning the grace for you, searching for what, or what sort of time the Spirit of Christ made clear within them; testifying beforehand of the sufferings belonging to Christ, and the glories after these" (1Pet 1:10-11 LITV).

 

[Deborah13]

Really great answers in this thread. Thanks

 

[chessman]

Luke 22:37(LEB) For I tell you that this that is written must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was counted with the criminals.’ For indeed, what is written about me is being fulfilled.”​

It seems to me that the pre-Christ Jews were in this same situation; because their only hope for salvation was Jesus,

The pre-Christ Jews indeed had all kinds of access to Jesus Christ.

 

[Gary]

Jesus said that He is “the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Paul wrote that “by grace you have salvation through faith” (in Jesus) (Eph 2:8). Does this mean that the Jews and Gentiles who lived before Christ and thus did not have an opportunity to learn of and believe in Him had no hope of salvation, and are condemned?

1 Corinthians 10....(NKJV)
1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

Paul seems to indicate this with respect to Gentiles who “were at that time without Christ … having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12). It seems to me that the pre-Christ Jews were in this same situation; because their only hope for salvation was Jesus, they were unable to available themselves of the opportunity for salvation since they did not know of Jesus and thus could not believe in Him.

Romans 2....(NKJV)
11 For there is no partiality with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.




This is how the Lord is going to judge every soul that stands before Him.

1 Samuel 16....(NKJV)
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

.

 

[eddif]

I Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

A thread of thought goes like this.
Verse 18 says we (that time after Christ died for our sins) are saved by his sacrifice.

Verse 19 says Christ went to those in captivity. Abraham's bousom and preached to those in captivity (the great gulf between hell, Abraham's bousom, and the living - a type of prison).
In many folks humble opinion, the preaching would be the good news of salvation by belief in his death.
The dead could choose to believe in Christ's work.
Then
Revelation 6:11
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

The saints would then saved and waiting our deaths, the last trump, and the resurrection.

If no other doctrine overpowers this, then it works. If other doctrine clouds your mind it will not work.
Everyone is saved by Christ's work.

eddif

 

[twinc]

the answer is so simple and obvious - but simple and obvious answers are the least acceptable to complicated humans who would find them too simple to accept and would refuse to do so and would persecute and on most forums ban anyone who did not toe the line they themselves have drawn and interpreted and understood - but lets just see and know that not I but Scripture says 'every knee shall bow and every tongue confess' Jesus as Lord - how will this be if they do not and did not know Him - btw imho Jesus clearly gave the answer to this mystery/riddle now grossly distorted and let no one dare to untangle imho - twinc

 

[Jonathan]

The Jews had their own salvation program according to the Hebrew Bible in following the Mosaic Law. This is even eluded to in the NT, I believe it is stated that the parents of John the Baptist were righteous and blameless in the eyes of the Lord following His decrees..... So, it would seem to follow that they were "saved" and of course Jesus had yet to be crucified.

 

[Choir Loft]

Jesus said that He is “the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Paul wrote that “by grace you have salvation through faith” (in Jesus) (Eph 2:8). Does this mean that the Jews and Gentiles who lived before Christ and thus did not have an opportunity to learn of and believe in Him had no hope of salvation, and are condemned?
Paul seems to indicate this with respect to Gentiles who “were at that time without Christ … having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12). It seems to me that the pre-Christ Jews were in this same situation; because their only hope for salvation was Jesus, they were unable to available themselves of the opportunity for salvation since they did not know of Jesus and thus could not believe in Him.

This is a common question for those who haven't studied the Old Testament. It's also posed often by those who want to find an excuse to escape the necessity and responsibility of making peace with the Son of God - Jesus Christ. "Now is the time for salvation", the Bible says. Today's man cannot base his objections or justify himself on what did or did not happen thousands of years ago. The only justification is the blood of Jesus Christ and acceptance of it today.

That being said, the student of the Bible will soon discover a pattern of two spiritual groups in society. The saved and the unsaved. Us vs. Them. Those of the Kingdom of God and those of the world - described more fully by Jesus as the Kingdom of Satan. Those who are inside and those who are outside. The damned and the just.

In the days of the Old Testament, the Hebrew people were saved.

Everybody else in the world was simply not in the picture at all - ignored, left alone and subject to the elemental spirits of the planet. The Bible simply doesn't address anybody except God's chosen - God's elect. If one wanted to be 'saved' in those days one had to become a member of the Hebrew people - and following the split of the Kingdom - a Jew.

The Hebrew faith in those days, as the Jewish faith today, is a localized group. Salvation today is not dependent upon a limited culture or biological group - it depends upon a spiritual community - those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their lord and savior and who are washed by the blood of the lamb.

As in the days of Moses, when the Hebrews were delivered from slavery and death by the blood of the passover lamb, so are Christians today saved by the blood of the Lamb of God - Jesus Christ.

That's all and that's it. The pattern is set by God and if you look for another way - you'll simply be wasting valuable time.

and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...