Expert: Ernie Laurence, Jr. - 8/31/2008

Question
Ernie,

What do churches of Christ believe will happen to people who died in Asia between AD 33 (or whenever you believe Jesus returned to Heaven) and the arrival of the first Christians in Asia?

Will they be damned, or is there any hope for them at all?

Please use Scripture to support your answer.

Thank you,

Hoyt

Answer
Hoyt, I'm answering this in case your liberalism and apostacy stems from the fact that you just never had anyone answer these questions you are going to ask.  These questions I predict will intend to present "impossible" situations so that a strict, objective interpretation of scripture is shown to be the wrong approach.  If I can answer them all, then it will be the case that the objective approach is the correct one and that the way you believe now (and perhaps were raised believing) is the wrong one.  I don't know how old you are or if you were raised by members of the church or not.  It is irrelevant.  You are on this board teaching false doctrine, putting yourself up as an expert when in fact you use very little if any supporting scripture for your positions and do nothing but harm to the Lord's body.  I will do my best to answer in the hopes that you are honest enough to hear the answers from scripture and be willing to conform yourself to the Word.

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If I understand you correctly you are referring to the Asia of our time, i.e. China, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, etc.  If you are meaning the province of Rome in what is western Turkey (see Rev. 1-3 for reference) then please correct me.  The answer will be the same.

The short answer is: they died in their sins eternally damned.

First of all you asked me to provide scripture to support my answer.  It must be stated that there is no scripture that deals with this topic directly.  However, there is plenty that we can look at for proper, logical inference.

Romans 9:15 - For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Read the surrounding context of this.  It is God's will to show mercy to whom He will and destroy those who He will.

Romans 1:19-20 - Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Those who were Gentiles have no excuse.  Whether they died before the cross or after, whether they died after the cross before they heard the gospel, or not, they sinned against God and face eternal damnation just like those who died in the Flood.

Grace, which is the plan of salvation (Christ and the gospel) is an unearned gift.  God did not have to save man at all.  All who sin deserve death.

So what happened to those who died in Asia after 33AD before the gospel was preached in all the world (Romans 10:18; Col. 1:6, 23)?  The same thing that happened to those who died in Asia before 33AD.

Now, I know there are specific follow up questions coming and I will specifically respond to all you present with scripture as I have done here.  If I need to clarify or expand, please explain where I need to do so.

Thanks.

In Truth and Love (and a great deal of wariness),

Ernie