Bible Question (short): Romans in the light of Jonah does it say |
Question (full): When the question is asked, "What about people that never heard of Jesus?" Many using an understanding of Romans 1:18-32 say nature attests to God therefore those people are without excuse. The question then becomes if that understanding of Romans 1:18-32 is correct why did God go to such extremes, as seen in the Book of Jonah to send Jonah, to Nineveh to tell them of God? Also we see in the Book of Jonah that God chastened Jonah for his lack of compassion toward the people of Nineveh because Jonah wanted to withhold from them the truth of God. I wonder if the understanding that nature somehow attests to God so that any lack of knowledge of Jesus Christ is without excuse is perhaps wrong. It is very possible to know God but not to be saved or not to follow after God. The Book of James 2:19 tells us the Demons believe and actually shudder in fear of God but that does not save them. I think Romans 1:18-32 perhaps becomes an over simplified answer to a question that when we hold it to the light of all of scripture, it just may be one we really don't know the answer to. |