Question 78 – What about tribal people who never heard of Jesus?

Dear reader, it seems that whenever Christians are confronted about their faith, a question invariably arises: "What about those poor tribesmen who could not possibly have known about Jesus?" What of those who had no opportunity to learn the true truth about God and remained their whole lives captive to their beliefs and cultural practices? Whether we speak of isolated tribes in the forests, Buddhist monks in the Himalayas, or Muslims in countries where Christianity is forbidden, many wonder: "Will these people go to hell?"

This is indeed a profound question, and to be honest, I do not possess a definitive answer. Generally speaking, the Bible is clear – the way and solution is the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. Yet, we must openly acknowledge our lack of understanding of all that pertains to this matter. How? Whom? When? Why? There are many accompanying questions and numerous ways through which God draws people to Jesus and approaches the question of salvation in practical steps. Nevertheless, this issue does not diminish God's love or justice. From the Bible and the experience of millions of Christians, it is evident: God is a loving Father who desires to save His creation, for which He sent His own Son to die on Earth. God is also a just judge, who will judge each person according to their deeds and opportunities in life. Thus, the question itself cannot stand as a legitimate complaint against Christianity. In its background lies doubt about God's love and justice. Questions such as, "What if God is unjust?" or "What if He has forgotten millions of people?" arise. Therefore – even though as a Christian I do not have a definitive answer to this question – I remain at peace. From what God has revealed to me through His Word, I am confident that God will never act dishonorably with anyone! I trust that God is just and that no one will be forgotten or wronged by Him. Still, there are certain answers even to this challenging question.

1) Conscience

"For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them." (Romans 2:11-15)

Even if people do not know God and have not heard about Jesus, they still have no excuse, for God places a conscience within them, showing what is right and wrong. Thus, God remembers even those untouched by Christianity, acknowledging them and having standards by which He will one day judge them.

2) God Reveals Himself Miraculously

From around the world, missionaries bring testimonies of how Jesus reveals Himself to people, sometimes in dreams, guiding them to the Truth. Occasionally, they're led to seek out a missionary at an address previously seen in a dream. Similarly, God places a strong desire in missionaries' hearts to journey to specific countries or tribes to share the good news about Jesus. These accounts are numerous. Often, it's those who sincerely yearn to serve and know God (many practicing fervently in other religions, trying – though unsuccessfully – to reach Him). Sometimes these people have no interest in God, but God has an interest in them. Often these occurrences take place in places where Christianity is nearly absent or even persecuted (such as in some Muslim-majority countries). It's clear that God, to someone genuinely interested, can reveal Himself no matter where they are – be it the Amazon rainforest or the Arctic.

3) Divine Sovereignty

If there exists a sovereign God with the power to do anything, then He also has the power to decide who is born where. For God, who is not constrained by time, knows who will choose Him and who will reject Him. Thus, it need not be an issue for Him to ensure that specific people are born in places where they will have the opportunity to learn about Jesus. However, this is merely my deduction and not claimed as fact – yet, it suggests a possible way divine sovereignty might operate.

We could propose more potential answers and reflections on God's approach to humanity's salvation. However, I believe this short exploration demonstrates that God does not show favoritism and that the good news about Jesus is accessible to more groups than it might initially appear.

Summation

Though I do not possess a definitive answer to this question, numerous possibilities exist concerning how God addresses this issue. What we know from the Bible about God is that He is just and loving. This knowledge alone should allay any doubts about whether God has everything under control or if anyone has been forgotten...