Still able to be saved via "Moses and the prophets"?

[cyberjosh]

Doesn't acknowledge Jesus of Nazarath as the Messiah.

Most certainly not then. Jesus is the only way to the Father, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). The law was a tutor to lead the believer in the law to Jesus (Galatians 3:24-25). To reject Jesus while still following the law is vain and is to reject the purpose of the law.

God Bless,

~Josh

 

[Orion]

I guess I'm not specifically focusing on the Jewish man, but more on the heart of the individual. Even the person hundreds of years ago. In fact, even the person more than a thousand years ago, anywhere in the world. All they knew was what their culture told them to beleive about the spiritual and how they were to please their god. It wasn't their fault that they never found themselve aware of Jesus, himself, as the savior of the world, but they were honestly living to please their god(s) because, again, that's all they knew. Maybe it was God they felt when they looked at the wonder of the world but just knew that being by a different name.

I don't mean to side track this thread. But the main thing is the heart of the person. The Jewish man, today, who is devout, . . . loves God and serves to please God, . . . .yet if they die, "Moses and the prophets" . . the Torah, . . the first 5 books of the Bible, whatever they have isn't enough for that man, even though his heart was striving to God.

 

[handy]

Orion, I think there are two points raised by your question:

What of the man who has the Word, but doesn't recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of the Word?

What of the man who doesn't have the Word and has no preacher?

Your hypothetical man belongs to the first catagory. He has God's Word in his hand. As I mentioned before, anyone who is sincerely seeking God will find Christ. If your Jewish man is reading the Torah, there are enough pointers in the OT to Christ that he will find Christ. I know this is going to sound really condescending, but the Jew who doesn't find Christ in the Torah, isn't truly seeking after God's truth. (I also believe firmly that any person raised in the Christian Church that reads God's Word and doesn't find Christ, isn't truly seeking after God either.) So, if he is a devout Jew, reading the Torah, but failing to recognize Christ in the Torah, then he is merely being devout to his religion. Being devout to one's religion isn't the same as seeking after God and devoutly following God. He might say he desires God, but he is mistaken in his desire. He may just desire the comfort and stability of the ritual in his life.

This can be compared to a poor man who desired all his life to buy a Corvette. So, he worked hard, saved everything he could so that he could buy a Corvette. The day comes when he walks onto the car lot and takes the 'vette out for a drive, comes back and says, "Nah, I think I'll go for a Mustang instead."

Why did the man who claimed all this time how much he desired a Corvette buy a Mustang instead? Because he really didn't know what he truly wanted. He like the idea of a hot car, but when it came down to the specifics, he realized that he really didn't want what he thought he wanted. This can happen a lot and in all areas of life, not just God and cars.

We are responsible for what God has given us. If we have the Word, read the Word, yet fail to find Christ in the Word, then we will not find salvation. There are several texts in the Scriptures that point to the truth of this, but I don't have my Bible handy right now. If you're interested in them, I can post them later.

But, what of the man who has no preacher, who doesn't have the Word?

I believe that that man may very well be judged by a different standard. Again, not having my Bible handy, I can't give the specifics, but I do believe a careful reading of Romans and Revelations show that the man who has no access to the truth of God's word, yet sincerely sought truth in his life and did his best to follow his conscience, he will be saved. That's a fairly controversial statement, I know. But, again, I think there is enough evidence in the Scriptures that point to this.

However, this is only for those who truly hasn't heard of Christ. I'm fairly certain there isn't a Jew living today who would fall under this catagory.