The Destiny of the Unevangelized Debate Research Paper

The Destiny of the Unevangelized Debate - Research Paper Example The view that one will adopt on whether divine election is conditional or unconditional will determine in a big way the position that one will take on the destiny of the unevangelized debate. In the Christian tradition, we have two schools of thought on divine predestination: the Calvinism and the Arminianism 2. The proponents of Calvinism are of the view that divine predestination is unconditional, while the proponents of Arminianism hold the contrary view that divine election is conditional. On this basis, we can broadly view the debate on the fate of the unevangelized as the debate between the Calvinists and the Arminianists. This paper evaluates the debate on the destiny of the unevangelized and analysis the philosophical arguments used to support the various positions on this debate. Also, the paper evaluates the biblical verses used to support the arguments, and at the end of the paper, a clear position is taken based on the critical analysis of the issues raised in this paper. The paper begins with an analysis of the four views expressed by Boyd and Eddy on the debate about the destiny of the unevangelized 3. The following are the four views on the fate of the unevangelized that are discussed by Boyd and Eddy in their book, Across the Spectrum. ... This position has been the predominant view among many Church theologians including, the great Catholic theologian St. Augustine of Hippo, and John Calvin, the reformist theologian4. There are a number of people in the modern world who still hold this view. The proponents of this position argue that some biblical verses like, John, 3: 36, and 1 John, 5: 12 support the restrictivist view. A literal translation of these two verses shows that Jesus Christ is, indeed, the only way to God and that the knowledge of Jesus Christ is a requirement for salvation. Also, in the book Through no Fault, Darrel L. Bock cites Acts, 10: 12-43, to support his Restrictivist view and he argues that unless the non-believers are evangelized, believe in God, and repent their sins, then they shall all be damned 5. Darrel argues that the ignorance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will lead to damnation because unless one has knowledge of Jesus Christ, one will not be able to dedicate their lives to God and to re pent their sins. He cited Acts, 17: 30-31, to support his claim. A critical look at the restrictivist view of the destiny of the unevangelized raises one pertinent question: How can a loving and just God condemn to eternal perdition those who, through no fault of their own, did not hear about the Gospel?6 Can a just God punish one for a mistake over which they had no control? Although there are a number of biblical verses that seem to support the restrictivist view on the destiny of the unevangelized, the proponents of the restrictivist view would be hard pressed to answer these two questions. Universal Opportunity This view on the destiny of the unevangelized hold that, ultimately, all Gods people will be saved, whether they are Christians or not; Universalists are