Question:  Hello Greg,

            We came up with this question: how do those who died before Jesus get saved?  A friend of mine said when Jesus died he went to hell to preach to them for three years because it is equal to three days.  Please, I need your input concerning this issue.

            Thank you.

            Bob

Answer:  Dear Bob,

            Part of the problem we bring to this question is that we import our cultural and denominational ides about evangelism into history, and to a degree, into heaven.  We assume that everyone must be saved in a way that makes sense to us, given our reality.

            I believe that this is one major reason we have the account of the thief on the cross.  As far as we know, the thief did not “do” many of the things that some today feel must be done before God grants salvation.  In fact, the story of the thief on the cross bothers many people because it seems to them that he got off “lightly”—with a lifetime of sin followed by a brief confession/repentance at the very end.

            We don’t know about those who lived before Jesus.  The idea that Jesus went to hell and preached to people who were there simply because he had not yet come is not biblical, while some believe a few proof texts support their interpretation.  We do know that God is just, fair, holy, merciful, and above all, defined by love.  We don’t know specifics of the question you pose, but we can rest in his grace.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht