Who do you think, from Adam to this very minute, has had "no knowledge of God' or has not heard of God, or has not had the opportunity to learn about God? The unrighteous are sinners, everyone has had opportunity to learn about God.
Not so, unless there was a preaching and proselytizing program in existence before the nation of Israel was formed. The ones who left the worship of the true God came after the flood, and under Nimrod's influence carried their false religious ideas with them all over the world. Only a rare few individuals stayed loyal to the true God, like Job and Abraham.
The nation of Israel did not come into existence until Jacob's 12 sons were taken in by their brother Joseph, who was sent to Egypt in advance of them to ensure that God's purpose in connection with Abraham's promise was kept. (Genesis 22:18) Their numbers increased markedly whilst they were being ill treated as slaves in Egypt. That arrangement kept God's people together as one family group in one location on earth, ensuring the family line of descent to the Messiah was preserved. Their release from captivity was brought about by God using a man he had deemed from birth to be the deliverer of his people. That did not take place until Moses was 80 years old in 1514 BCE.
Romans 1:18-20 (ESV Strong's) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Absolutely. But this did not mean that people could be put to death in ignorance. Even the people of Noah's day were given advance warning of God's intentions. Ungodliness is expressed in many ways....and it is only the "ungodly" who will perish. (2 Peter 3:5-7) Where does that leave those whom Jesus addresses in Matthew 7:21-23?....
"Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’"
These are those who acknowledge Jesus as their "Lord". Yet he does not acknowledge them as his disciples....why? Because they fail to "do the will of the Father". Look at what they offer Jesus as an excuse....as if that is even possible?
You will notice that he says he NEVER knew them...that means that in all the time of their existence, he has never recognized them as anything but "workers of lawlessness".
The parable of the 'wheat and the weeds' indicates that the seeds sown by the devil were planted soon after the Christian congregation was established. You can trace the implanting from the second century CE and as the weeds grew, so out of that tangled mess emerged Christendom with all the traits of Babylon in her doctrines. Only at the "time of the end" was God going to 'cleanse and refine' his people with an 'abundance of knowledge' that the 'wicked' would not understand . (Daniel 12:9-10) Who are the wicked? Those who fail to "do the will of the Father", according to Jesus.
This all makes perfect sense to me. It is what I see with my own eyes and what I experienced when I was raised in Christendom. There was no priority given to the witnessing work and no knowledge of the Kingdom ever specifically taught. Only when I had a study of the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses did it all finally make sense.
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