How will they hear unless someone tells them?

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'"  -Romans 10:13-15

A long-held debate among Christians is surrounding the question, "What will happen to those who never hear the gospel?" The purpose of this post is not to fully answer that question but rather to address a particular aspect of it.

I have heard a bit recently about people around the world coming to faith in Christ because of dreams or visions. While there is zero doubt in my mind that people do have such experiences and that they are important to their conversion experience, I have doubts that these encounters are what we might call "full-package deals." In other words, I am not convinced that angels are going around preaching the gospel and offering invitations. While Paul's teaching in Galatians 1 seems to leave open the possibility that an angel could preach the gospel (or a gospel), this does not seem to be the pattern of Scripture as a whole.

First of all, the Great Commission commands us, His disciples, to go and make disciples, not pray for angels to go and preach for us. Secondly, the pattern in the book of Acts (which recounts the spread of the gospel throughout the world) is to use people/disciples to preach the gospel and offer the invitation. Picking two specific examples might be helpful.

Saul/Paul's conversion on the Damascus road would have been the most logical occasion for a vision to bring about conversion. I mean, Jesus Himself is talking; and Saul's salvation experience is pretty important to the rest of the church's story. But what does the resurrected Son of God tell Saul? After identifying Himself, He says, "Rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do" (Acts 9:6). This is a rather unsatisfying way for Jesus to end His conversation with Saul. But Jesus seems to prefer that Ananias (a disciple in Damascus) explain things to the bewildered Paul.

Another example is Cornelius in chapter 10 of Acts. Both Peter and Cornelius have visions from God that are intent on bringing the two of them together so that Peter may preach the gospel to Cornelius and his family and friends. This seems terribly impractical. Why not just tell Cornelius the good news in the vision and save a couple days' walk? I mean... surely Peter could have been doing more work in Joppa had he not been forced to leave to preach in Caesarea. But this seems to be the pattern of gospel proclamation.

Paul agrees in Romans 10 when he says that we can't believe until we've heard; and how can we hear unless someone is sent to preach to us? God is in the sending business, and he sends us... His people... His disciples. Even in the modern-day stories I've heard about visions that lead to conversion, it seems that such visions usually lead the seeker to a pastor, a missionary, or a local believer. Then the believer shares the gospel and offers the invitation.

We should not be content to wait for the lost to dream dreams or see visions before we open our mouths and give them good news. We are God's chosen instruments to make disciples of all nations. Let us not grow weary in fulfilling this eternally significant responsibility and opportunity.

In Christ,
Andy