Q123: "Will Jews go to Heaven if they are not saved?"

A123: In a word, no. This is one of those controversial topics that crop up from time to time, and I have written on this before on at least two occasions for other newspapers.

Some years ago, Paige Patterson, who was then president of the Southern Baptist Convention, made what was called a controversial statement that Jews have to be saved just like everyone else in order to go to heaven. He was roundly criticized as bigoted, anti-Semitic, narrow-minded and even worse.

But he was right. Patterson is also the president of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, and stands on very sound Scriptural ground with his statement.

Some time after Patterson's statement, Rev. Charles Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Ga., preached a similar sermon and was roundly criticized just as Patterson.

But he was right also. It's been a few years since those two fine Bible scholars made their statements, and I doubt if I shall cite exactly the same Bible verses they did, but there are many, many Scriptures which make it eminently plain that if Jews want to go to God's heaven, they have to be saved just like everybody else.

To begin with, the Apostle Paul, who was a Jew himself until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and got saved and became the foremost Christian of his day, was definitely the most ardent promoter of the need for Jewish salvation that's ever been.

Paul explains salvation in a nutshell in Romans 10:9-10.

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation."

Does it say anywhere in those verses, "unless you're a Jew, and in that case, God will make an exception for you"?

Nowhere in the Bible will you find such an exception noted.

Paul concludes that chapter of Romans with this bold statement, quoting Isaiah 65:2, "But to Israel he says: 'All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people,'" Romans 10:21 says.

But Paul also follows that verse with this extraordinary statement in Romans 11:1, "I stay then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin."

Then after a long discussion of how Israel has rejected their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, but will finally turn to Him in the last days, Paul quotes Isaiah again from Isaiah 59:20-21.

"And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins,'" Paul writes in 
Romans 11:26-27.

Most Bible scholars believe this turning to Christ by the nation of Israel will not happen until the end of the seven years of Tribulation, just before the return of Christ in glory.

Until then, Jews can be saved just like Paul was, by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, the same Saviour for Jews and Gentiles.

After explaining the plan of salvation in Romans 10:9-10, Paul continues in Romans 10:11-13, "For the Scripture says, 'Whosoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

In Paul's day, the common term among Jews for anyone who was not a Jew was "Greek." In other words, if you're a Jew, or if you're not a Jew, either way, believe in Jesus and you'll be saved.