The justification of the Gentiles in the Old Testament.
The justification of the Gentiles in the Old Testament.
§ 384. Third: “Many Gentiles could be and were saved in the time of the Old Testament and truly belonged to the Church, yet there is nothing in Scripture about their justification from original sin and from other sins.” We respond. (1) Scripture bears witness in general that no one has forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation without faith in Christ as his mediator (Acts 15:11; Rom. 4:9; etc.). Therefore we must either attribute faith in Christ as the promised Messiah to those whom we are discussing in this argument or deny them salvation. (2) The Gentiles who were saved in the time of the Old Testament were converted to the true God of Israel and joined themselves to the Israelite church, if not in body, then at least in mind and spirit. Accordingly, they could have learned from the Israelite church the means of justification from original sin and other sins. (3) As far as the ceremonies of the Law are concerned, those were not imposed on such as had been converted from heathenism, as we demonstrated in its own place in our treatise On Ceremonial and Forensic Laws [Commonplace XVI].