Will those who have never heard the Word be condemned? More than likely. According to Romans 5:12-19, all mankind already stands condemned through the sin of Adam. It is only through acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus that we can be saved from this pre-existent condemnation. "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:18-19). Jesus said to his disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 15:15-16). John 3:16-18 also attests to this: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's only begotten Son." Although the good news has been spread throughout the world, there will always remain those who still have not heard it. The problem, then, is that in order to believe in this good news, one would inevitably have to first be introduced to it (Romans 10:14). As Jesus said in John 5:24, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned." How can God condemn those who don't believe simply because thay never even had the chance? This, of course, assumes ignorance on the part of the condemned. Romans 1:18-20, however, declares that no one is without excuse: "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."         "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." (Psalm 19:1-4) Because of God's creation, which attests to him, no one is without excuse when it comes to not believing in God. Although an intimate knowledge cannot come about through mere comprehension of God, it is Jesus who shares this kind of relationship (John 17:25-26). The reasons for disbelief are stubbornness and unrepentance of heart (Matthew 11:20, 21:32, Mark 16:14, Luke 13:1-5, Romans 2:5, Revelation 9:20-21, 16:9-11), along with refusal to love the truth (John 8:42-47, 18:37, Romans 2:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, 1 John 5:10), lack of personal miraculous experience (Matthew 12:38-39, 13:58, Mark 6:5, 8:11-13, Luke 23:8-9, John 4:48), rejection of biblical scripture (John 5:46-47, Romans 15:4), fear of reproach and rejection by society (John 12:42, 2 Timothy 1:7-12, 1 Peter 6:16), doubt (Mark 11:23-24, John 20:24-27, James 1:6-8), failure to listen (Mark 6:11, Luke 10:16, 16:31, John 6:45, Acts 3:22-23, 28:26-28, 1 John 4:6), and simply not recognizing his voice (John 5:37-38, 10:16, 22-29). All will be judged according to the same standard. Romans 2:6-11 says that we will be judged according to our deeds and motives. Those who live under the law will be judged by the law, those who live outside the law will perish, and those who do not have the law but live by its requirements will have their conscience to bear witness against them (Romans 2:12-16). As the Apostle Paul puts it, "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them" (Romans 2:14-15). Since no one is good of their own accord (Psalm 14:2-3, 53:2-3, Proverbs 21:9, Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19, Romans 3:9-20, 7:15-20) and the best anyone can do of their own righteousness is still lacking in God's sight (Psalm 143:2, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Isaiah 57:12, 64:6), then it would seem that an advocate would be necessary on our behalf to turn away God's wrath against us.         "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)         Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All whoever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:7-11) The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is this necessary mediator by God's own standards, of which God himself provided: "But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1). 1 Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Of the name of Jesus, Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Hebrews chapter 7 teaches that Christ is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, is exalted above the heavens, lives forever, and has a permanent priesthood, "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (Hebrews 7:25). Romans 8:34 says, "Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." It is Christ, then, who both condemns and saves. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Christ alone is worthy, of whom Revelation 5:9 tells us purchased men for God by his own blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. Some may think God unfair and unjust, however, according to Ezekiel 18:32 and 2 Peter 3:9, God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone, nor does he want anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance and live. Furthermore, "God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right" (Acts 10:34-35). They feel God to be unfair because they themselves are impure and have no knowledge of him. According to Titus 1:15-16, "To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." Even if they know they will have to ultimately give an account of themselves before God (Romans 14:12), they do not realize that it is Jesus himself who will judge them (John 5:22, 2 Corinthians 5:10), and who will turn them away if he does not know them as one of his own (Matthew 25:12, John 17:20-26, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10). "Someone asked him, 'Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?' He said to them, 'Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' " (Luke 13:23-25)         "Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishale seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." (1 Peter 1:17-23) Note: According to Luke 12:47-48, the punishment for disobedience will be less severe for those who have never heard God's word than for those who believe but intentionally disobey.