Eternity in Their Hearts

1. God has placed a sense of eternity and law in every human heart.

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Universal human intuition. Beyond specific religious systems, humanity shares an innate awareness of something eternal and a moral compass. Ecclesiastes notes this sense of eternity, while the Apostle Paul observes that Gentiles, without the Mosaic Law, often act as if its requirements are "written on their hearts." This suggests a foundational, God-given sensitivity to both ultimate reality and moral standards.

Inadequate without revelation. While this internal witness exists, it is insufficient for fully grasping God's plan or achieving righteousness. People sense eternity but cannot fathom God's work. They have a law on their hearts but often fail to obey it, leading to internal conflict ("thoughts now accusing, now even defending them"). This inherent limitation highlights the need for further, clearer revelation from God.

Foundation for understanding. This pre-existing awareness, though incomplete, serves as a crucial starting point for understanding the gospel. It means people are not starting from absolute zero ignorance about God or morality. Missionaries can build upon this foundation, showing how the gospel addresses the very longings and moral dilemmas already present in the human heart.

2. Many cultures possess a concept of a Supreme God, often distant or unknown.

"O thou unknown god! Behold the plague afflicting this city! And if indeed you feel compassion to forgive and help us, behold this flock of sheep!"

Beyond idols and spirits. Across diverse cultures, from ancient Athens to the Incas and Santal people, there exists a concept of a Supreme Being distinct from lesser gods, idols, or spirits. Athenians had an altar "to an unknown god," acknowledging a deity beyond their pantheon. The Incas, through King Pachacuti, questioned sun worship and revived the concept of Viracocha, the uncreated Creator.

Original, purer belief. This high god concept often appears to be older than the prevalent polytheism or spiritism in a culture, suggesting a possible original monotheistic root. The Santal people, for instance, knew of Thakur Jiu, the Genuine God, from their forefathers, lamenting that they had forgotten Him over time in favor of spirits. This indicates that the idea of one true God is not always a foreign concept.

Anticipation of the true God. These vague or distant high god concepts serve as a point of contact for the gospel. When missionaries speak of the Creator God, people like the Santal sages recognize the name Thakur Jiu, realizing the missionary is speaking of the God their ancestors knew. This pre-existing knowledge makes the gospel message resonate as a return to a forgotten truth, rather than an introduction of something entirely alien.

3. Traditions of a lost sacred writing from God are found in diverse peoples.

"He's supposed to bring them a book," the guide said. "A book just like one their forefathers lost long ago."

A universal longing. Many peoples, including the Karen, Kachin, Lahu, Wa, Lisu, Naga, and Mizo tribes in Southeast Asia, share a remarkable tradition: their ancestors once possessed a sacred writing from the Supreme God, but lost it. The Karen expected a "white brother" with a "white book" from Y'wa. The Lahu believed Gui'Sha's law was written on rice cakes they ate during a famine.

Anticipating the Bible. These traditions created a profound openness to the Bible when missionaries arrived. When William Marcus Young showed the Lahu his Bible, they recognized it as the lost book of Gui'Sha and practically kidnapped him to bring it to their villages. The Lisu, who had no writing system, were convinced a white brother would bring them God's book in their own language.

Prepared for the message. This pre-existing expectation meant these groups were not just open to Christianity, but actively waiting for it. The Naga believed their lost writing was eaten by dogs. The Mizo expected a "great light" from the west. These traditions, passed down orally, kept alive a hope and readiness that led to rapid, large-scale conversions when the Bible was finally presented to them.

4. Certain cultural customs and symbols surprisingly parallel biblical truths.

Ask a Dyak what he has placed between the lantern and the chicken and he will reply, "Dosaku!" (my sin).

Echoes of biblical concepts. Beyond abstract beliefs, some cultures have customs or symbols that strikingly mirror biblical themes. The Dyaks of Borneo use a "scapeboat" ceremony where sins ("dosaku") are symbolically placed on a miniature boat with a living chicken and a lamp, then sent downriver, echoing the scapegoat ritual and the removal of sin.

Analogies for the gospel. These cultural parallels provide powerful analogies for explaining the gospel. The Sawi people of New Guinea, who valued treachery, understood peace only through a "Peace Child" given by one group to another, providing a perfect analogy for Jesus as God's Peace Child. The Asmat people's "new birth" ceremony, where children pass through a symbolic birth canal to join an enemy kinship group for peace, parallels the Christian concept of being born again into God's family.

God's prior witness. These customs suggest that God has left "witness" of Himself not only in abstract thought but also in the very fabric of human social practices and symbols. The Yali and Hawaiians had "cities of refuge" mirroring the Jewish practice, illustrating the need for a safe haven from judgment. Even the Chinese writing system contains symbols that appear to encode biblical ideas, like "righteous" being "I under the lamb."

5. Early scholarly theories often dismissed evidence of widespread native monotheism.

The strength of this universal current of thought was so great, and the resulting discredit into which it brought the notion of the great age of the sky-god so complete, that hardly anyone found courage to oppose it...

Evolutionary bias. In the 19th century, dominant evolutionary theories of religion, like E.B. Tylor's, proposed that religion evolved from animism to polytheism and finally to monotheism. This framework required primitive cultures to be devoid of high god concepts, dismissing any evidence to the contrary as later influence or misunderstanding.

Ignoring the evidence. Despite mounting reports from missionaries and anthropologists of primitive tribes acknowledging a Creator God (often called "sky-god"), these findings were largely ignored or attributed to Christian influence. Scholars like Andrew Lang and Wilhelm Schmidt documented extensive evidence of native monotheism, challenging the prevailing evolutionary model, but faced significant resistance and silence from the academic community.

Lasting, harmful influence. Despite the eventual refutation of Tylor's theory by later research, its "conceptual offspring" persisted. It influenced liberal theology (Higher Criticism) by suggesting polytheistic origins for Israelite religion and provided a supposed "scientific" basis for Communism's anti-religious stance. This historical episode highlights how theoretical biases can blind scholars to evidence and how flawed ideas can have devastating real-world consequences.

6. The Abrahamic Covenant is the Bible's central theme, promising blessing to all peoples.

And that statement lets a special characteristic of Yahweh’s promises shine through! He was not blessing Abram to make him egotistical, arrogant, aloof, or self-centered. Yahweh blessed him to make him a blessing—and not just to his own kin!

More than a tribal pact. The covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 12 is presented as the core narrative of the Bible, not just an introduction. While it promised Abraham a great nation and personal blessing ("top line"), its ultimate purpose was universal: "And all peoples on Earth will be blessed through you" ("bottom line"). This reveals God's benign and global intent from the outset.

Oath-bound purpose. God underscored the importance of this promise by binding Himself with an oath (Genesis 22), emphasizing the "unchanging nature of his purpose." This divine commitment ensures that the "bottom line" promise to bless all peoples is as central and certain as the promises made to Abraham's physical descendants.

Backbone of Scripture. The Old Testament narratives frequently illustrate Abraham's descendants being a blessing to non-Jewish peoples (Joseph in Egypt, Ruth in Moab, Jonah in Nineveh, etc.). The New Testament apostles, particularly Paul, explicitly link the gospel message to the fulfillment of this ancient covenant, seeing themselves as instruments in God's 4,000-year-old plan to bring blessing to every ethnic group on Earth.

7. Jesus' ministry consistently demonstrated God's purpose to reach all peoples.

“A light for revelation to the Gentiles!” A “Sun” to rise upon people “living in darkness and in the shadow of death!” A bringer of “salvation … prepared in the sight of all people!”

Messiah for all. Jesus' life and ministry were saturated with the "all-peoples imperative" of the Abrahamic Covenant. His genealogy included Gentile women, He began His ministry in "Galilee of the Gentiles," and He frequently interacted with and healed non-Jews like the Roman centurion, the Canaanite woman, and Samaritans.

Challenging ethnocentrism. Jesus deliberately used these encounters to challenge the ethnocentric biases of His Jewish contemporaries and disciples. He praised the faith of Gentiles, warned that Gentile cities might fare better in judgment than unrepentant Jewish ones, and told parables implying that the spiritual franchise would be given to a "people who will produce its fruit" (Gentiles).

Defending Gentile access. His dramatic cleansing of the Temple's Court of the Gentiles was a powerful act defending the right of non-Jews to access God's house of prayer. Jesus' actions consistently demonstrated that His mission was not limited to one nation but was intended to bring God's salvation and blessing to "all peoples."

8. The Great Commission was the culmination, not a last-minute addition, of God's plan.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Foreshadowed throughout. Jesus did not spring the Great Commission on His disciples unexpectedly. His entire ministry, teachings, parables, and interactions with Gentiles and Samaritans were preparing them for this command. He spoke of the "field" being the "world," the gospel being preached to "all nations," and Himself drawing "all men" when lifted up.

Rooted in the covenant. The command to make disciples of "all nations" (ethne - peoples) is a direct echo and fulfillment of God's ancient promise to Abraham that "all peoples on Earth will be blessed through you." Jesus, as Abraham's Seed, was ensuring the "bottom line" of the covenant would be realized through His followers.

Empowered for the task. Jesus linked the command with the promise of His authority and presence, and the coming power of the Holy Spirit. This empowerment, demonstrated by speaking in diverse languages at Pentecost, was specifically for the purpose of being His witnesses "to the ends of the earth," enabling them to cross cultural and linguistic barriers.

9. The Holy Spirit empowers believers specifically for cross-cultural evangelism.

The bestowal of miraculous ability to speak non-Jewish languages was superfluous if only their own blessing was intended!

Power with a purpose. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, marked by speaking in the diverse languages of the gathered diaspora Jews and Gentile converts, was a clear sign. It demonstrated that the Spirit's power was not merely for personal spiritual experience or for ministry within one's own culture.

Breaking linguistic barriers. The miraculous ability to speak other languages symbolized the Spirit's specific enablement for taking the gospel across linguistic and cultural boundaries. It was a divine declaration that the message was for "every tribe and language and people and nation," just as prophesied.

Misconstruing the gift. Seeking the Holy Spirit's power or miraculous gifts without a corresponding commitment to reaching "all peoples" fundamentally misunderstands God's intention. The power is given to be witnesses "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth," fulfilling the exocentric progression of the gospel.

10. The early church, initially ethnocentric, was divinely pushed to reach Gentiles.

A great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Reluctance to cross boundaries. Despite Jesus' clear command and the Pentecost empowerment, the early Jewish believers, including the apostles, remained largely focused on Jerusalem and Jewish people. The book of Acts, rather than showing immediate obedience to the Great Commission, reveals their initial reluctance to move beyond their comfort zone.

God's scattering hand. God used persecution to scatter believers (though notably, initially sparing the apostles) beyond Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria, forcing them to engage with Samaritans. Philip, a layman, became a key figure in this expansion, ministering effectively in Samaria and to the Ethiopian eunuch.

Overcoming prejudice. Even Peter, a leading apostle, required a dramatic vision to overcome his prejudice and minister to the Gentile Cornelius. The breakthrough to Gentiles in Antioch, initially done by believers from Cyprus and Cyrene, further illustrates that the expansion was often driven by circumstances and the Spirit's prompting, pushing against the natural ethnocentric tendencies of the early church.

11. God uses both general and special revelation to prepare people for the gospel.

This is surely a powerful extrabiblical evidence for the authenticity of the Bible as revelation from the one true and universal God!

Two streams of truth. The book argues that God has been at work preparing humanity for the gospel through two complementary streams: general revelation (the Melchizedek Factor), evident in the innate sense of eternity, moral law, high god concepts, lost book traditions, and cultural parallels found in diverse cultures; and special revelation (the Abraham Factor), the specific, canonical, and redemptive truth revealed through Abraham, Israel, and ultimately Jesus Christ.

General revelation as ally. General revelation is not a substitute for the gospel, but an ally. It creates a predisposition, a "sounding board," or a point of contact that makes the gospel message resonate with pre-existing longings and understandings. Peoples with traditions of a high god, a lost book, or customs mirroring biblical truths were often remarkably receptive to Christianity.

Gospel as fulfillment. The gospel of Jesus Christ fulfills and clarifies the fragmented truths found in general revelation. It provides the name of the unknown God, restores the lost book, offers the true Peace Child, and provides the genuine new birth and scapegoat. This fulfillment demonstrates the gospel's universal relevance and the authenticity of the Bible as the coherent, complete revelation from the one true God who has not left Himself without witness anywhere.

Last updated: July 5, 2025