GotQuestions and Saul's Salvation
GotQuestions.org
Over the years, I’ve observed that some Christians rely on GotQuestions.org to get answers regarding the Christian faith. While I would not doubt that they provide some good answers, I’ve encountered some answers that are just dead wrong. In response to the question - Was King Saul saved? - GotQuestions.org responded:
“Again, it is not our place to judge another person’s salvation. Only God truly knows whether or not Saul was saved. Did Saul begin his career with a humble, God-fearing heart? Yes. Did he commit egregious sins later in life? Yes. The matter of his salvation is between God and Saul.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/was-King-Saul-saved.html
RESPONSE
With this response, it is clear that GotQuestions.org is not a totally reliable source for sound, biblical answers to questions regarding the Christian faith. An examination of their response to the question “Was King Saul Saved?” uncovers a lurking theological contradiction…
“Again, it is not our place to judge another person’s salvation.”
While it is true that “the Lord knoweth them that are his” (II Timothy 2:19) and we should not judge another’s state of grace based on mere external observations (Matthew 7:1); judging the eternal salvation of someone in the scriptures is a different matter altogether. That’s because in many instances the bible reveals a bible character’s state of grace, provided we consider the evidence. That’s an important distinction lest we insist that we don’t know whether or not Peter was born again. To do so turns a blind eye to Matthew 16:16-17 and I John 5:1 which leave no doubt whatsoever about the matter of Peter’s state of regeneracy. Likewise, the question of Saul’s state of grace comes down to a proper assessment of the scriptural evidence we have available to us. That evidence is far more than mere external observation.
“Only God truly knows whether or not Saul was saved.”
Given the previous cautionary word regarding judgment based on behavioral observation vs. judgment based on revelation, this statement is the equivalent of saying, “The bible does NOT tell us if Saul was eternally saved or not.” They follow that by saying…
“Did Saul begin his career with a humble, God-fearing heart? Yes.”
Here the contradiction is in full bloom. If the bible teaches that Saul had a “humble, God-fearing heart”, as GotQuestions.org insists, then it is certain that King Saul was eternally saved. That’s because the unregenerate have “no fear of God.” (Romans 3:18) What’s more, the pride of an unregenerate man’s countenance would not permit him to have any measure of sincere humility toward God - “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (Psalm 10:4)
In the final mix, GotQuestions, GotProblems.
Search the scriptures to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11).
- Elder Daniel Samons