Hearing the gospel is certainly one way for an individual to come to know about God’s will. When somebody hears the “good news” they learn about Jesus, His mission on earth and God’s plan for mankind’s salvation.

While hearing the gospel is one way, is it the only way to know God’s will? The question is important because there are many today that claim to have seen a vision or even seen Jesus, Himself. Their “vision” usually has one of a number of outcomes.  Maybe the vision was the impetus for a conversation that ensued in which Jesus gave some new or “special knowledge” to the individual.  Or, the individual now considers themselves “saved” as a result. Or maybe, the vision gave approval of the individual’s current actions/state in life (some examples).

Effectively, these “visions” or encounters are substitutes for the individual hearing the gospel. So, is hearing the gospel the only way to know God’s will?

How Scripture answers "Is hearing the gospel the only way to know God’s will?"

An individual must hear the gospel in order to know God’s will1,6,7,8. Not only does Paul tell us this plainly in his letters, but we see it played out in conversion stories in Scripture2,3,4,5. Interestingly, we see visions playing a role in all of these examples2,3,4 – even visions of Jesus, Himself5 – yet, in every case the fundamental pattern1 is followed (e.g. preacher sent, hearers hear, believers “call on him8), thus fulfilling what Isaiah writes, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”1

It should also be noted the role that prayer plays in each of these examples:

  • In Philippi2, Scripture says that Paul and Silas met an eventual convert at a “supposed place of prayer” (vs 13); presumably, Lydia was there praying when Paul and Silas met her,
  • The Ethiopian eunuch is coming from Jerusalem where he had journeyed specifically to worship God3 – no doubt praying during that time,
  • Cornelius is told by the angel of God in his vision that his prayers have been answered4 – Cornelius was praying,
  • Ananias5 is told by Jesus to “look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying” (vs 11)

If there were such a thing as a “Sinner’s Prayer” to recite for one’s salvation, why was it necessary for all of these ‘praying people’ to hear the gospel (and be baptized)?

Answer built on scripture-blocks below

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!

Someone doesn’t “call on” someone they don’t believe, and they don’t believe unless they’ve heard, and they don’t hear unless someone preaches, and preachers are sent.  Those that preach the good news are beautiful.

Paul’s letter is the case for Gentiles being “grafted in” to God’s plan of salvation and here is summarizing the process for one responding to His call.  Fundamentally, the gospel (“good news”) is preached and those that “call on him” hear and believe and are saved.

Scripture-block application to this question

Written before Bible’s as we know it were available, Paul asks what would seem to be intuitively obvious questions. Those that have been saved (believed) had at some point prior heard the gospel preached by someone sent.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia urgently asking him to come and them them.  They concluded that it was from God who was wanting them to go there and preach the gospel to them.

Paul is on his second missionary journey (with Silas).  The preceding verses record attempts by them to go to certain cities/regions but they are stopped by the Spirit.  They ended up in “Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.” (vs 11)  Their work here leads to a local church to which Paul later writes the epistle, Philippians.

Scripture-block application to this question

Paul and Silas are sent by the Spirit to a place with those ready to receive the Word of God (e.g. jailer, Lydia, etc.).

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, Go over and join this chariot.

An angel of God came to Philip instructing him to go south from Jerusalem to Gaza.  He went and found an Ethiopian eunuch who was returning from worshiping in Jerusalem and the Spirit instructed Philip to join him in his chariot.

A persecution of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 2-6) has begun following the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7).  Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” (vs 4)

Scripture-block application to this question

Philip’s vision is to direct him toward an individual that is returning to his home in Ethiopia.

!! scripture-block context extra important here !!

He was reading from Isaiah (vs 30) and Philip “beginning with this Scripture told him the good news about Jesus.” (vs 35)

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, Cornelius. And he stared at him in terror and said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.

Cornelius lived in Caesarea.  He was a centurion (Roman) of the Italian Cohort who was also a devout man that feared God along with his household.  He gave alms to the people and prayed continually.  At about 3pm one day he saw a vision.  The angel of God told him his prayers were answered and to send for Simon Peter.

The church has grown among the Jewish community according to the pattern Jesus foretold (“you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8).  This pivotal chapter accounts the conversion of the first Gentiles to the Way.

Scripture-block application to this question

Here is a non-Jewish (Roman), God-fearing man/household that is seeking God. God intervenes with an angelic vision…instructing him to send for a preacher (Peter) so that he might hear the gospel preached.

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.

Saul (e.g. Paul) is on his way to Damascus when he encounters Jesus in a vision.  Jesus asks him why he is persecuting him and tells him to enter the city where he will be told what to do.

Saul is a zealous, Jewish Pharisee and a leader in the persecution of this relatively new faith in Jesus the Christ.  After arriving in Damascus, he meets Ananias, who also had a vision from Jesus to meet Saul (vss 10-11).  Ananias is the one that tells Saul what he must do (vss 17-19).

Also told by Paul before the Jewish crowd (22:3-16) and again by Paul before Agrippa (26:12-18).

Scripture-block application to this question

Visions from Jesus occur, but specifically to join together a seeker (Saul) with a preacher (Ananias). Ananias came to Saul and told him God’s word.

And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ—you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.

For those saved (after hearing the gospel and believing), they are marked and sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the believer’s down payment to the eventual inheritance and full redemption.

Opening Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus and ending a long list of spiritual blessings that they have in Christ.

Scripture-block application to this question

Paul connects their belief directly to hearing the “word of truth.” It is the means by which they understood what God required.

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
We [Paul/apostles] thank God constantly for you, having received the word of God from us and accepting it, not as the word of men, but as God’s literal words, which is at work in you as believers even now.
In Paul’s extended introduction to the “church of the Thessalonians” (1:1), he is recalling the events around their first hearing Paul bring them the gospel (Acts 17 during his second missionary journey).
Scripture-block application to this question

It was the “word of God” that was heard and accepted (repeated again in the second letter8).

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Give thanks to God, since He chose you to be saved through the setting apart by the Spirit and belief in the gospel – to this He called you by “our gospel” in order that you may obtain glory shared with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica where he is warning them about coming destructive forces to the faithful – those that succumb even being helped by God who “sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,” (vs 11).
Scripture-block application to this question

Christians are called through the gospel.

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