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I know what John 3:18 says......it does not say that only those who believe will be saved. God wills all men to be saved, what are His plans for those who through no fault of their own never hear of His Son?

After Jesus’ death on the cross, people rose from their graves. Those people never heard of Jesus before they died, why would they be raised up if they could not be saved?

We don’t know it all. God does. Trust Him.

I know what John 3:18 says......it does not say that only those who believe will be saved. God wills all men to be saved, what are His plans for those who through no fault of their own never hear of His Son?

If you believe, as Scripture states, that God's will is that all believe and come to the knowledge of the truth, then don't you believe that God WILL reveal the truth to those who seek to know it? In John 3:18 Jesus said, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Those who do not believe, are condemned ALREADY because they do not believe. It can't be much clearer.

In Luke 8, Jesus tells the parable of the sower and the seed. He said that the seed fell on different grounds, some fell on the "wayside" and were eaten by birds right away, some fell on rocks and because they didn't get water, they withered and died. Some of the seed fell among weeds/thorns and the weeds choked the seed and it died and some fell on "good" ground, it grew and produced various yields.

Then Jesus explained the parable. He said the "seed" was the Word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. He explains the rest of the "grounds", but I want to look at that one where someone hears the truth but the devil prevents them from believing and being saved. The Pulpit Commentary says this about that verse:

The wayside hearers represent the great outer circle of men and women who more or less respect religion. It must be carefully borne in mind that in none of the four classes pictured in the parable are despisers of God, declared enemies of religion, portrayed. To these the gospel, with its warnings and its promises, rarely if ever speaks. These of "the wayside" are they whose hearts resemble a footpath, beaten hard and flat by the constant passing to and fro of wishes of the flesh, of thoughts concerning earthly things, mere sordid hopes and fears. Into these hearts the Word can never really penetrate. Momentary influence now and again seems to have been gained, but the many watchful agents of the evil one, with swift wings, like birds of the air, swoop down and snatch away the scattered seed which for a moment seemed as though it would take root. Judas Iscariot the Jew, and Pontius Pilate the Roman, might be instanced as types of this class. These - before their awful fate - both appeared to have been moved. The one for long months followed the Lord and was trusted by him; the other pitied, and for a moment in his - Pilate's case - pity seemed passing into love and admiration, and tried to find a way of escape for the innocent Prisoner. But the one betrayed, and the other delivered to death, the sinless Son of God!

In II Corinthians 4:3-4, the Apostle Paul says:

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

There is a resistance to the gospel, the word of God, and that is how the devil is able to snatch away the truth from the hearts of those who resist and is why they do not come to saving faith. There are ample passages of Scripture that attest that belief/faith IS necessary for salvation and ONLY those who believe can be saved. For those who never come to faith in Christ, it is because they have rejected whatever light God has revealed to them. How one responds to the light determines how much more light they are given.

When Jesus' disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables, He answered:

Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him." (Matthew 13:11-12)

It can be hard to understand how God desires that everyone be saved, yet, with some, allows the truth to not get through to their hearts so that they can be saved. But I trust God even when something is difficult to grasp. He sees the big picture, we only see a tiny fragment. Genesis 18:25 says, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Deuteronomy 32:4 says, He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. We CAN trust Him.

I know what John 3:18 says......it does not say that only those who believe will be saved.

You are correct.

It says that those who DON'T believe will NOT be saved.

If the RCC finds a middle ground between BELIEF and UNBELIEF; I'd like to understand just what it is.

Those people never heard of Jesus before they died, why would they be raised up if they could not be saved?

Since we seem to be into asking question that nothing to do with the issue, my answer to it is that MAYBE they heard about Jesus while they were walking around!

A more LIKELY 'answer' is...

"...they have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them."

...why would they be raised up if they could not be saved?

After the IF could be ANY statement.

The BIGGER question is WHY were they 'raised' at all?

I ASSUME that these folks likely 'died' once again; but ANYTHING that I 'assume' will be nothing but pure speculation.

There is no record of what happened to them.