According to Protestants, How did people get Saved BEFORE Christ died for the sins of mankind, and who didn't have any Scriptures like the Jews had?

When teaching students in the Apologetics class about the (a) existence of God,(b) trustworthiness of the Bible, (c) and the proofs of the Deity of Christ...and the efficacy of His salvatory work on the cross, whereby man is saved...invariably someone will ask, ***How did people get saved BEFORE they knew Christ died on the cross, and they didn't have any Scriptures like the Jews had?*** And its corollary question is added on in the discussion: ***What about the people in the world today who have never heard about Jesus?*** Can they be saved? If God is just and loving, how can He send them to hell if they've never heard about Jesus, nor read any Bible (New Testament)? What is the important answer?