Free Bible Commentary
“Romans 10:14-21”
Categories: Romans“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’ However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; ‘Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’ But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, ‘I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, by a nation without understanding will I anger you.’ And Isaiah is very bold and says, ‘I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.’ But as for Israel He says, ‘All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’”
---End of Scripture verses---
In verse 20, Paul had quoted Joel 2:32 to show that “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” He said this primarily in relation to “confessing” faith in Jesus as a step of salvation (verses 9-10), even though appealing to the “name of the Lord” involves much more than that. In today’s verses Paul, as he does through a very large portion of this letter, intercepts and debunks some false reasoning and excuses that could be made by people (specifically ethnic Jews) based upon Paul’s argumentation.
He begins by saying that people have to believe in order to call on God’s name, and they have to hear in order to believe, and they need a “preacher” in order to hear the good news, and the preacher has to be “sent” in order to proclaim the message. Now for the excuses. Many of the Jews might say (maybe some actually WERE saying) that they never heard the truth and didn’t have a chance to hear, therefore they couldn’t be expected to believe. And again, no one came to them bearing the tidings of good news. And again, there were not enough preachers sent out to carry the Gospel into the world.
But Paul proceeds to show them from their own cherished Old Testament Scriptures (as he does often in this letter) just how mistaken they are. Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7 to show that many preachers or “heralds” have been sent out carrying the good news of God’s salvation (verse 15). He also quotes Psalm 19:4 to show that “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (verse 18).
Paul also cited Isaiah 53:1 to show that, even though ample messengers have been sent to disseminate the all-sufficient truth, only few people have “believed our report” (verse 16). Again and again the inspired apostle tells his Jewish brethren that it is their own fault that God has rejected them and not the Lord’s, and that they are without excuse for their willful ignorance and rebellion (verse 21).
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (verse 17). No more important inspired statement could ever be written. You can’t have the kind of faith that saves you unless you hear (or read) the word of Christ, which is the New Testament (Hebrews 1:1-2). Please open up your Bibles regularly and “hear” the life-saving words of truth. And obey them. They are life to your soul and strength to your mind. They produce faith and they increase faith.
Please read Romans 11:1-24 for tomorrow.
If you have no plans for worship, we would love for you to come worship God with us today at the Taylorsville Road church of Christ.
3741 Taylorsville Road. 9:30 AM Bible class. 10:30 AM worship period. 5:00 PM worship period.
Hope you all have a blessed Lord’s Day!
- Louie Taylor
