Verse 16 and on is sometimes thought to speak about Israel, but the context is the nations. Acquit me of hidden faults (exposed by the light of God's Word). Any other kind of obedience is not true obedience at all. Wuest: But I say, did they not hear? FOR ISAIAH SAYS LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT: Esaias gar legei (3SPAI) kurie, tis episteusen (3SAAI) te akoe hemon: For (gar) introduces an explanation. The faith of Paul and Luther was a revolutionizing thing. If you hear, with a willing heart, the good news, that Christ died for you; that He was buried; that He was raised from the dead: by truly "hearing" faith will "come" to you. Man's faith must fix itself upon God's facts and God's facts are found in the Word of God. And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For the same reason hearken (Rev.) Christ, whose glory fills the skies Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1939), Little faith will bring your soul to heaven; great faith will bring heaven to your soul. Mark 1:15 summarizes Jesus’ message: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Repent and believe are commands. Faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is never alone. Many call Christ, Master and Lord, who are far from serving him. Acts 17:6 And when they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world have come here also; Acts 17:31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. Read David's great Psalm and observe how God reveals Himself first in creation (Ps 19:1-6) and then in His Word (Psalm 19:7-11)…, Psalm 19:1-6 Faith and morals are two sides of the same coin. Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Evolution is the most preposterous myth ever foisted on the human race. But if you do not believe in Christ and reject His gracious offer of salvation, you are completely to blame. Here is a Bible study, with commentary and summary for Romans chapter ten. — Augustine, It is faith alone that justifies, but the faith that justifies is not alone. How will they preach unless they are sent? The winner is delirious with joy, leaping in the air, crying, laughing, and hardly believing that this could be true. Our faith comes from trust in what God has said in His Word. Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament. Many will claim, “Lord, Lord,” but they do not obey Jesus as Lord. Doubt says, 'I can't believe.' (Dobson, E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV Bible Commentary: Nelson ), Now Paul begins to show where the chain has broken. And later missionaries were astounded at the way in which God had prepared these people for one of the greatest mass conversions in history! If people are saved, it is because of God’s sovereign grace. To hope for heaven by means of such faith is to drive in the dark across a deep chasm on a bridge that does not quite reach the other side. The force of this verse, perhaps, may be best seen by including it in a parenthesis, "How beautiful are the feet, etc." He wants to show that the Jews’ rejection of Christ, as well as the Gentiles’ reception of Him, should not be surprising, since it was predicted centuries before in the Scriptures. The Israelites in Isaiah’s day had already hardened their hearts against the Lord, and His retributive judgment on them had already begun when Isaiah received his commission. "Who hath believed our report?" How Shall People Be Saved? 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. Therefore faith comes from hearing. But in 2Co 5:18,19,20, we see that while, "God was, indeed, in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself" (2Co 5:19a) He has "committed to us (Greek = literally placed in us) the word of reconciliation (katallage - word study)." For we will all stand before God's judgment seat." (3PAAI) menounge, Eis pasan ten gen exelthen (3SAAI) o phthoggos auton, kai eis ta perata tes oikoumenes ta rhemata auton: Romans 10:18-21 gives three results of Israel's rejection of the "word of Christ", and each result is supported by an OT quotation. God gives faith to the obedient heart only. Jesus speaks the life-giving word and the spiritually dead come to life. Christ distinguished between doubt and unbelief. Genuine saving faith is the root that necessarily bears the fruit of godliness. Paul verifies this by a further appeal to scripture; this time the passage is from the Septuagint of Isaiah 53.1. Take your home Bible Study group through this series if you dare. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House). ), These things Isaiah said, because he saw His (Jesus') glory (In Isaiah 6:1ff), and he spoke of Him. His obedience to the Word was evidence of his faith in the Word. If someone claims to have faith, but lives in disobedience to God, his claim is false. It means that you had better get reconciled to this Almighty Creator before you meet Him in judgment! Unbelief says: Some other time, but not now; some other place, but not here; some other people, but not us. As mentioned elsewhere contrary to popular opinion in some circles the Gospel is not found in the stars. Steven Cole - Perhaps you’ve seen the TV commercial where some people from the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes knock on someone’s door to tell him that he has just won $5 million. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Lu 10: 16 “ He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” « Romans 10:14. 7:21-23). And if everyone is required to believe, the message should be sent to everyone, and the divine command on which it rests must include an injunction to make the proclamation universal. - Paul's rhetorical question in the original Greek construction expects a negative answer. Isaiah the prophet anticipated this terrible unbelief in the first verse of that important 53rd chapter which speaks of the Messiah dying for our sins. Because they would not believe, judgment came on them and they could not believe. Both meanings could have been in Paul’s mind. It laid hold on the life and brought it under obedience to Christ. For Isaiah says - In this passage Paul quotes from the great chapter on "The Suffering Servant"…, Who has believed our message? (See related topic - Obedience of faith). John Piper Aug 31, 2003 18 Shares God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him Learn more about Desiring God Desiring God. Your faith is aroused by the message. This verse seems out of context here, but it is probably a brief summary of verses 14-16 before Paul moves on to focus on the Jews’ unbelief… The Jews were not ignorant of the need for a response to God (Rom. It is always accompanied by “newness of life” (Ro 6:4-note). More and more Thyself display, Where real repentance is, there is obedience. (10) Wherever faith is, there is also the word, but not the opposite, namely, wherever the word is, there may not necessarily be faith: for many refuse and reject the word. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. (Romans 10 Expository Notes). The promise is the same to all, who call on the name of the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, as God manifest in the flesh. 665-666). 10:14, 23; 13:5, 9, 11; 14:17, 26; 23:17; 24:1, 4; 27:6; 34:1; 37:16, 18; 62:4; Jer. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, (SN), 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber (pictures the glory); It rejoices as a strong man to run his course (pictures the power). 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. Scofield wrote that "The essence of faith consists in believing and receiving what God has revealed, and may be defined as that trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ whom He has sent, which receives Him as Lord and Savior and impels to loving obedience and good works (John 1:12; James 2:14-26-note). (Paul uses the same kind of generalization and hyperbole in Colossians 1:6, 23.) (Why Some are Lost and Some are Saved Romans 10:16-21) Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 goes back to and connects logically with Romans 10:15, while Romans 10:16 anticipates Romans 10:19; Romans 10:21. The same Spirit births faith in the gospel message in the hearts of the elect. Conceivably, there may be some English speakers who have not heard, but it would be their own fault. Unbelieving and irreligious men have no ears. (NASB: Lockman) Greek: ara … It focuses upon the content of the communication. Similarly, Matthew 14:1; Mark 13:7. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. Glad my eyes, and warm my heart. In all unbelief there are these two things: a good opinion of one's self and a bad opinion of God. Or, it can refer to the act of hearing. Obedience—not perfection, but a new direction of thought and affections and behavior—is the fruit that shows that the faith is alive. I agree with Constable who writes that "The word of Christ could mean the word from Him, namely the message that He has sent us to proclaim (Ro 10:15). Special Revelation: Daystar, in my heart appear. They wanted a conquering king to defeat all their enemies and provide a comfy life for them. Have they actually heard the message? He will judge the world (Hebrew = tebel = inhabited world; Lxx = oikoumene) in righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness. Hence the passive form of the verb here: we were made subjects of God's reconciling Acts 2 . (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology. As faith relates to Christ it represents a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. Morris - Hearing is a reflection of first-century life. (ICB: Nelson), NIV: But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. 15:24, 28). The word euaggelion was in just as common use in the first century as our words good news today. A whole new generation of Christians has come up believing that it is possible to "accept" Christ without forsaking the world. COMMENTARY ON ROMANS 10:16-11:10. These and twenty-five other incredible-but-true stories prove the truth of the words in Ecclesiastes: "He (God) has also set eternity in the hearts of men." (Jeremiah 23:28,29), The writer of Hebrews in the context of warning to all who have heard the gospel to enter the "rest" God provides writes these famous words…, For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.