Acts 11:28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. God has good news, and men don't want it! It would be because he was a root out of a dry ground; because he was a man of sorrows. (John 12:37, 38, 39, 40, 41). (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. Morris writes that "Hearing is a reflection of first-century life. Whatever differs from the sound doctrine of the Scriptures, opens a door to divisions and offences. This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent,' and out of that will come all the rest. Is not My word like fire?" That dreamy, sentimental faith which ignores the judgments of God against us and listens to the affirmations of the soul is as deadly as cyanide. The Greek scholar A T Robertson agrees - “By the word about Christ” (objective genitive) which Alford says is the instrument or vehicle of the gospel message.". For we will all stand before God's judgment seat." But, as we all know, not all who hear the gospel preached respond in faith. To escape the error of salvation by works we have fallen into the opposite error of salvation without obedience. All men everywhere are responsible to seek the God Who is revealed in nature and in the heavens. (Romans 10 - Bible Commentary). —Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Believing and obeying always run side by side. Who has believed our report? Perhaps one of the most beautiful, yet simple, universal declarations of the good news of the gospel of grace, is found in the book of Joel.. that whoever will call on the name of the Lord, will be delivered.. So then faith cometh of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, Yea, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. 11:7-note)… (and) True faith leads to obedience (6:22; 7:5). (Amplified Bible - Lockman), ESV: But I ask, have they not heard? Faith and obedience are closely related, C H Spurgeon writing that…. In Isaiah’s day, the people did not believe God’s Word, nor did they believe when the Living Word was in their very midst. In Genesis 22 Isaac's willingness to be offered as a sacrifice is a model of such submission. And this actually took place. That journey is hard and tired, but it is wonderful also, and no one ever regretted the weariness when he came to the end of the road. If they respond to natural revelation, God will somehow get them the special revelation of the Gospel. Romans 10:16, ESV: "But they have not all obeyed the gospel.For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has … But in the Christian scheme it is eminently the underlying requisite for all work which God does not consider as busy idleness…, Your work of faith. The only other place in Scripture where the phrase "Word of Christ" is found is in Colossians 3:16. How tragic! We may sing, "Crown Him Lord of all," and rejoice in the tones of the loud-sounding organ and the deep melody of harmonious voices, but still we have done nothing until we have left the world and set our faces toward the city of God in hard practical reality. You've probably heard the argument "what about all those who have have never heard." It realigned all life's actions and brought them into accord with the will of God. Discussion of Romans 10:16-11:10 Romans 10:16. He was supposed to read two verses from the Sermon on the Mount, remove his gown, and cry out, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Always pause and ponder this strategic term of explanation. — Billy Graham, Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes. Any other kind of obedience is not true obedience at all. True faith commits us to obedience. Psalm 19:4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world (Hebrew = tebel = inhabited world; Lxx = oikoumene). Even though you’ve sinned against the holy God and deserve His judgment, He offers a complete pardon to anyone who will receive it. (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology. (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. Vol. The whole idea is that we do not make up our message, which is the opposite of what you say. Then I highly recommend Tony Garland's 12 Hour Course on Romans 9-11 in which he addresses in depth the question of What Will Happen to Israel? You’ve just won a fortune!” But he belligerently snarls, “I said, ‘Get off my property now!’” That’s the contrast between Romans 10:15-16. I think you will agree that Tony Garland, despite coming to faith after age 30 as an engineer, clearly has been given a special anointing by God to promulgate the truth concerning Israel and God's glorious future plan for the Jews. Hence, we have legitimized Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. Revelation 3:10 (note) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. Young's Literal: but I say, Did they not hear? (2) "For" the Power it shows: the dynamite (Gk.) (Romans Chapter 10) (Bolding added). I agree, but I would go a bit further and suggest that Paul may have used this verse on natural revelation to say that if people ignore God’s general revelation of His glory through His creation, then they will be prone to ignore His special revelation through the preaching of the gospel. Fervent, Specific Prayer, 12 Who can discern his errors? So faith is the basis of everything; the first shoot from which all the others ascend… Faith works. No man living beneath the copes of heaven dwells beyond the bounds of the diocese of God's Court preachers; it is easy to escape from the light of ministers, who are as stars in the right hand of the Son of Man; but even then men, with a conscience not yet seared, will find a Nathan to accuse them, a Jonah to warn them, and an Elijah to threaten them in the silent stars of night. As pistis relates to God, it is the conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things well as the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ. (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) This is a convicting definition - here a pagan messenger radiantly announces good news of an earthly victory. All who do not receive Christ as their Savior will one day face Him as their Judge (2Ti 4:1, Jn 5:20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,26, 27, 3:18, 19, 36). Faith, indeed, however, does come from a report; and there must be a message and a messenger, sent of God; as we have seen. Faith (4102)(pistis [word study]) is synonymous with trust or belief and is the conviction of the truth of anything, but in Scripture usually speaks of belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it. Hearing (189) (akoe from verb akoúo = to hear) is literally the ability to hear and then can refer to the act of hearing (i.e., listening) and finally to what is heard (as in the previous verse = Ro 10:16). These questions drive much of the theological deliberation in Romans 9-11. Jesus Christ is our all in all. Real faith invariably produces holiness of heart and righteousness of life. (1Cor 2:2), Word (4487) (rhema [word study] from verb rheo = to speak - to say, speak or utter definite words) refers to the spoken word, especially a word as uttered by a living voice. (ICB: Nelson), NIV: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. As noted Isaiah 53:1 introduced one of the greatest messianic chapters in the OT. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.. Foul, I to the fountain fly; To those who receive the gospel, it is glad tidings. Nature's words are like those of the deaf and dumb, but grace tells us plainly of the Father. For example, the apostle John gives a dramatic example of belief that fell short of genuine saving belief in John 8:30-59. INDEED THEY HAVE? They wanted a conquering king to defeat all their enemies and provide a comfy life for them. Therefore faith comes from hearing. Similarly, Matthew 14:1; Mark 13:7. In verse 15 we read (citing Isa. Aug 31, 2003. Our report. The year is 1795, and deep in the jungles of Burma hundreds of native tribesmen rush out to a clearing to greet a white-skinned stranger. 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. The objection and answer may stand thus: "You tell … The prophet speaks as if next to none would believe: The apostle softens this into "They have not all believed.". Find Top Church Sermons, Illustrations, and Preaching Slides on Romans 10:16-21. ", If you are skeptical of the role and the "power" of God's natural revelation to kindle in a good heart (Lk 8:15) a response that seeks for God (Isa 55:6), there is a fascinating book entitled Eternity in their Hearts, which you must consider reading, for in it the author Don Richardson gives concrete examples of the effect of natural revelation on primitive people groups. The word of Christ - The NET Bible note speaking to the meaning of the word "of" states that the "genitive could be understood as either subjective ("Christ does the speaking") or objective ("Christ is spoken about"), but the latter is more likely here." Now, they may have no more light than that. I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. But they have not all obeyed — This seems an objection of the Jews to what St. Paul had said, which he answers in this and the following verse. It is exactly what James said and it is exactly what a better than James said. (SN). Is he teaching salvation by works? Let us beware that the Jesus we "accept" is not one we have created out of the dust of our imagination and formed after our own likeness. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. He begins to introduce this second topic before he has quite done with the first. Verse 16 and on is sometimes thought to speak about Israel, but the context is the nations. Finally, recalling a verse he had learned in his childhood in a Russian Orthodox church, he cried. If you receive that good news, you will praise God who opened your heart to the truth. The man that believes will obey. The winner is delirious with joy, leaping in the air, crying, laughing, and hardly believing that this could be true. (Luke 11:28) — The Lord Jesus Christ when someone sought to bestow blessing on his mother Mary, Faith is the fountain, the foundation and the fosterer of obedience. For Isaiah says, Lord, who believed our message? It upset the whole life of the individual and made him into another person altogether. Romans 10:18 says, “But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? It doesn’t make much difference. Acts 24:5 "For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Jesus speaks the life-giving word and the spiritually dead come to life. (ICB: Nelson), NIV: But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. Our problem is to get the consent of our world-loving minds to make Jesus Lord in fact as well as in word. Romans 10:18. Romans 10:14. The Jews were not ignorant of the need for a response to God (Rom. Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible. Paul was well aware of that; at this very time he was planning the evangelization of Spain, a province where the name of Christ was not yet known (cp Ro 15:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24-note). AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF CHRIST: e de akoe dia rhematos Christou: faith rests not primarily upon promises, but upon character. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. (Romans 10 - The Expositor's Greek Testament). Because of sin, all disobedient unbelievers are destined for a “stumbling,” which will lead to eternal condemnation. Thus the two ideas presented in the context — namely, the necessity of knowledge for faith, and the purpose of God to extend that knowledge to the Gentiles — are both confirmed in this verse. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. (Isaiah 53:1). God gives faith to the obedient heart only. It describes who Paul is and how he gets his authority. — C. H. Spurgeon, When a person truly trusts Christ, he or she will obey Him. The faith of Paul and Luther was a revolutionizing thing. How will they preach unless they are sent? While there were people who could read, the ordinary first-century citizen depended rather on being able to hear something. Romans 10:16. Our faith comes from trust in what God has said in His Word. There are many other brands of faith being displayed in our world today. ‘They,’ i.e., those who did not hearken; the Jews are meant, but not yet directly spoken of. The word of Christ is what brought us out of the world and that to which we were converted. It is the tragedy of man's foolish unbelief! Acquit me of hidden faults (exposed by the light of God's Word). I now opened my Bible and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since. Evolution is the most preposterous myth ever foisted on the human race. Scripture: Romans 10:13–21. 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. Indeed they have; ‘Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’” Paul cites Psalm 19:4 to show that the Jews have heard the good news. — John Piper, Faith alone unites us to Christ and Christ alone is the ground of our justification. Unbelieving and irreligious men have no ears. They didn’t like all this talk about them being sinners who needed a Savior to die in their place. Perhaps I should ask other people rather than you. The Greek word means literally, our hearing. Helpless, look to thee for grace; — John Piper (Sermon entitled - Command of God: The Obedience of Faith), If lips and life do not agree, the testimony will not amount to much. The Law of Moses. I. Packer, Faith must have adequate evidence, else it is mere superstition. Salvation comes when the message of the gospel is preached, believed, and Jesus is confessed as Lord. The quote from Isaiah (Ro 10:16), plus the ministries of all the prophets, of Paul, and even of the Lord Jesus Himself, show that many hear the good news but reject it. This clause even uses the double negative (me ouk) which is the strongest way possible of conveying a negative response. The Holy Scriptures will do us good only as we present an open mind to be taught, a tender heart to believe and a surrendered will to obey.— A W Tozer, The best measure of a spiritual life is not its ecstasies but its obedience. It could also refer to the message concerning Christ (Ro 10:9-note). — C. H. Spurgeon, What saves is faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone. (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. Where real repentance is, there is obedience. (click) or see the individual lectures below). Finally, in some NT contexts oikoumene was used to refer to the inhabitants of the world (see below Acts 17:31, 19:27, Re 12:9 - note), Oikoumene is used 40 times in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX), 2 Sam. etc. Jump to: Adam Clarke Commentary; It is a day Paul refers to in Romans 2:16 when God will judge men. Triumph o'er the shades of night; Dayspring from on high, be near, Because of disobedient, hard hearts, many do not believe the gospel and are lost. (Click here for W E Vine's similar definition of faith), Nothing in my hand I bring, (Romans 10 Commentary Online). How can one obtain saving faith? Faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is never alone. That message must come from the Word of God (or "Word of Christ"). We should note that the apostle Paul defends his preaching to the Gentiles in Ro 10:14-15. 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. Faith must rest in confidence upon the One who makes the promises…, If our faith is to have a firm foundation we must be convinced beyond any possible doubt that God is altogether worthy of our trust… (Ibid). In them He has placed a tent for the sun. Do men see that your faith works; that its output is different from the output of men who are not possessors of a ‘like precious faith'? Naked, come to thee for dress; If our faith is to have a firm foundation we must be convinced beyond any possible doubt that God is altogether worthy of our trust… A promise is only as good as the one who made it, but it is as good, and from this knowledge springs our assurance. Commentary on Romans 16:17-20 (Read Romans 16:17-20) How earnest, how endearing are these exhortations! By their line is probably meant the measure of their domain which, together with their testimony, has gone out to the utmost end of the habitable earth. Listen to what some of the giants of the Christian faith have to say about faith and heeding or obedience. Just as God’s natural revelation proclaims His glory to all the earth, so now the gospel has been proclaimed over all the earth, especially with reference to the Jews (Douglas Moo, The Epistle to the Romans [Eerdmans], pp. Skipping Ro 110:17 for a moment, where Paul twice mentions “hearing,” he goes on to respond to a hypothetical objection (that stems from Ro 10:14,17) that perhaps Israel has not heard. This course is highly recommended for all who love Israel! to which Paul responds "No, they have heard!". Yes, they have: "The message of God's creation has gone out to everyone, and its words to all the world." (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. Luke 2:1 Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 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. Jesus explained (John 5:25), “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” Or, as Acts 16:14 explains, as Paul spoke the gospel to the Jewish women who gathered by the river in Philippi, “the Lord opened [Lydia’s] heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” That’s the difference. It means that you had better get reconciled to this Almighty Creator before you meet Him in judgment! We need but trust Him and He will take care of the rest… God has not failed me in this world; I can trust Him for the world to come. This clear passage is avoided or denied by unbelieving Jews. God saves us by faith, not by works; but after He has saved us, He wants to talk to us about our works, about our obedience to Him. declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock? " It is that God has sent the Savior to die for your sins. I’m going to state what the Bible plainly teaches, although I cannot explain how both statements are true: If someone is saved, it is totally due to God choosing him before the foundation of the world, effectually calling him to Christ, and saving him by His grace alone (Ro 8:30; Ro 9:11-23). (Acts 28:24), James Denney however notes that "The fact remains, however, in spite of this universal preaching, that there has not been a universal surrender to the gospel. — Thomas Fuller, Let the acts of the offspring indicate similarity to the Father. Our earthly lives are one shining web of golden mystery which we experience without understanding, how much more our life in the Spirit. Indeed they have; [for the Scripture says] Their voice [that of nature bearing God's message] has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the far bounds of the world. Lit., hearing. — A W Tozer, A visitor, passing through a certain department of a large shop, noticed a set of regulations written on a blackboard. (1Cor 1:22, 23, 24), For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 4:12; Dan. There is coming a day, however, when things will be different—radically different. Wuest: So then, faith is out of the source of that which is heard, and that which is heard [the message] is through the agency of the Word concerning Christ. To be contented and unafraid when going on a journey with his father the child need not be able to imagine events; he need but know the father. Your faith is aroused by the message. « Romans 10:16. Just as it is written, " How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things !" That news is not that you have just won the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes! He has just indicted the Jews because they pursued righteousness by works and not by faith (Ro 9:32). Faith as the Bible knows it is confidence in God and His Son Jesus Christ; it is the response of the soul to the divine character as revealed in the Scriptures; and even this response is impossible apart from the prior inworking of the Holy Spirit. True faith is verified in obedience. It is here that the missionary urge comes! yes, indeed -- 'to all the earth their voice went forth, and to the ends of the habitable world their sayings.'. The great mass of his countrymen had rejected it. (Defender's Study Bible), The KJV Bible Commentary emphasizes that "We must understand that hearing alone does not bring salvation, but faith in the message heard does. Do not imagine men will be saved in any other way. Simply to thy cross I cling; But what it does mean is that no one will be saved without hearing the Biblical gospel. Luke 4:5 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. First we’ll look at the verses dealing with unbelief and then we’ll look at those that describe faith in Christ. Into all the earth their sound went out, and into the extremities of the inhabited earth, their words. In Romans 10, Paul is still dealing with the subject that caused him great sorrow and unceasing grief (Ro 9:2), namely, why are most of the Jews rejecting Jesus as their Savior? To believe savingly in Jesus Christ is to believe all He has said about Himself and all that the prophets and apostles have said about Him. — Warren Wiersbe, James 2:14-26 (see notes) discusses the relationship between faith and works, and James uses this event to illustrate his main point: true faith is always proved by obedience.— Warren Wiersbe, Hebrews 11:17-19-notes indicates that Abraham believed that God could even raise Isaac from the dead! (ESV), ICB: But I ask: Didn't people hear the Good News? Paul says that faith is aroused by hearing. Isaiah said, "Lord, who believed what we told them?" 4. The Apostle has two thoughts in his mind: (1) the necessity that the gospel should be preached before it could be believed; (2) the fact that, although it was preached (and accepted by many among the Gentiles), it was not accepted by the Jews. Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Some manuscripts read “God” instead of “Christ,” but “Christ” is the better attested reading. NLT: Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news--the Good News about Christ. (Phillips: Touchstone). Yes! (SN), Who was the recipient of Psalm 19? True faith that saves one's soul includes at least three main elements (1) firm persuasion or firm conviction, (2) a surrender to that truth and (3) a conduct emanating from that surrender. www.easyenglish.bible. By extension, it applies also to unbelieving Gentiles, but Paul’s focus here is on the question of why most of the Jews were rejecting Christ. See on obedience and disobedience, Romans 5:19. The photograph on the cover of this book portrays the ruins of Machu Picchu, a majestic fortress in Peru built in the fifteenth century. These fulfill the prediction of the prophets. Most commentators explain this by saying that Paul is using an analogy. It literally is, "saying," "speech, " as in Jn 3:34; 14:10; Acts 11:14. But Christ accompanies this preached word by His Almighty "voice" as we know from Jn 5:25: The hour cometh, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Biblical faith is not synonymous with mental assent or acquiescence which by itself is not genuine (saving) faith. The writer of Hebrews alludes to this tragic failure of the Jews to heed the good news "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. Christ distinguished between doubt and unbelief. ); and hearing of faith, i.e., message of faith, Galatians 3:2. The opening of the letter to the Romans contains, in seven tightly packed verses, a summary of the themes that will be discussed in the rest of the letter. Apparently Phoebe was on her way to Rome (probably entrusted with this precious letter) and Paul sends an advance reco… Heed means to submit to or obey (Paul used this word in Rom. Adam Clarke - There is not a part of the promised land in which these glad tidings have not been preached; and there is scarcely a place in the Roman empire in which the doctrine of Christ crucified has not been heard: if, therefore, the Jews have not believed, the fault is entirely their own; as God has amply furnished them with the means of faith of salvation. Thus Paul begins and ends Romans (Ro 1:5; 16:26) talking about “the obedience of faith.” Or, as 1 John 2:3 explains, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.”, Also, it’s important to realize that the gospel does not come to us as a nice suggestion that you may want to consider. Revelation Stimulates A whole new generation of Christians has come up believing that it is possible to "accept" Christ without forsaking the world. 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. If someone claims to have faith, but lives in disobedience to God, his claim is false. In summary, all men, both Gentiles and Jews, are "without excuse," (Ro 1:20-note and Ro 2:1-note) for The Creator provided a clear and complete witness in the creation of His existence and even given Israel the double witness of Creation and His Law. The argument does not run quite smoothly. ', Are you confused about God's plan for Israel? Here is a Bible study, with commentary and summary for Romans chapter ten. (2 Co 5:19b), "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled (katallasso in aorist imperative = Urgent charge! (Amplified Bible - Lockman), ESV: But they have not all obeyed the gospel. It’s staggering! Comes from hearing - Literally out of a report. All had not yet heard it, and hence could not obey it. When you share the gospel, you often will hear the objection, “But what about people who have never heard? See the discussion of this important spiritual dynamic - FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT -- RICHLY INDWELT BY THE WORD.