For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved ( Romans 10:12-13 ). Why, how could it be otherwise? Baptism is also necessary (Acts 22:16 and see the commentary on Romans 6:1-4); it destroys Satans hold on our lives. And this is a very right and acceptable kind of faith. May you begin to experience greater victory in your walk with Jesus Christ as you yield yourself to that touch of God and as He molds and shapes you into that person He wants you to be, and as He conforms you into the image of Jesus Christ. The question is whether or not people are willing to listen obediently and submissively to it. I say the word of God delivered as we find it is that which, when heard, brings faith to the souls of men. The resurrection was an essential of Christian belief. Well, it is because the gospel commends itself to some hearts as true upon the very first blush of it, it strikes them as being undoubtedly the gospel of God. Nevertheless, what is in nowise the same as what was or what will be. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. They grasped the meaning of this offer all right, when it came to them unexpectedly and unsought." This is the first ground. Let us take the objections and the answering scripture texts one by one. Romans 10:17: "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.". I ought, perhaps, to add that the expression "by hearing," though of course literally it must be confined to the hearing of words vocally uttered, is meant to include in its spirit the reading of the word; for reading is a sort of hearing with the eyes, and faith has often come and will often come to men while they are reading the word of God for themselves. View scripture in the original languages of Greek and Hebrew as well as ancient translations such as the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate. I do say this for them--that they do have a zeal for God, but it is not a zeal which is based on a real knowledge. A wondrous way, but most blessed! Though you should see all the angels in heaven, it would not prove that you would go to heaven, any more than my having seen the Pope's body guard would be a proof that I shall be made a Cardinal. 20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. If they could feel emotions either of horror or of exquisite delight, they would then, they think, be the possessors of faith; but till they have felt what they have heard described in certain biographies of undoubtedly good men, they cannot believe, or even if they have a measure of faith, they cannot hope that it is true faith. If what is possible? If one may so say, He thus holds the man, instead of letting the man presume that he is holding fast the truth. I think I hear the seeker after truth exclaim when he heard the gospel, "True? If it were possible that man could be saved any other way, the cross would not be necessary. But then again he intimates that the nature of the gospel is involved in the publishing of the glad tidings. 17.Faith then is by hearing, etc. He must know not only Christ the martyr: he must know Christ the victor, too. It is not a question of creature-standing. What is this brick with a round back and a stud on the side used for? It is God's prerogative to send ministers; he is the Lord of the harvest, and therefore to him we must pray that he would send forth labourers,Matthew 9:38. If they do, they will obey the gospel and be saved. The connection is fully owned with that which had been from God of old. I believe, dear friends, that faith has come by hearing in another way. The wrath of God abideth on you. (a) God gives faith. Not that any part of the truth has escaped: it is the fatal brand of that "great house" that even the most elementary truth suffers the deepest injury; but as to this truth, it seems unknown altogether. Further, he would have real difficulty in believing that the way to God was open to everybody. and how can they hear without a preacher? Your delineation between Christos and Logos seem to make that distinction and I appreciate your willingness to take the time to point that out. The hearer must decide whether to believe the message about Christ, and a stubborn person can refuse to believe even in the face of overwhelming proof. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness are going about to establish their own righteousness, and they have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. A click on the Greek will lead you to the corresponding article in Abarim Publications's online Biblical Greek Dictionary Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. And this is a remarkable passage with regard to the efficacy of preaching; for he testifies, that by it faith is produced. There are minds which God has so prepared that the moment they hear the gospel they respond to it. All the while God is wanting the Jews to come elbowing, which is a trait for them anyhow, to come on in and get close.Moses said, "I will provoke you to jealousy by them that were not my people. The judgments of God will fall on man as man, but the heaviest blows are reserved for Christendom. It would come by hearing. This was correctly translated in the KJV the word of God. was true, accordingly, before the law, right through the law, and ever since the law. then it will he no assuagement of your miseries that you once heard the gospel; it will rather increase your torment. But unless Christs Word is preached, theres nothing to have faith in. Whoever you are, God's promise is to you that if you call upon the name of the Lord you will be saved. Man became the object, first, of general dealings of God under Noah; next, of His special ways in the calling of Abraham and of his family. It is a personal living word to us that speaks out from the total written general message (Bible) of God. 3rd-p si. Next, he enters upon another branch of the truth the Spirit not as a condition contrasted with flesh (these two, as we know, being always contrasted in Scripture), but as a power, a divine person that dwells in and bears His witness to the believer. This also is a most important truth, my brethren, to bear in mind. Though I frequented places where the gospel was preached, I did not catch the meaning of believing, it puzzled me much. Here we pass out of the introduction of the epistle. If Paul or any other of the apostles were in the witness-box, nobody could demur to their evidence; whatever they said we should believe, because the men were truthful witnesses. Take heed how ye hear, otherwise ye may remain hearers only, and so perish in unbelief. 2. "What faith really is, in biblical language, is receiving the testimony of God. The gospel goes forth universally. You cannot hear about him unless there is someone to proclaim the good news. So God's grace and mercy extended towards the Gentiles. If you will just confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord. 2 195). Why does Acts not mention the deaths of Peter and Paul? A Jew would find it hard to believe that the way to God was not through the law; this way of trust and of acceptance was shatteringly and incredibly new to him. But the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against them pre-eminently. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Not just saving faithbut throughout our walk with God, the totality of Gods Word becomes real in our lives as we appropriate it. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! The gospel, instead of treating this as a light matter, alone vindicates God in these eternal ways of His, in that which must be in him who stands in relationship with God. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek ( Romans 10:11-12 ): Quite a statement for Paul a Hebrew of the Hebrews to make--no difference between the Jew and the Greek, that is, as far as salvation is concerned. , , , 10:17 Greek NT: Nestle 1904, 10:17 Greek NT: Westcott and Hort 1881, 10:17 Greek NT: Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants], 10:17 Greek NT: RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005, 10:17 Greek NT: Greek Orthodox Church, 10:17 Greek NT: Tischendorf 8th Edition, 10:17 Greek NT: Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894, 10:17 Greek NT: Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550. And, when Christ was sending forth his disciples, he washed their feet. Now, positively: "Faith cometh by hearing." If a man hears with a prejudiced heart, making up his mind before hand what he will believe, he is not likely to be convinced, he puts himself as far as he can out of the reach of benefit. [1.] This is to fall back on a principle he had already used. To prove this point Paul quotes two passages. Some imagine that faith comes by hereditary descent, and they act upon the supposition. Hence it is wholly apart from the law, whilst witnessed to by the law and prophets; for the law with its types had looked onward to this new kind of righteousness; and the prophets had borne their testimony that it was at hand, but not then come. The rest of the epistle takes up the practical consequences of the great doctrine of God's righteousness, which had been now shown to be supported by, and in no wise inconsistent with, His promises to Israel. Consequently, in view of the chain of prerequisites listed earlier, some will say that Israels unbelief must have something to do with that chain. I beg you to notice, too, that it does not say in the text that faith comes through the eloquence, earnestness, or any other good quality of the preacher. Jesus said, "Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to eternal life and few there be that find it, but broad is the way and broad is the gate that leads to destruction" ( Matthew 7:13-14 ). The Christian must believe not only that Jesus lived, but also that he lives. Our Lord Jesus Christ explained to her the gospel, but she does not appear to have been enlightened by his explanations: it was that home stroke of his "Go, call thy husband and come hither," which won her to faith. In essence this passage is an appeal to the Jews to abandon the way of legalism and accept the way of grace. And to this agreed the testimony of the prophet. 10:17 Greek NT: Westcott and Hort 1881 , . For authority of what one is to preach, see 1 Peter 4:11. O fools and slow of heart, is this your end in hearing the life-giving gospel of the bleeding Lamb? Moses saith, "I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people," etc. Salvation is so close to every one of you tonight. Here, again, the apostle takes up what he had but announced in chapter 1 the righteousness of God. Linked is the text of Beza's 1598/1599 edition, courtesy of The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts. All Israel shall be saved. It is not among the Gentiles, but in the honoured centre of the polity of Israel. Such revealings of the thoughts and intents of the heart will occur in any God-sent preaching of the gospel, just because the Word pierces to the dividing of soul and spirit, and lays bare the secrets of the soul. 1. Jesus prayed for those who shall believe on him through our word, and we hope you will be among the number. Personally I support the usage of Word of Christ, because this particular verse refers to where faith comes from. They set up the golden calf, and thus cast off the true God, their God, even in the desert. The fruits of it are not expanded here; but, in point of fact, to joy in God is necessarily that which makes praise and adoration to be the simple and spontaneous exercise of the heart. But it is quite possible for the unconverted to be tenacious of the truth, yet unrighteous in their ways; and so much the worse for them. Ah! [Note: Hodges, Absolutely Free! "Always remember to keep your voice down," said another. The old man refused. How would faith be likely to come to you? Such was the state of the Gentile world, who yet were made the people of God, and Christ to them the wisdom of God. When the preacher has gone on to describe the misery of the fall, the utter ruin of human nature, its deceitfulness, feebleness, fickleness, and folly, the hearer has said, "Is the gospel sent to those who are thus lost, guilty, and impotent? Romans 10 is the tenth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.It is authored by Paul the Apostle, while he was in Corinth in the mid-50s AD, with the help of an amanuensis (secretary), Tertius, who adds his own greeting in Romans 16:22. sequential (one-line) endnotes in plain tex/optex. And "how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" Now the doctrine which we saw asserted in the latter part ofRomans 5:1-21; Romans 5:1-21 is applied to both. But this is not all; and the objection of the Jew gives occasion for the apostle to bring out a fuller display of what God is. Their reasoning was presumably due mostly to the nature of the witnesses. It is so divinely grand, so harmonious, so good, so gracious, so unexpected nobody could have thought of it but God himself it must be the truth." Welcome to Bible Hermeneutics SE and thank you for your contribution. The gospel means His glad tidings for man. c) Ephesians 2:8-9 i) Faith is the gift of God. Then he enlarges, and points out that there is a remnant of grace in the worst of times. The whole history of Israel, past, present, and future falls in with, although quite distinct from, that which he had been expounding. It is His righteousness, or, in other words, His perfect consistency with Himself, which is always involved in the notion of righteousness. In Jesus Christ there is neither Greek nor Jews, Colossians 3:11. The Gentiles did not seem to him to be in the same position as the Jews at all. To those that were under it, to be sure. so faith to hearing, hearing to preaching, preaching to a mission; whence it follows, that it is the original will of God, to send forth . In this too we have the blessed connection of the Spirit (here peculiarly designated, for special reasons, "the Spirit of holiness"). The bearing of this on the contents and main doctrine of the epistle will appear abundantly by-and-by. 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! Conybeare and Howson translated this verse: Word of Christ instead of "word of God," as in KJV, does not alter the meaning, the word of Christ and the word of God being identical. In the Fourth Book of Maccabees there is an amazing incident. O God, it is hell, it is eternal damnation. Every juryman, I doubt not, wants to judge righteously. Here it indicates the gospel message was like that of the starry sky proclaiming Gods glory to all the earth (Vincent, 3:117). For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? I can well understand their singing, "I do believe, I must believe in such a friend as this." Certainly. verb. (that is, to bring Christ again from the dead.) Then the domains of flesh and Spirit are brought before us: the one characterized by sin and death practically now; the other by life, righteousness, and peace, which is, as we saw, to be crowned finally by the resurrection of these bodies of ours. Before Paul can answer Israels objections, he must first reiterate how one is brought to belief. Even those that seek a place of separation to the Lord outside that which is now hurrying on souls to destruction are, nevertheless, deeply affected by the condition of that Christendom in which we find ourselves.
