The writers of the New Testament adapted the term as God's message of salvation for lost sinners. These questions drive much of the theological deliberation in Romans 9-11. (Romans 10 Commentary). Commentary on Romans 16:17-20 (Read Romans 16:17-20) How earnest, how endearing are these exhortations! ", Acts 19:27 "And not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship should even be dethroned from her magnificence.". Your sinful unbelief is totally your own fault. 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. 10:3 "God's righteousness" In the context of Romans 9-11 this phrase referred to God's imputed right standing (Romans 4) with Himself based solely on 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. But if it is to be saving faith, he says, it must be a word about Christ. 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. In Genesis 22 Isaac's willingness to be offered as a sacrifice is a model of such submission. This clear passage is avoided or denied by unbelieving Jews. The essence of akoe in this verse then is "the thing heard” and thus “a report”. John 12:37ff records that…, though He (Jesus) had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, (quoting Isaiah 53:1), LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? (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. 1985. etc. (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. The Greek word means literally, our hearing. To escape the error of salvation by works we have fallen into the opposite error of salvation without obedience. How can one obtain saving faith? Aug 31, 2003. —John R. W. Stott. 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). Henry Drummond has an interesting quote writing that…. Finally he said, "Those rules were written by one of the firm. (NLT - Tyndale House), Phillips: Yet all who have heard have not responded to the Gospel. 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. The Greek term here for "word" is rhema, not logos. Amplified: But they have not all heeded the Gospel; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us? He questioned the foreman concerning the matter. In other words, if you believe in Christ, it is only because God had mercy on you. It is therefore a sure foundation of faith. The hearing is the hearing of the Word of God. The Witness of Creation, 1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God (The Name El = the strong One - used in vv 1-6); And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. (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. 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. The problem was that they had rejected the message because they loved their own sin. Israel of course and so in contrast to the pagans who saw ("heard") only the natural revelation in Creation, the nation of Israel had the benefit of two "books", for she saw God at work in nature (Ro 1:19, 20-note) and she also received God’s written Word ("they were entrusted with the oracles of God" Ro 3:2-note). Traditionally and tragically, Jewish scholars have misapplied (cp suppressed the truth in unrighteousness = Ro 1:18-note ) the truths of Isaiah 53 to the nation of Israel rather than to an individual Person, the Messiah. (ESV), ICB: So faith comes from hearing the Good News. When Paul says that “not all” heeded the good news, he is using understatement to mean, “most” did not obey the gospel. — C. H. Spurgeon, When a person truly trusts Christ, he or she will obey Him. It goes everywhere on earth." His faith was made perfect (brought to maturity) in his act of obedience. C. H. Spurgeon put it (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit [Pilgrim Publications], 4:337): “That God predestines, and that man is responsible, are two things that few can see. 5:14). If someone is lost, he is totally responsible for his disobedient, hard heart that rejects God’s grace (10:21; Prov. If they respond to natural revelation, God will somehow get them the special revelation of the Gospel. The word - As discussed below rhema refers not just to words that are written, but which are proclaimed and spoken such that they can be audibly heard. If we should follow his directions, we would ruin a good part of the work." — C. H. Spurgeon, Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Romans 10:5-15 EXEGESIS: ROMANS 10. AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED? It comes to us as a command from God Himself. (cp 2Co 3:14, 15, 16). In this secular use euaggelion described good news of any kind and prior to the writing of the New Testament, had no definite religious connotation in the ancient world until it was taken over by the "Cult of Caesar" which was the state religion and in which the emperor was worshipped as a god (see more discussion of this use below). (John 8:59). 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. The gospel has been near unto them, it’s been offered unto them, but it has not been believed by them. 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. Indeed they have, for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." - John Walvoord, The Jewish People, Jesus Christ and World History - S Lewis Johnson, Romans 9:1-5 Paul's Sorrow Concerning Israel, Dobson, E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV Bible Commentary: Nelson, The United Bible Societies' New Testament Handbook Series, Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. How does a person disobey the gospel? HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT ALL HEED THE GOOD NEWS (GLAD TIDINGS): All' ou pantes hupekousan (3PAAI) to euaggelio: The KJV Bible Commentary sums up this section noting that…, Paul now comes to the crux of his argument concerning human responsibility and the righteousness of God. THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD: alla lego, (1SAAI) me ouk ekousan? Here is a Bible study, with commentary and summary for Romans chapter ten. Because they would not believe, judgment came on them and they could not believe. Faith is the hand that grasps. Why does he say, “They did not all heed [obey] the good news”? Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible. Rather, unbelief is active, driven by a dark dynamism (Ed: Called Sin and flesh). For we will all stand before God's judgment seat." Is Paul using that text out of context to prove what it does not say? Surely there were many Jews who had not yet heard about Christ. — 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 faith that justifies is the kind of faith that, by the Holy Spirit (Ro 8:13-note), changes us. "And to whom is the arm (symbol of strength and power) of the LORD revealed (uncovered, discovered)?" 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. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors. (ICB: Nelson), NIV: But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. Listen to what some of the giants of the Christian faith have to say about faith and heeding or obedience. (Amplified Bible - Lockman), ESV: But I ask, have they not heard? The heathen is not saved by looking at a tree and conceptualizing a god-form represented in that tree. Psalm 19:1-6 extols God’s glory through creation (natural revelation), whereas 19:7-11 goes on to extol God’s Word (special revelation). ", NLT: But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "Lord, who has believed our message?" 22:16; Est. And the thing heard (the gospel message), comes through the agency of the Word of Christ. A. As noted Isaiah 53:1 introduced one of the greatest messianic chapters in the OT. Although Israel heard, they did not exercise saving faith in Christ - making them (and us) all the more responsible. But faith did not seem to come. (Richardson, Don: Eternity in their Hearts - Highly Recommended). How sad that the vast majority of Jews reject the great message of Isaiah 53 even to this day (and the majority of Gentiles do as well!). For Esaias saith, Lord, who Believed our report? 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. (SN), Who was the recipient of Psalm 19? Heed means to submit to or obey (Paul used this word in Rom. Faith is confidence in God's self-revelation as found in the Holy Scriptures. — Thomas Chalmers, Obedience to the faith is very important to God. He’s explaining why some people are lost and some are saved: Because of disobedient, hard hearts, many do not believe the gospel and are lost; because of God’s sovereign grace, others believe the gospel and are saved. (Romans 10 Commentary), Steven Cole - THOSE WHO BELIEVE HEARD THE GOSPEL AND RESPONDED WITH FAITH BECAUSE GOD GRACIOUSLY OPENED THEIR EARS TO HEAR (Ro 10:17). Biblical faith is not synonymous with mental assent or acquiescence which by itself is not genuine (saving) faith. 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. Psalm 96:13 Before the LORD, for He is coming; For He is coming to judge the earth. Commentary on Romans 10:12-17 (Read Romans 10:12-17) There is not one God to the Jews, more kind, and another to the Gentiles, who is less kind; the Lord is a Father to all men. Thus El = Jehovah, Israel's God, and not some pagan "sun god"!) He must hear the message of God's Word and respond to it in a positive way. In this exchange Jesus accused them of "seeking to kill Me" (John 8:40) declaring that these "believers" were of their father the devil (John 8:44). There is the whole of the thorny subject of the relation of faith and works packed into a nutshell. Amplified: But I ask, Have they not heard? He that obeys God, trusts God; and he that trusts God, obeys God. The moralist is not saved by leading a moral life-style. That is the mother tincture; everything will flow from that. (Why Some are Lost and Some are Saved Romans 10:16-21), Choose Book of Bible to StudyGenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SolomonIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Search Wikipedia using spiritual discretion. (SN). Compare the phrase word of hearing, 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:2 (Rev. 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