Romans 10:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

NIV: How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

NASB: How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?

CSB: How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?

NLT: But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

KJV: How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

NKJV: How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Paul has just quoted the prophet Joel in saying that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32). In doing so, Paul is showing that Jesus Christ is the Lord that all must call on to be saved from sin and to become God's children and inherit the riches of His glory. In this context, to "call on" Jesus means to express faith, not merely to invoke His name (Matthew 7:21–23).

Now, though, Paul begins a series of questions aimed at what is required to bring someone to the point of calling on Jesus' name to be saved. He seems to have the people of his own nation, Israel, in mind.

First, Paul asks how anyone can call on Christ if they don't believe in Him. Again, Paul insists that it is belief in Christ that initiates salvation and leads someone to call on Him. But how can anyone come to belief in Christ if they have never heard of Him, if they don't know who He is? This leads to Paul's next question: How will anyone hear about Christ unless someone preaches about Christ to them?

In asking this series of questions, Paul is showing, in part, how necessary his work in preaching about Jesus really is.

Romans 10:14–21 explains that, despite hearing the gospel and understanding it, Israel continues to disobey. Paul works through a series of questions, showing where and how Israel has failed to accept the truth given them by God. His point is clear: the people of Israel have been given more than enough knowledge, and so they ought to recognize their Messiah. Despite that stubbornness and failure, God waits, still holding out His hands to His people.

Paul's heart is broken for his people, Israel. He prays they will be saved through faith in Christ. Their enthusiasm for God is made useless by their attempt to be made righteous by their own law-keeping instead of by faith in Christ. What, then, is required to be saved? One must confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead. The same is true for both Jews and Gentiles. God waits patiently for Israel to turn and believe.

Romans 9 concluded with Paul's declaration that Israel has stumbled over the stumbling stone of Christ. Romans 10 describes Paul's heartfelt prayer that Israel would be saved, despite her commitment to saving herself through works. Why have the Israelites not confessed the Lordship of Jesus and believed in the resurrection? It's not for lack of hearing and understanding; they are disobeying the gospel. Paul will insist, though, in the following chapter, that God has not rejected Israel. He still holds out His hands to her, offering salvation through faith in Christ.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.