Romans 10:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

NIV: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

NASB: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

CSB: So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.

NLT: So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

KJV: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

NKJV: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

This famous verse builds on Paul's quote of Isaiah in the previous verse. There Isaiah asks the Lord "who has believed what he has heard from us?" (Isaiah 53:1). Paul was showing that a refusal to believe what God says amounts to disobedience. That, according to Scripture, is the root problem when people hear the gospel and do not accept it (John 5:39–40; 7:17). Those who disbelieve do so because, on some level, they do not want to believe.

Now, though, Paul writes that when believing happens, it is through hearing what the Lord says "through the word of Christ." Paul seems to be referring to his prior chain of steps which must occur to bring a person to the point of calling on the Lord. Christ sends out His representatives to preach the gospel. Those who hear it have the opportunity to believe. Those who believe call on Christ. And all who call on the name of Christ will be saved (Romans 10:13).

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.

Accessed 5/4/2024 3:54:53 PM