ROMANS 10
14 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? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed, they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish
nation I will make you angry.”20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”– Romans 10:14-21
ROMANS 10 FAITH COMES FROM HEARING
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Faith is a free gift by God to all those whom He has chosen
The Lord provides some of his people the gift of preaching
It is through these ministers of the word that faith is born
So, when you hear the gospel, do not harden your heart.
In this letter, Paul emphasizes the importance of hearing the word of God. There are various different gifts given to God’s people and one of them is the ability to preach the gospel. Can anyone be saved if they do not hear the word of God declared? In this account, Paul points out that God gives gifts to some believers the gift of knowledge. He speaks of those who study the word and are given power by the Holy Spirit to explain and expound on the meaning of Scripture. It is true that we have more advantage than the early Christians because we now have the bible available and we can study it on our own, but we get more understanding if God’s Spirit dwells in someone who can bring insight to the word of God. No matter how much one reads and studies on his own, it is still very different when you hear it from a pulpit with a gifted minister explaining the truth.
REFLECTION
- Compare differences between studying on your own and listening to a minister.
