Tag: heard

Romans 10:18 – Worldwide Music

Posted on by Will

Romans 10:18 – Worldwide Music

But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

Truth to Learn

The Gospel message continues to be proclaimed worldwide.

Behind the Words

“Have they not heard” is from the Greek mē ouk akousan. Both mē and ouk are negative particles. In Greek grammar the double negative amplifies the negative. Akousan is a form of akouō, which Paul has been emphasizing throughout these last few verses. We could paraphrase this as, “have they really not heard?”

The words “Yes indeed” are translated from menounge, an unusual word which we looked at back in Romans 9:20. We could paraphrase this as “Now wait just a minute” or “Of course they have!”

“Sound” is from phthongos, which refers to “a musical sound, whether from a musical instrument or the voice.”

The word “ends” is translated from peras, which refers to “the extreme end or the farthest parts.”

Finally, “world” is translated from oikoumenē, which refers to “the place where people live.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has just declared that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, that is, the good news (Gospel) of the Messiah. He now anticipates the objection from the Jewish Christians in Rome that not everyone has heard God’s message. He responds to this theoretical objection by asking one of his rhetorical questions, “Have they really not heard?” And his response is even more emphatic, “Of course they have!”

Remember how beautiful God considers those who proclaim the gospel message? Paul refers to the sound of that message being like a musical sound and he declares that it has gone out to the very ends of civilization.

Paul’s quotation here is from Psalms 19:4 in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. Here’s what the first part of that Psalm says:

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. (Psalms 19:1-3)

The Gospel message continues to be carried to all inhabited parts of the earth. That is our responsibility as Christians. We are to boldly proclaim it to everyone. And even though there may be some who have not heard the gospel message of Jesus’ death and resurrection, they are not innocent because there is sufficient evidence in God’s creation that proclaims God’s magnificence and man’s sinfulness.

Application

Today when you walk outside, take a good look at God’s handiwork and think about how foolish and ashamed those people who want to believe in evolution rather than creation are going to feel when they appear before their Creator and their Judge! They may ridicule us and call us fools, but we are to love them with God’s love and tell them the glorious gospel message. Life is neither meaningless nor hopeless for those who believe God’s truth, and it is undeniable.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 10:14 – You’re the Preacher

Posted on by Will

Romans 10:14 – You’re the Preacher

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?

Truth to Learn

The responsibility of sharing the Gospel message falls upon everyone who has believed it.

Behind the Words

“Believe” is from the Greek verb pisteuō. This word is based on the noun pistis, which means “firm persuasion, conviction, or belief in the truth.” Hence, pisteuō means “to have a firm conviction or belief in some truth.” It does not mean to simply accept a statement as fact, but to firmly grasp it as reality.

The word translated “heard” is akouō, which can refer to “the physiological process of hearing a sound” or to “the process of understanding spoken ideas.”

“Without a preacher” is translated from chōris kērussontos. Chōris means “at a space from” or “separate from” and kērussontos is a form of kērussō, which we saw back in verse eight means, “to proclaim or herald as a public crier would do.” It is expressed in this verse as a present participle, literally meaning “preaching.” Thus, we see that Paul says, “How shall they hear apart from preaching?”

Meaning Explained

Previously we pointed out that Paul was seen as a traitor by many Jews who believed that he deserted the Jews and the adherence to the Law as the way to righteousness, and that he had turned to the way of the Gentiles. Paul, himself, will say in the next chapter of this letter that he was called to be the Apostle (one sent with a message) to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). But he has been demonstrating in this chapter that salvation and righteousness are through faith, which belongs both to the Jews and the Gentiles. And in the previous verse he proclaimed, “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

Since that “whoever” includes the Gentiles, he now makes the point that the Gentiles need to hear the gospel message. He says, in order to call on Him they have to believe first, and in order to believe they have to hear the good news, and the only way they will hear the good news is through the preaching. This is the very crux of Paul’s ministry, preaching the gospel message to the Gentiles so they can believe.

The Jews have had the Law and the Prophets proclaiming the gospel message to them for centuries (as Paul has just demonstrated), but the Gentiles have been denied these sources so they need someone to proclaim the message of salvation to them. However, Paul is not the only one who is supposed to proclaim the blessed news of salvation by grace through faith. All of us who possess the gift of eternal life have an obligation to proclaim the news to those around us. It is the gospel (the good news) that is offered to all of mankind!

Application

If you have recognized your sinful condition, humbling yourself before the mighty hand of God, and appealing to Him for the salvation that you don’t deserve, then you now have an obligation to share this truth with others. Have you shared this message with someone else recently? Don’t think it is someone else’s responsibility to share the Gospel message. It’s yours!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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