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. The negative particle mē indicates that a negative answer is expected, whereas the negative particle ouk blends with the verb. Akousan is a form of akouō, which Paul has been emphasizing throughout these last few verses. We could translate this as, “Did they fail to hear?”
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 to day they utter speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor are there words 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 © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved
