“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) In yesterday’s post, we started thinking about this verse and its relation to faith development. I mentioned that though this verse is frequently cited, it is almost never cited in context. I also noted that the immediate context is that of conversion, people who do not know Christ coming to know him.
There is something else we should note about the context. Look at the verse that follows: “But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”” (Romans 10:18) Paul argues that the Jews did hear. I think that Paul is speaking about the number of Christians who went out preaching among the Jews, maybe even thinking of Pentecost when it was said that there were Jews from every nation under heaven present.
Still, look at the verse he quotes. Psalm 19:4. Here are the first four verses of Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalms 19:1-4) Now there’s a context that will ruin a perfectly good proof text! Ouch. When we quote Romans 10:17, it’s usually to support the need for Bible study or the need to hear preaching. How many times have you heard that verse quoted to talk about the need to observe God’s revelation in nature? A similar thought is found in Romans 1: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
Paul’s argument in chapter 1 is that men in general have no excuse because they have “heard” God’s testimony, that being declared by nature. In chapter 10, Paul can use a verse talking about nature’s testimony to argue that Jews, specifically, have been preached to.
Maybe we need to expand our understanding of what it means to hear God’s message.
“Hearing God’s message” Tim, maybe we should add “seeing God’s message” I talk a lot with my youngest grandson, who will soon be 12 yrs old (in December) he is the curious one. and a lot of our talk surrounds the subject of God. Not to long ago he ask “Papa, what does God look like”? I told him, well we can’t see God so we don’t know what God looks like. He asked “if we can’t see God how do we know he is there”? I asked him Chris (his name is Christian) what does electricity look like? He thought a while, and answered, “oh I see you know something is there by what it does, you don’t have to see it do it” pretty smart kid, he takes after his papa :) . That pretty much changed the the topic to electricity, Chris said papa electricity is like God, you can’t see it, but a person can’t live without it, and if you abuse it, it will kill you, he was right as rain.
We should all see through the eyes of a child, “A little child shall lead them” . Why make life more complicated than it has to be?
Well said. A theology of the stewardship of creation is often ignored by Western Christianity.
Tim,
Do you think Paul might also be thinking of the cosmic implications of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, a la Col 1:23?
Laymond, that’s a good point. I’ve used electricity as an illustration of what it means to fear God. Your grandson sounds pretty smart!
Tim, thanks for the affirmation. Welcome to the Kitchen!
Nick, I’m not sure if Paul is thinking quite on such a grand scale in Romans 10, since he’s thinking specifically of the Jews. Yet Paul seems to often be thinking on multiple levels at once, so it’s not impossible.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Yeah, I hear what you’re saying.
The reason I thought he might be, though, is because in both places, he is (at least) suggesting that the gospel message has resounded throughout creation. Remember what Paul is saying that they’ve heard — the word of Christ. So in Romans, even, the word of Christ “has gone out to all the earth.”
So it sounds like he might be saying, “Everybody else heard it! My own people can’t claim that they didn’t hear!”
Great thoughts, Tim. I feel we put so much emphasis on Bible study as THE way to faith and make it seem so hard to believe in God that so many have been turned away thinking they don’t really know what they’ve already seen. Could it be, also, that we’ve made evangelism harder for ourselves because we don’t take into consideration what the lost person may already believe, even without ever having cracked open a Bible? hmmm…..
That’s an interesting thought. I was once advised to spend a lot of time asking questions before beginning to share anything. Good advice, but hard to remember in the heat of the moment.
Every day I see God in all his creation, thank Him, and pray that all would believe in Him. I truly do not understand how anyone can see a baby, a flower, colors in the sky, and say they do not believe in God. He is all around us. Yes, it is hard to pull back and listen to where someone is coming from before expounding on what we believe the Bible teaches. If we can agree to let the Bible speak to us, the Holy Spirit will help us discern the truth of His word and accept it – not what we say, but what He says!
Jeanne,
I hear what you’re saying, but let me suggest these ideas:
Someone sees a baby with horrible birth defects that will never know a moment of life without excruciating pain.
A farmer sees a flower, growing from a weed that has ruined the crop he was depending on to feed and clothe his family this winter.
A sailor sees colors in the sky: the edge of a storm that will plunge his vessel to the bottom of the sea.
I do believe God’s power and majesty are visible — but we must be gentle with those who struggle to see it in creation, because they make their livings in a life-and-death struggle against nature.
Thanks for the reminder.