Romans 10:14

Verse 14. How then shall they call on him] As the apostle had laid so much stress on believing in order to salvation, and as this doctrine, without farther explanation, might be misunderstood, it was necessary to show how this faith was produced; and therefore he lays the whole doctrine down in a beautifully graduated order.

1. There can be no salvation without the Gospel: a dispensation of mercy and grace from God alone, here called, Ro 10:15, the Gospel of peace; glad tidings of good things.

2. This must be preached, proclaimed in the world for the obedience of faith.

3. None can effectually preach this unless he have a Divine mission; for how shall they preach except they be SENT, Ro 10:15. The matter must come from God; and the person mho proclaims it must have both authority and unction from on high.

4. This Divinely-commissioned person must be heard: it is the duty of all, to whom this message of salvation is sent, to hear it with the deepest reverence and attention.

5. What is heard must be credited; for they who do not believe the Gospel as the record which God has given of his Son cannot be saved, Ro 10:14.

6. Those who believe must invoke God by Christ, which they cannot do unless they believe in him; and in this way alone they are to expect salvation. Professing to believe in Christ, without earnest, importunate prayer for salvation, can save no man. All these things the apostle lays down as essentially necessary; and they all follow from his grand proposition, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. But, says the apostle, How shall they CALL upon 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? And how shall they PREACH except they be sent? And with what message which can bring salvation can they be sent, but with the GOSPEL OF PEACE, the GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS. When, therefore, there is:

1st, a proper MESSAGE;

2dly, a proper MESSENGER;

3dly, the message PREACHED, proclaimed, or properly delivered by him;

4thly, the proclamation properly HEARD and attentively considered by the people;

5thly, the message which they have heard, conscientiously BELIEVED;

6thly, the name of the Lord Jesus, by whom alone this salvation is provided, most fervently INVOKED; then,

7thly, salvation, or redemption from sin and misery, and the enjoyment of peace and happiness, will be the result of such calling, believing, hearing, preaching, sending, and message sent:-and thus the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith is guarded from abuse.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Rom_10:14-15

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?

Salvation preached

I. Salvation by grace.

1. We all hope to be saved. Salvation cannot be of merit for anybody that you or I have ever known. It must be of grace, if grace be possible: there is no other way. And there is this way--an old way, an eternal way--prepared and opened far back behind all time, when the Lamb was slain. This takes us back into mysterious and awful depths. But revelation leads the way. Surely we narrow God, unless we think of Him as Triune. Surely we slander God, unless we make atonement as much the work of the Father and the Spirit, as of the Son.

2. How to be square and clean, how to be considerate and generous, how not to be selfish and self-willed; how not to be afraid or ashamed to die: this is the great problem of life. Tell me how to do this and you will tell me how to be saved. Grace tramples down no law. Salvation by grace is through faith, working by love, which, like fire, cleanses the heart and cleanses the life.

3. The salvation of society, menaced now, menaced always, by human appetite and passions in their disorganising play, must come by the same road. No one form of government rather than another, no mere selfish forces, is the thing required. Till society shall have become unselfish it has not been saved, nor can it be. And to become unselfish, it must learn, not of socialistic reformers, who pronounce unselfishness impossible, but of Him who was unselfishness incarnate.

II. This salvation must be preached.

1. Christianity is one of the great Book-Religions, of which there are pre-eminently three--Judaism and Mohammedanism being the other two. This word Book-Religion means a great deal.

(1) It means, that we have something definite and immutable by which to measure whatever calls itself Christian, holding it to the rule.

(2) It means that the poor, swearing, shipwrecked sailor that floats ashore on his chest, if he has in that chest the Bible his mother gave him, and dries its leaves in the sun, and reads the third chapter of Johns Gospel, with streaming eyes, and breaking, believing heart, may be saved all alone there on the sandy beach of the desert island. And if he dies there all alone, no ship sailing that way to see his signal of distress, he will go as straight to heaven as Whitefield himself went from the sermon he preached in Exeter.

2. And yet Christianity did not start as a volume, but as a voice. Christ Himself probably wrote nothing, not a line. Meanwhile, the kingdom of Christ has been marching and conquering, north and south, towards the rising and towards the setting sun. Its snow-white banners, chasing the Roman eagles, had outflown those eagles beyond the Danube, the Euphrates, and the Indus. What wrought that triumph? The foolishness of preaching wrought it. Christ is no Confucius, or Socrates, or Solon, but God Incarnate. He that saves us spake, and as never man spake. So the sacred message ran, and runs, from lip to lip. It is in the air all the time.

3. A Bible in every human habitation is something well worth trying to achieve. But I can tell you of something better still. It is Christ Himself, in any one of the humblest of His disciples, casting His shadow on the wall. Breathing men, not breathless books, must carry salvation round the globe. It must be preached; preached by men who have had it preached to them; preached to sinners by men who have sinned themselves; by dying men to dying men.

III. The preachers must be sent.

1. Our text does not say by whom, but the context makes it plain enough. God must send them.

2. Whom God sends to preach, He first converts. And then He kindles in him, beyond the average, what we have been in the habit of calling a love for souls; call it, if you please, enthusiasm, a great, good heart, quick sympathy with men as men, and with the daily wants and ways of men.

3. In the apostolic and early Church, which wrought such wonders, preaching was not exclusively an official prerogative. Strictly speaking, there was no order of preachers. Anybody might preach who had anything to say worth saying. Not till near the close of the fourth century were laymen forbidden to preach. And then the Church had got far along in the bad way. I confess I do not see how Christianity is ever to carry the day, unless the great bulk of our Church membership becomes also a ministry. A Grecian army, with or without leaders, might possibly have stood its ground all the same at Marathon, saving Greece, and saving the civilisation of the Occident. But Miltiades alone there, with his handful of officers, would not have stayed for a moment the Persian march on Athens. (R. D. Hitchcock, D.D.)

The necessity of revelation to faith

Belief is impossible, where it is impossible to convey any knowledge of the subjects of belief; the body cannot digest without nutriment to engage its digestive functions; the mind cannot believe without facts and propositions to occupy its believing faculty (verse 17). The voice of God, the hearing of man, the consequent belief, are the three necessarily successive links in the golden chain of revealed salvation. Sever the continuity of any two, and the electric spark cannot be transferred across the interval. (W. Archer Butler, M.A.)

How shall they hear without a preacher?--

Preaching

I. Its advantages.

1. Economy of exertion. How much is done with comparatively little speaking.

2. Many receive religious instruction who would otherwise have none.

3. Religion is kept a conspicuous thing.

4. All are made witnesses to all they have heard.

5. There is something in it for popular opinion to lean upon.

6. It tends to secure for religion deep study, at least in some parts of the community.

II. Its requisites.

1. Power of thought.

2. Facility of expression.

3. Knowledge of the Scriptures. (John Foster.)

The usefulness and authority of an established ministry

I. The necessity of a ministry to officiate in the Church of God.

1. The settling and preserving a ministry to officiate in the Church is an instance of our respect to Almighty God. God is the God of order, not of confusion, and expects that His service should be performed after a regular and decent manner, free from negligence on the one hand and foppery on the other; especially He requires that acts of public adoration should be accompanied with a reverence and solemnity suitable to the majesty of such a presence. Now this cannot reasonably be supposed to be so exactly performable by those who are frequently embroiled in the affairs of the world, and by that means have their thoughts and affections the more estranged from heavenly contemplations. It has therefore been the universal practice of all nations to appoint some peculiar persons to attend upon Gods service more immediately, who, by continually applying themselves to such things as were acceptable to Him, were supposed to have some interest in Him, to be qualified to understand His will, and to be authorised to reveal it to others. Now as this was done by the common consent of all heathen nations in relation to their false divinities, so was it more eminently put in practice by those who had a clearer notion of the true Deity; one tribe in twelve being set apart by the Jews and consecrated to the service of God and His Temple, no worldly concerns being suffered to interfere, but the whole employment and business of their lives being to study His will and the methods of His worship.

2. I proceed, next, to enforce the necessity of a ministry to officiate in the Church of God from the great advantages accruing thereby to the other members of Christs body.

(1) Consider it in relation to prayers or intercessions for the obtaining of mercies or diverting of judgments.

(2) A second advantage which accrues to the whole Church from the office of the ministry is that of instruction and reprehension, the impartial declaring of their duty to them and seasonably reproving them for the neglect of it.

II. The authority by which they act. How shall they preach except they be sent? Our blessed Saviour, in order to carry on the universal design of our redemption, thought fit to select a certain number of men to be His missionaries or apostles, investing them with some part of His own authority (Mar_3:14). From Him, then, who is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec is derived to His ministers a plenitude of power proportionable to the majesty of so august a Founder. We have His own Word for it, who cannot lie (Joh_17:18). Since, therefore, the Author and Finisher of our faith has thus expressly testified in relation to His ministers that as He was sent even so did He send, the questioning that authority by which they act will cast an imputation upon Christ Himself, and a doubting the validness of their mission will unhappily glance and reflect upon His. I shall now close up all that has been said with a word or two of application. Can they not hear without a preacher? Is the necessity and advantage of an established ministry so very great? Let us, then, most heartily pray the great Lord of the harvest that He will still continue to send forth able labourers into His harvest. Let us also consider how many miserable souls are deprived of those benefits which we possess. And let this consideration cause in us gratitude and thanksgiving for the happy enjoyment of such inestimable blessings. Can they not preach except they be sent? Can they not officiate except their calling be from above? Then it extremely stands them upon to make good their mission. And the surest way of proving that to be undeniably true is by accommodating their doctrine to the Word of God and squaring their lives according to their doctrine. But farther--Is their commission so full and their authority so large? This, then, should oblige us to put some distinction between those who come so duly authorised and others who intrude into the same employment. (N. Brady.)

Hearing versus reading

You take up a book and read a poem. Slowly, carefully you distil the meaning, admire it, appropriate it. Very likely you imagine that you have obtained the authors full significance, and extracted therefrom all the enjoyment and profit possible. But let some friend recite it, enunciating clearly, articulating sympathetically, giving to each line its appropriate expression, and the probability is that you will see and feel more than you did previously. An experienced and able missionary has remarked, I have never seen a Chinaman weep over a book; but I have seen a Chinaman weep under a sermon. I have myself many times made a Chinaman weep by the proclamation of the gospel. We have the sermons of George Whitfield and the orations of Edward Irving, and what is the first experience of those who peruse them? In the majority of cases it is disappointment. Can this be the renowned man who moved so mightily the spirits of his contemporaries? Such is our astonished question. Yes, it is the renowned man; but cannot you see how it is that you are not affected by his discourses as others were? It is because they heard, whereas you only read. Wisely, then, is it ordained that the gospel shall be preached. (T. R. Stevenson.)

Preaching: its necessity

1. Preaching is Gods ordained method of communicating Divine knowledge.

2. Without Divine knowledge men cannot believe.

3. Without faith men cannot call upon God.

4. Without calling upon God they cannot be saved. (J. Lyth, D.D.)

Missionary obligation

The gospel should be preached to every creature it being a universal message from heaven to earth. A commission thus universal should have had at our hands a universal fulfilment; but we have only to open our eyes and see how palpably short it has come of this. And yet we affect to wonder that the blessings of Christianity are limited to so small a portion of the human family. But surely it is not time to charge the Almighty, or to arraign the methods of His administration--till we have inquired in how far this precept has been carried into operation; and then what the instances are in which, when the precept was fully acted up to, this promise has ever been withheld. Verses 14, 15 give the first and readiest answer to the question--How is it that the whole earth is not Christianised? God could, by an act of sovereignty, achieve this result at the instant bidding of His voice--even as He said Let there be light, and there was light. But God hath, in the exercise of a wisdom, in perfect analogy with the many processes of nature and providence, chosen to ordain an instrumentality for the diffusion of the Christian religion over the world. Now it so happens that men are the chief parts of this instrumentality; and we should first inquire how they have done their part--so as to ascertain whether it be not we the men who are in fault, before daring to lay the fault upon God. It is a sound doctrinal theology which acknowledges, amid the countless diversity of operations around us, that it is God who worketh all in all. But God worketh by means; and when a certain prescribed human agency enters into that system of means which He hath instituted, it is a sound practical theology to labour as assiduously in the bidden way as if man worked all. God could have worked a saving faith in the heart of Cornelius by an immediate suggestion from His own Spirit, or through the mouth of an angel. And He did send an angel to Cornelius, not however that he might preach the gospel to him, but that he might bid him send for Peter, and receive that gospel at the lips of a fellow-mortal. And God also sent to Peter a communication from heaven to prepare him for the message--thus doubling as it were the amount of miraculous agency, in order that the gospel might be heard by a yet unconverted child of Adam, not through the medium of a supernatural and angelic, but through the medium of a natural and a human utterance. Yet not so as that the natural should supersede or displace the super-natural--for while Peter spake, the Holy Ghost fell on all them who heard. The function of Peter was the same with that of a minister or missionary in the present day--it was to tell Cornelius the words by which he and all his house should be saved. And the function of the Holy Ghost for the purpose of giving demonstration and efficiency to the word, is the same now as ever--He falls on us still even as He did on them at the beginning. Let no man put asunder the things which God hath joined. The application of all this to the question of missions, whether home or foreign, is quite obvious. Let these be multiplied to the uttermost, yet all will be useless and effete, if unblest or unaccompanied by the Spirit of God, Some there are, men of devotion, who have a contempt for machinery, and who think to succeed by prayer alone for the extension of our Redeemers kingdom. Others there are, men of bustle and enterprise, who think to succeed by the busy prosecution of schemes and societies. Both must be conjoined, and it is to this prolific union of devout and desirous hearts with busy hands, that the Church of Christ stands indebted for all its prosperity. (T. Chalmers, D.D.)

And how shall they preach except they be sent?--

The necessity of a proper commission for a minister

It is not a mans skill in state affairs that makes him an ambassador, nor ability in the law that makes him a magistrate, but the call to these places: neither do gifts make a man a minister, but his mission. (W. Gurnall.)

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace!--This is a picture on the canvas of the imagination. In a time of intense anxiety and imminent peril, many are the earnest and wistful looks that are directed to the mountain pass in the distance. At length when hope deferred was turning into despair, the messenger is descried. He is striding in haste, waving a token of the glad tidings he is commissioned to communicate. The feet which bear him rapidly along, are beautiful to behold--beautiful to the eyes of the hopeful. (J. Morison, D.D.)

The preachers feet beautiful

Three things make them so:

1. The preciousness of his message.

2. The ardour of his zeal and love.

3. The holy consistency of his life. (T. Robinson, D.D.)

The messenger of mercy

I. His commission.

1. From God.

2. From the Church.

II. His message.

1. Glad tidings.

2. Of peace.

3. Of good things.

III. His welcome.

1. By the perishing world.

2. By the penitent sinner. (J. Lyth, D.D.)

The Christian missionary

I. How necessary his mission!

II. How welcome his coming!

III. How glorious his message!

IV. How beautiful his track! (J. Lyth, D.D.)

The gospel of peace

I. The general import of the gospel. Good news, or glad tidings. A message which bears this designation--

1. Must relate to something that is really and substantially good. Bad news may find the ear open, but the heart will be shut. Now the gospel unfolds what is truly good for our immortal souls. Its promises and provisions are inestimably precious. It lays pipes close to the fountain of goodness, and through them pours a profusion of blessings.

2. Must relate to a good that immediately concerns us. To tell a man in penury, of abundance; or a man in sickness, of healing; or a man in danger, of deliverance, which is placed utterly beyond his reach, is but to aggravate his distress. But the religion of Jesus supplies healing and help and adequate relief.

3. Must be true and certain. What avail great and good things, held out to us in a precarious manner? The good news, which we publish, is well authenticated. Omnipotence has confirmed and ratified it.

II. Some reasons why the sacred word is emphatically called the gospel of peace. Peace is a blessing of the highest value. In our text it is used in its most comprehensive acceptation, as denoting--

1. Peace with God, or reconciliation (Col_1:19-21). The terms of this reconciliation are set forth in Rom_5:1-3.

2. Peace with ourselves, or peace of conscience. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. They try a variety of expedients, which all utterly fail of success. It is necessary that the gospel be actually received, to tranquillise the heart (Heb_10:19).

3. Peace with our brethren, or the peace of amity. Christianity is a religion of peace. It allays the fury of those passions which are the springs of strife and bitterness. Its doctrines and principles of Christianity breathe a spirit of universal benevolence. (Essex Congregational Remembrancer.)

The gospel of peace

1. The effect of the preaching of the gospel is joy in them which hear it. So at Antioch there was great joy; so in Galatia, and elsewhere.

2. This effect is set forth under a comparison of the less; for Isaiah (Isa_52:7) speaks of the royal receiving of the messengers of Israels deliverance from the captivity of Babylon. If, then, the tidings of such temporal deliverance was so welcome, much more must be welcome the glad tidings of the gospel: and as those messengers were from God, so much more these. In these words are two things.

I. A commendation of the gospel. How beautiful--as if he were not able to express such beauty--are the feet! Some take feet for men; some for the affections, being that to the soul which feet are to the body: these affections appearing in the apostles, by their sweet delivery and utterance; some for the velocity of the apostles in converting the world; some their constancy and courage. Some take beauty for the holiness of the apostles; some for a fleshly beauty by ornaments, as slippers embroidered with gold and pearl; as this Scripture is abused to the consecrating of the Popes toe. But the plain meaning is that the coming of the apostles with the glad tidings of salvation was acceptable: he saith feet because they are the instruments of going; as we familiarly say of poor men, they get their living by their fingers ends, which are the instruments of their labour. Beautiful. The Hebrew word may signify to be desired and longed for, or beautiful and welcome. The beauty of a thing causeth it to be desired, as the beauty of Christ makes the Church sick of love. The Greek term comes of a root which signifies--

1. Time. Generally time, or seasonable time: and so some read it, How seasonable! A word spoken in season is beautiful. Everything is beautiful in his season. Many of our daintiest meats are not, but the gospel is always in season; in the winter of adversity, in the summer of prosperity, in the spring of youth, and autumn of age.

2. The spring: and therefore some have compared the coming of the preachers of the gospel to the spring. For as the fields in the spring begin to be adorned with flowers, in which all creatures rejoice, so the preaching of the gospel turns our winter-like barrenness into fruitfulness, making us to flourish with heavenly graces and virtues.

3. Ripeness, and so some have likened the coming of the apostles to ripe fruit. Unripe fruit is dangerous, and not so well coloured, but that which is ripe is both well tasted and well coloured. No dainty-coloured fruit so beautiful and wholesome as the gospel.

4. Comeliness; that which we call the pride and flowers of life; also youth, wherein is that mixture of white and red which is called beauty. As Christ is said to be fairer, so also is the gospel.

II. A reason. Because it is the gospel of peace and glad tidings of good things. This redundance serves to make us the more to esteem of it. It is the Ghosts spell, a comforting and soul-saving word.

1. Peace. We are by corruption of nature enemies to God; the gospel reveals a threefold peace--with God, with ourselves, with men; according to the song of the angels at the birth of Christ.

2. Good things. Yea, the best in the superlative degree, celestial good things: a freedom from all evil of sin, of punishment.

Conclusion: Nothing should be so welcome as the preaching and preachers of the gospel. That Christ came to save sinners is a faithful saying, and worthy of the best welcome (1Ti_1:15). It is called the word of life, of salvation, the gospel of the kingdom. Even the key of heaven; for life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel (2Ti_1:12).

1. The essential duty of a minister is to preach the gospel. The law is to be preached also, both as an introduction to the gospel, and for a direction how to lead our lives when we have received the gospel, because sin breaks Gods peace; but chiefly we are sent to preach the gospel.

2. Not riches, nor dignities, but to preach the gospel is the chief honour and beauty of a minister, who, though highly advanced, if he preach not the gospel, shall be despised.

3. Some love their ministers because they keep hospitality, which is commendable; some because they gain by them, which is carnal; some because they never preach, which is abominable; some because themselves would be well accounted of, which is hypocritical. But to love them for their works sake is conscionable, and according to the commandment (1Th_5:13). It is an argument of great corruption to esteem meanly a preacher; when he that brings tidings of a good bargain, or is an instrument of our pleasures, shall be highly welcomed and rewarded.

4. If the minister have weak gifts, yet if he preach the gospel thou must account his feet beautiful. It is not the gifts of men, but the Word of God which works the feat in our conversion.

5. If it be the gospel of peace, the professors are to be peaceable. (Elnathan Parr, B.D.)

The music of the gospel

What music is there ever heard in this world to be compared with the music of the gospel? It goes to the heart of universal humanity. It is richer in its tones than all the voices of men. It is more thrilling far than all the symphonies of Handel and Mozart, of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Rossini, and of all the mighty masters of song. It is softer than the murmur of the evening breeze; more soothing than the sound of the distant waterfall. It is sweeter than the warblings of summer birds; more harmonious than the chorus of the forests rustling leaves. It is grander than the hallelujahs of the waves of the ocean; more overpowering than the organ roll of the reverberating thunder. Aye, and more melting and delicious than the harping of those heavenly intelligences whom God designates as the morning stars. The gospel steals over the bosom of the desolate and inexpressibly sad. It drops its assuaging balm on the ear of the broken and the weary, the forsaken, the bereaved, the solitary. It charms away the despondency of the labouring and the heavy-laden. Its minstrelsy penetrates within the prison bars of the captive, and floats to the ear of tyrannys fettered victim in the subterranean dungeon. Its solace cheers those who sit in ashes, who are clad in the vestments of mourning, and are swooning under the spirit of heaviness, It comes with resistless force to the bankrupt, the ruined and undone, to the guilty, the betrayed, the despairing, the polluted, and the lost. When all other voices are still, with gentler than a mothers accents, it breathes out hope and retrieval for the fallen and the outcast. No fabled Orpheus ever so affected rocks, trees, and wild beasts, by harp and song, as Christ by the music of the gospel has drawn after Him, in blissful captivity, the dullest, rudest, and most savage of mankind, constraining them to leave their carnal instincts, their habits of depravity, their ways of sin, so that, forsaking all besides, oer all the world they follow Him. (J. Somerville.)

The gospel of peace

It is a great mercy to enjoy the gospel of peace, but a still greater to enjoy the peace of the gospel. (J. Dyer.)

The gospel indifferent to the means of its conveyance

The meanness of the earthen vessel, which conveys to others the gospel treasure, takes nothing from the value of the treasure. A dying hand may sign a deed of gift of incalculable value. A shepherds boy may point out the way to a philosopher. A beggar may be the bearer of an invaluable present. (W. Cecil, M.A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom 10:14-17. How then — As if the apostle had said, From the promise of salvation made to them that shall call on the name of the Lord, I have inferred, that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, as to the possibility of obtaining salvation from God; and from hence we may further infer, that the gospel must be preached to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews, and the sundry means of grace be dispensed to them, and therefore that we, the apostles, in so doing, do nothing but what is agreeable to the will of God, though on that account we are much reproached and persecuted. For how shall they call upon him — With sincerity; in whom they have not believed — In whose existence, power, and goodness they have not believed; or in whom, as capable of hearing, and able and willing to grant their requests, they have no confidence; (see on Heb 11:6;) or whom they do not believe to be a proper object of worship, or worthy to be invoked with divine honours and adoration. And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? — “Even the works of nature and providence must be made known to mankind by instructers, to make them able to understand them: much more the gospel of Christ.” — Baxter. Or the apostle speaks here chiefly, if not only, of believing in Christ, and therefore his words are not inconsistent with what he advances, Rom 1:19-20, concerning the existence and perfections of God being made known to all mankind by the works of creation. Some way or other the divine revelation concerning Christ must be made known to us, before we can understand and believe it. In hearing is included reading, which is tantamount to hearing, and by which many are brought to believe, Joh 20:31; These things are written that you may believe. But hearing only is mentioned as the more ordinary and natural way of receiving information. How shall they hear without a preacher — To carry these important tidings, which the light of nature could never be able to discover: or, except God reveal the gospel to them some way or other. And how shall they — The ministers of the gospel; preach except they be sent — Expressly for that purpose? that is, except they be both commissioned, and, at least in some measure, qualified for that difficult though important work? How shall a man act as an ambassador, unless he have both his instruction and his credentials from the prince that sends him? St. Paul probably intended to intimate, that as the apostles, and other first ministers of the gospel, were originally Jews, their own prejudices on this head were so strong, that they never would have thought of carrying the gospel to the Gentiles if God had not particularly charged them to do it; especially as its avowed opposition to the idolatry and the other vices which reigned in the Gentile countries, could not but expose them, more or less, to persecution in various forms, wherever they came and attempted to preach it. Thus, by a chain of reasoning from God’s will, that the Gentiles also should call upon him, Paul infers that the apostles were sent by God to preach to them also. As it is written — And described in that striking prophecy, Isa 52:7-8, How beautiful are the feet — The very footsteps, or the coming; of them that preach the gospel of peace — The gospel, which shows the way how peace is made between God and man. The figure here applied by Isaiah “is extremely proper. The feet of those who travel through dirty or dusty roads are a sight naturally disagreeable: but when they are thus disfigured by travelling a long journey, to bring good tidings of peace and deliverance to those who have been oppressed by their enemies, they appear beautiful.” — Macknight. Most commentators think “that the 52d chapter of Isaiah is to be explained as a prophecy of the return of the Jews from Babylon, and that the text here quoted refers to the joyful welcome that should be given to the messengers who brought the first tidings of Cyrus’s decree for their dismission. And if it were so, the apostle might very justly infer from thence the superior joy with which the messengers of the gospel should be received. But I think a great deal may be said to show it probable, that the context in question has, in its original sense, a further reference.” — Doddridge. See note on Isa 52:7. But they have not all obeyed, &c. — As if he had said, But you may say, Why then doth not this preaching convert more of the Jews? This excellence of the gospel, and the preaching of it, doth not suppose that all that hear it will be converted by it: for though faith comes by hearing, yet there may be hearing without faith. So Esaias saith — In that very context which contains so many illustrious testimonies to the gospel, namely, Isa 53:1, Lord, who hath believed our report? — That is, very few have been persuaded and converted by our preaching. So then faith cometh by hearing — Hearing is the ordinary means, even hearing the word of God, of begetting faith in people: and it was necessary for the Gentiles, in particular, who had not access to the Scriptures, to have the truths of the gospel declared to them by preaching, that they might hear and believe them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:14 It is natural to presume that the pronoun they refers to “all who call on him” from 10:12 or “everyone” from 10:13. While this verse probably does refer to all people, it also continues the accusation against Israel from 10:2-3 (see 10:18). Paul argues that Israel was in a position to know what God was doing through Jesus Christ, so they were culpable for their failure to understand or accept it. Israel was guilty both of failing to understand God’s plan in light of Christ (10:3-4) and of focusing so much attention on the law that they missed Christ when he arrived (9:30-32).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Rom 10:14. Οὗ οὐκ ἤκουσαν) whom, namely, when speaking in the Gospel, Rom 10:15, or offering Himself, they have not heard.

Rom 10:14-15. Πῶς, how) A descending climax; by which Paul argues from each higher to the next lower degree, and infers the necessity of the latter, as also from that necessity [infers] its very existence. He who wills the end, wills also the means. God wills that men should call upon Him for their salvation; therefore He wills that they should believe; therefore He wills that they should hear; therefore He wills that they should have preachers. Wherefore He sent preachers. He has done all that the matter [the object aimed at, viz., man’s salvation] required. His antecedent will is universal and efficacious.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom_10:14-15. Introduction: In order now that men should call on the name of the Lord, it is necessary that they should have been believing, hearing, preaching, and that the sending forth of preachers should have taken place, which sending forth also the Scripture prophesies. The object of this introduction is not already to cut off every way of escape from the Jews (Chrysostom, Theodoret, and several others, including Köllner), for this is spoken of for the first time in Rom_10:18 ff.; but the necessity of the evangelical ἀποστολή is first of all to be established generally, in order then to make the disobedience of the Jews stand out with the force of contrast. Grotius and Michaelis see in Rom_10:14-15 a Jewish objection, which alleges that the gospel had not been preached to all the Jews in the world, etc.; Paul then answers in Rom_10:16 ff. But how unsuitably he would have answered! Must he not, before everything else, make goodwhat he only brought in at Rom_10:18that all Jews had heard the announcement of the gospel? The objection here assumed is made by Paul himself in Rom_10:18.

οὖν] draws an inference from Rom_10:13 : How shall they accordingly (in pursuance of the requirement of ἐπικαλεῖσθαι contained in Rom_10:13) call on, etc.? On the future of ethical possibility, see Winer, p. 262 [E. T. 348]. Important codd. and Lachm. have, instead of the futures, the deliberative subjunctive aorists: How should they, etc.? The attestation in the case of the different verbs, of which Tisch. 8. likewise reads the subjunctive forms, although he retains instead of ἀκούσωσιν the future form ἀκούσονται, is so unequal, that we can come to no decision. Comp. generally Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 734 f. The subject to ἐπικαλέσονται κ.τ.λ. is those who, according to the passage of Scripture in Rom_10:13, shall attain to salvation through calling on the name of the Lord; that to κηρύξουσιν and ἀποστάλ., the κηρύσσοντες. The impersonal rendering (Fritzsche, de Wette, Baumgarten-Crusius, Philippi, van Hengel, and several others) has against it the fact that κηρύξ. has not the same general subject as the foregoing verbs.

εἰς ὃν οὐκ ἐπίστ.] Him, on whom they have not become believing; see Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 92.

πῶς δὲ πιστεύσουσιν κ.τ.λ·] Rightly the Vulg.: Quomodo credent ei, quem non audierunt. οὗ is not an adverb of place (Hofmann); for thus after εἰς ὅν the symmetry of the discourse would only be heterogeneously disturbed. Nor can it denote de quo (Luther, Castalio, and many, including Philippi and van Hengel), since ἀκούειν τινός in the sense of ἀκ. περί τινος, without a participle annexed, is entirely foreign both to the N. T. and to Greek prose (Xen. Mem. iii. 5. 9 is a case of attracted genitive); and in Homer only, Od. iv. 114, is the solitary instance of it found. See Kühner, II. 1, p. 309; Buttmann, Progr. üb. d. syntakt. Verbind. der Verba ἀκούειν and ἀκροᾶσθαι, Potsd. 1855, pp. 7, 12, and neut. Gr. p. 144 f. Just as little is the object, i.e. the contents of the preaching heard, meant by οὗ, which would rather be expressed by ὅν (Eph_4:21); but rather the speaking subject, who is listened to as he from whom the discourse proceeds (Mar_6:20; Mar_7:14; Luk_2:46, et al.; Winer, p. 187 [E. T. 249]), Christ being in this case conceived of as speaking through His preachers (see the following); comp. Eph_2:17. On the general thought, comp. Plat. Rep. p. 327 C: ἦ καὶ δύναισθʼ ἂν, ἦ δʼ ὃς, πεῖσαι μὴ ἀκούοντας;

χωρὶς κηρύσς.] without their having a preacher, apart from a preacher. Comp. Tittmann, Synon. p. 95; who, however, wrongly explains, οὐ πιστεύσαντες τῷ κηρύσσοντι.

ἀποσταλῶσι] Whence? διὰ ῥήματος Θεοῦ, Rom_10:17, informs us.

The form of the argument is a sorites, and its conclusion: The appointment of evangelical heralds is the first condition in order to bring about the calling upon the Lord. This retrograde sorites thus leads us back to the source; and of the ἀποστολή thus suggesting itself as primarily necessary, the prophetic confirmation from Isa_52:7 (not closely after the LXX.) is then given. This dulcissimum dictum (Melanchthon), because it speaks of the message of blissful liberation from exile, therein possesses the Messianic character, as concerning the restoration of the theocracy; and therefore is legitimately understood by Paulin connection with the Messianic idea and its historical fulfilmentas a prophecy of the evangelical preachers. These preach salvation (שָׁלו̇ם, meaning in Isaiah also not merely peace, but the theocratic cratic saving deliverance), preach good (טוֹב); that is, still more generally, omne quod felix faustumque est, which is to be received through Christ, the accomplisher of the divine dominion. That the Rabbins also understood the passage in a Messianic sense, and in what way, see Wetstein.

The opposite of the poetical: how pleasant are the feet (i.e. how welcome the arrival), etc., at Rom_3:15; Act_5:9; Neh_1:1-5; see Schaefer, ad Eur. Or. 1217; Boeckh, Expl. Pind. p. 281; Wunder, ad Soph. El. 1357 f. p. 120.

Rom_10:14-21. In order to realize this calling upon the Lord, proclaimers of the gospel had of necessity to be sent forth; nevertheless all did not obey the gospel; in which case neither does this excuse avail, that they had not heard the preaching (Rom_10:18); nor that, that Israel did not recognise the universality of the preaching (Rom_10:19 ff.). Thus, following up 113, there is still further set forth the peoples own guilt in their exclusion.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom 10:14 f. It is difficult to trace very clearly the line of the Apostle’s thought here. Many scholars (including W. and H. and Lipsius) connect Rom 10:14-15 closely with what precedes, and mark a break between Rom 10:15 and Rom 10:16 . It is as if Paul were expanding the πᾶς of Rom 10:13 and justifying that universal preaching of the Gospel which was itself a stumbling-block to the Jews. Every one who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved, and therefore the conditions of such invocation must be put within reach of every one . It is no argument against this interpretation that the ideas it introduces are not essential to the main purpose of the chapter, which is to prove the culpability of the Jews: the eager fulness of Paul’s mind often carries him on thus. Others read Rom 10:14-21 continuously, and mark a break at Rom 10:13 ( e.g. , Weiss, Sanday and Headlam). They lay stress on the οὖν in Rom 10:14 ( cf. Rom 9:14 , Rom 9:30 , Rom 11:1 ; Rom 11:11 ) as indicating that a paragraph has ended, and that the writer is facing the consequences which flow from it, the objections which can be made to it, etc. In this case the connection would be something like this. Salvation depends upon invoking Christ; but to invoke Christ depends upon certain conditions which the Jews may say it has been beyond their power to fulfil; let us inquire into the conditions, and see whether such a plea holds good. The first of these connections seems to me much the simpler, and it has the advantage of covering the second. For if the invocation of Christ, which is the sole and universal condition of salvation, has been made possible for all men, it has been made possible for the Jews. The special application to them, in which the argument of the chapter is clinched, is not made till Rom 10:19 ; here they are only involved with the rest of the world which has heard the Gospel. πῶς οὖν ἐπικαλέσωνται : sc. τοῦτον . πῶς δὲ πιστεύσωσιν οὗ οὖκ ἤκουσαν ; It is simplest to render, How are they to believe on Him Whom they have not heard? identifying the voice of the preachers with that of Christ. Winer, p. 249. Cf. Eph 2:17 . The rendering, Him of Whom they have not heard, would be legitimate in poetry. πῶς δὲ ἀκούσωσιν : this deliberative form is in all probability right: see critical note and Blass, Gramm. des Neut. Griech. , 205. ἐὰν μὴ ἀποσταλῶσιν : viz. , by the Lord Whom they preach, and Who is heard speaking when they speak. Cf. 1Co 1:17 , ἀπέστειλέν με Χριστὸς … εὐαγγελίζεσθαι . To find here the idea of an official ministry, as something belonging essentially to the constitution of the Church, is grotesque. “St. Paul argues back from effect to cause, through the series of Prayer, Faith, Hearing, Preaching, Sending; thus the last link in his argument must be the first in the realisation from which the rest follow; this one therefore he confirms by the prophetic announcement in Isa 52:7 ” (Gifford). ὡς ὡραῖοι : the true text of Romans greatly abbreviates the prophet’s words, but the joy with which the deliverance from Babylon was foreseen is in keeping with that with which Paul contemplates the universal preaching of the Gospel.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14-21. This section seems to be arranged on the plan of suggesting a series of difficulties, and giving short decisive answers to each: (1) ‘But how can men believe the Gospel unless it has been fully preached?’ (5:14). Answer. ‘It has been preached as Isaiah foretold’ (ver. 15). (2) ‘Yet, all have not accepted it’ (ver. 16). Answer. ‘That does not prove that it was not preached. Isaiah foretold also this neglect of the message’ (vv. 16, 17). (3) ‘But perhaps the Jews did not hear’ (5:18). Answer. ‘Impossible. The Gospel has been preached everywhere.’ (4) ‘But perhaps they did not understand’ (ver. 19). Answer. ‘That again is impossible. The Gentiles, a people without any real knowledge, have understood. The real fact is they were a disobedient, self-willed people.’ The object is to fix the guilt of the Jews by removing every defence which might be made on the ground of want of opportunities.

‘The passage which follows (14-21) is in style one of the most obscure portions of the Epistle.’ This statement of Jowett’s is hardly exaggerated. ‘The obscurity arises,’ as he proceeds to point out, ‘from the argument being founded on passages of the Old Testament.’ These are quoted without explanation, and without their relation to the argument being clearly brought out. The first difficulty is to know where to make a division in the chapter. Some put it after ver. 11 (so Go.) making vv. 11-21 a proof of the extension of the Gospel to the Gentiles; some after ver. 13 (Chrys. Weiss, Oltr. Gif.); some after ver. 15 (Lid. WH. Lips.). The decision of the question will always depend on the opinion formed of the drift of the passage, but we are not without structural assistance. It may be noticed throughout these chapters that each succeeding paragraph is introduced by a question with the particle οὖν: so 9:14 τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; 30; 11:1, 11. And this seems to arise from the meaning of the particle: it sums up the conclusion of the preceding paragraph as an introduction to a further step in the argument. This meaning will exactly suit the passage under consideration. ‘The condition of salvation is to call on the Lord’—that is the conclusion of the last section: then the Apostle goes on, ‘if this be so, what then (οὗν) are the conditions necessary for attaining it, and have they been fulfilled?’ the words forming a suitable introduction to the next stage in the argument. This use of οὖν to introduce a new paragraph is very common in St. Paul. See especially Rom 5:1, Rom 5:6:1, Rom 5:12:1; Eph 4:1; 1Ti 2:1; 2Ti 2:1, besides other less striking instances. It may be noticed that it is not easy to understand the principle on which WH. have divided the text of these chapters, making no break at all at 9:29, beginning a new paragraph at chap. 10, making a break here at ver. 15, making only a slight break at chap. 11, and starting a new paragraph at ver. 13 of that chapter at what is really only a parenthetical remark.

10:14, 15. The main difficulty of these verses centres round two points: With what object are they introduced? And what is the quotation from Isaiah intended to prove?

14. πῶς οὖν ἐπικαλέσωνται. The word οὖν, as often in St. Paul, marks a stage in the argument. ‘We have discovered the new system of salvation: what conditions are necessary for its acceptance?’ The question is not the objection of an adversary, nor merely rhetorical, but rather deliberative (see Burton, M. and T. § 169): hence the subjunctive (see below) is more suitable than the future which we find in 9:30. The subject of ἐπικαλέσωνται is implied in vv. 12, 13, ‘those who would seek this new method of salvation by calling on the name of the Lord.’

In this series of questions in vv. 14, 15 the MSS. vary between the subjunctive and the future. Generally the authority for the subjunctive strongly preponderates: ἐπικαλέσωνται א A B D E F G, πιστεύσωσιν א B D E F G P, κηρύξωσιν א A B D E K L P. In the case of ἀκούσωσιν there is a double variation. אc A (A latet) B and some minuscules read ἀκούσωσιν; א D E F G K P and some minuscules read ἀκούσονται; L etc., Clem.-Alex. Ath. Chrys. edd. Theodrt. and the TR. read ἀκούσουσι. Here however the double variant makes the subjunctive almost certain. Although the form ἀκούσουσι is possible in N.T. Greek, it is most improbable that it should have arisen as a corruption from ἀκούσονται, and it is too weakly supported to be the correct reading. ἀκούσωσιν, which will explain both variants and harmonizes with the other subjunctives, is therefore correct. B here alone among the leading MSS. is correct throughout.

οὗ οὐκ ἤκουσαν: ‘how can they believe on Him whom they have not heard preaching?’ οὗ is for εἰς τοῦτον οὗ: and as ἀκούειν τινος means not ‘to hear of some one,’ but ‘to hear some one preaching or speaking,’ it must be so translated, and what follows must be interpreted by assuming that the preaching of Christ’s messengers is identical with the preaching of Christ Himself. This interpretation (that of Mey. and Gif.), although not without difficulties, is probably better than either of the other solutions proposed. It is suggested that οὗ may be for ὅν, and the passage is translated ‘of whom they have not heard’; but only a few instances of this usage are quoted, and they seem to be all early and poetical. The interpretation of Weiss, οὗ = where, completely breaks the continuity of the sentences.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom_10:14, Rom_10:15

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and who shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? etc., etc. Paul considered it as involved in what he had already said, and especially in the predictions of the ancient prophets, that it was the will of God that all men should call upon him. This being the case, he argues to prove that it was his will that the gospel should be preached to all. As invocation implies faith, as faith implies knowledge, knowledge instruction, and instruction an instructor, so it is plain that if God would have all men to call upon him, he designed preachers to be sent to all, whose proclamation of mercy being heard, might be believed, and being believed, might lead men to call on him and be saved. This is agreeable to the prediction of Isaiah, who foretold that the advent of the preachers of the gospel should be hailed with great and universal joy. According to this, which is the common and most natural view of the passage, it is an argument founded on the principle, that if God wills the end, he wills also the means; if he would have the Gentiles saved, according to the predictions of his prophets, he would have the gospel preached to them. Qui vult finem, vult etiam media. Deus vult ut homines invocent ipsum salutariter. Ergo vult ut credant. Ergo vult ut audiant. Ergo vult ut habeant praedicatores. Itaque praedicatores misit. Bengel. Calvins view of the object of the passage is the same, but his idea of the nature of the argument is very different. He supposes the apostle to reason thus. The Gentiles actually call upon God; but invocation implies faith, faith hearing, hearing preaching, and preaching a divine mission. If therefore, the Gentiles have actually received and obeyed the gospel, it is proof enough that God designed it to be sent to them. This interpretation is ingenious, and affords a good sense; but it is founded on an assumption which the Jew would be slow to admit, that the Gentile was an acceptable worshipper of God. If he admitted this, he admitted every thing and the argument becomes unnecessary. According to De Wette, Meyer, and others, the design of the apostle is to show the necessity of divine messengers in order to ground thereon a reproof of disobedience to that message. The whole context, however, shows, that he is not here assigning the reasons for the rejection of the Jews, but vindicating the propriety of preaching to the Gentiles. God had predicted that the Gentiles should be saved; he had provided a method of salvation adapted to all men; he had declared that whosoever called upon the name of the Lord should be saved; from which it follows that it is his will that they should hear of him whom they were required to invoke.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That is, true faith which seeketh God in his word, and that preached according as God hath appointed in the Church.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and . . . believe in him of whom they have not heard? and . . . hear without a preacher? and . . . preach except . . . sent?--that is, "True, the same Lord over all is rich unto all alike that call upon Him. But this calling implies believing, and believing hearing, and hearing preaching, and preaching a mission to preach: Why, then, take ye it so ill, O children of Abraham, that in obedience to our heavenly mission (Act 26:16-18) we preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ?"

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

I shall not engage the reader long in reciting and disproving the opinions of others. Let every one have his own view; and let me be allowed to bring forward what I think. That you may then understand the design of this gradation, bear in mind first, that there was a mutual connection between the calling of the Gentiles and the ministry of Paul, which he exercised among them; so that on the evidence for the one depended the evidence for the other. It was now necessary for Paul to prove, beyond a doubt, the calling of the Gentiles, and, at the same time, to give a reason for his own ministry, lest he should seem to extend the favor of God without authority, to withhold from the children the bread intended for them by God, and to bestow it on dogs. But these things he therefore clears up at the same time.

But how he connects the thread of his discourse, will not be fully understood, until every part be in order explained. The import of what he advances is the same as though he had said, “Both Jews and Gentiles, by calling on the name of God, do thereby declare that they believe on him; for a true calling on God’s name cannot be except a right knowledge of him were first had. Moreover, faith is produced by the word of God, but the word of God is nowhere preached, except through God’s special providence and appointment. Where then there is a calling on God, there is faith; and where faith is, the seed of the word has preceded; where there is preaching there is the calling of God. Now where his calling is thus efficacious and fruitful, there is there a clear and indubitable proof of the divine goodness. It will hence at last appear, that the Gentiles are not to be excluded from the kingdom of God, for God has admitted them into a participation of his salvation. For as the cause of faith among them is the preaching of the gospel, so the cause of preaching is the mission of God, by which it had pleased him in this manner to provide for their salvation.” We shall now consider each portion by itself.

14. How shall they call? etc. Paul intends here to connect prayer with faith, as they are indeed things most closely connected, for he who calls on God betakes himself, as it were, to the only true haven of salvation, and to a most secure refuge; he acts like the son, who commits himself into the bosom of the best and the most loving of fathers, that he may be protected by his care, cherished by his kindness and love, relieved by his bounty, and supported by his power. This is what no man can do who has not previously entertained in his mind such a persuasion of God’s paternal kindness towards him, that he dares to expect everything from him.

He then who calls on God necessarily feels assured that there is protection laid up for him; for Paul speaks here of that calling which is approved by God. Hypocrites also pray, but not unto salvation; for it is with no conviction of faith. It hence appears how completely ignorant are all the schoolmen, who doubtingly present themselves before God, being sustained by no confidence. Paul thought far otherwise; for he assumes this as an acknowledged axiom, that we cannot rightly pray unless we are surely persuaded of success. For he does not refer here to hesitating faith, but to that certainty which our minds entertain respecting his paternal kindness, when by the gospel he reconciles us to himself, and adopts us for his children. By this confidence only we have access to him, as we are also taught in Ephesians 3:12.

But, on the other hand, learn that true faith is only that which brings forth prayer to God; for it cannot be but that he who has tasted the goodness of God will ever by prayer seek the enjoyment of it.

How shall they believe on him? etc. The meaning is, that we are in a manner mute until God’s promise opens our mouth to pray, and this is the order which he points out by the Prophet, when he says, “I will say to them, my people are ye;” and they shall say to me, “Thou art our God.” (Zechariah 13:9.) It belongs not indeed to us to imagine a God according to what we may fancy; we ought to possess a right knowledge of him, such as is set forth in his word. And when any one forms an idea of God as good, according to his own understanding, it is not a sure nor a solid faith which he has, but an uncertain and evanescent imagination; it is therefore necessary to have the word, that we may have a right knowledge of God. No other word has he mentioned here but that which is preached, because it is the ordinary mode which the Lord has appointed for conveying his word. But were any on this account to contend that God cannot transfer to men the knowledge of himself, except by the instrumentality of preaching, we deny that to teach this was the Apostle’s intention; for he had only in view the ordinary dispensation of God, and did not intend to prescribe a law for the distribution of his grace.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(14-21) Thus there is a distinct order—belief, confession, invocation. But before either the last or the first of these steps is taken the gospel must be preached. The Jew, however, cannot plead that the gospel has not been preached to him. It has been preached both to Jew and Gentile. Both Moses and Isaiah had foretold the conversion of the Gentiles, and Isaiah had also foretold the unbelief of the Jews.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. How then, &c.] This is an argument for the evangelization of the heathen, as against the jealous reserve of Pharisaic Judaism. Q. d., “The prophets announce a salvation for all who turn to Messiah; but these must first believe Him to be able to save; but believers must first be hearers; therefore there must be preachers, missionaries, sent out from the possessors of the true faith.” All this proves that a large proclamation of Messiah to the Gentiles, by Jewish missionaries, (as Paul,) was in perfect accord with the prophecies.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

How then shall they call on him in whom they, have not believed?.... The apostle having observed, that whoever, Jew or Gentile, believe in the Lord and call upon his name, shall be saved; and that the same Lord was ready and willing to dispense his grace, without any difference to them; suggests, that it was therefore absolutely necessary, that the Gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews; that it was the will of God it should be; that what he and others did, was by a divine commission; that they were sent by the Lord to preach the Gospel to them; that hearing they might believe, and so call upon the name of the Lord, and be saved; and therefore the Jews ought not to blame them for so doing, for there was a real necessity for it, since there can be no true calling upon God without faith, no faith without hearing, no hearing without preaching, and no preaching without a divine mission. The first of these is signified by this interrogation. Every man calls upon the God he believes in, and him only; this has been the practice of all men, in all nations; such as have not believed in God and Christ, do not call upon them; it is true indeed, there may be an external invocation of them, where there is no true faith; but then this is not calling upon them in truth and sincerity; as is their faith, so is their calling upon them; as the one is historical, the other is only external; there is no true invocation without faith, or any that is acceptable to God, or of any avail to men; for calling on the name of the Lord, as it ought to be practised in all religious worship, so it includes and every part of worship as done in faith:

and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? the meaning is, that there is no faith in Christ without hearing of him; as it is in human, so in divine faith, there may be believing without seeing, but not without hearing; so we believe that there were such men as Alexander and Julius Caesar, and other persons now in being, though we never saw them, having heard of them, or had a report made of them, which we have reason to give credit to; so there may be, and is faith in Christ without seeing him with our bodily eyes, though not without hearing of him; for of an unheard of person, there can be no faith in him, because no exercise of thought about him. This is to be understood of outward hearing of the word, and of adult persons only; for that, infants may have the grace of regeneration, and so faith wrought in them by the Spirit of God, without hearing the word, is not to be denied; since as they are capable of the principles of corruption, why not of grace? and also of such persons as have the right and free exercise of the faculties of hearing and speaking, and not of such who never could hear, and speak; for as the Spirit works where, and how he pleases, so he can work faith in the hearts of such persons who never heard the word, and enable them to exercise it on the proper object, and cause them secretly to call upon the name of the Lord, with groans which cannot be uttered. Moreover, this is to be, understood of the ordinary way and means of believing; for though God can, and sometimes does work by other means, and even without any, yet his usual way and method is, to bring men to faith and repentance by the hearing of the word:

and how shall they hear without a preacher? or there is no hearing without, preaching; there may be reading without it, and this ought to be where there is preaching, to see that what is preached is agreeably to the Scriptures; but there is no hearing the word explained without preaching; explaining the word is preaching. There is no hearing of Christ, and salvation by him, without the preaching of the Gospel; the usual and ordinary way of hearing from God, and of Christ, is by the ministry of the word: this shows not only the necessity and usefulness of the Gospel ministry, but also points out the subject matter of it, which is Christ, and him crucified. They that preach ought to preach concerning the person of Christ, his offices, grace, righteousness, blood, sacrifice and satisfaction, otherwise men may hear the preacher, and not hear Christ.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

14 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?

Ver. 14. How shall they hear, &c.] The word read is of divine use and efficacy; but of preaching we may say as David did of Goliath’s sword, "There is none to that." Milk warmed is fitter for nourishment; and the rain from heaven hath a fatness with it, and a special influence, more than standing waters; so there is not that life, operation, and blessing in the word read as preached.

And how shall they preach unless they be sent] Here you have that scala caeli, ladder of heaven, as a good old martyr called it; and we must not presume to alter the rounds of this ladder. The apostle holds it for impossible that any should preach that are not sent. Let such look to it, as run before they are sent, press into the pulpit without a call thereunto. Let them remember Nadab and Abihu with their strange fire, Korah and his complices with their dismal usurpations, Uzzah and Uzziah with their exemplary punishmeats, &c. God hanged these up in gibbets, as it were to warn others.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

How then shall they call. ... - The apostle here adverts to an objection which might be urged to his argument. His doctrine was, that faith in Christ was essential to justification and salvation; and that this was needful for all; and that, without this, man must perish. The objection was, that they could not call on him in whom they had not believed; that they could not believe in him of whom they had not heard; and that this was arranged by God himself, so that a large part of the world was destitute of the gospel, and in fact did not believe; Rom 10:16-17. The objection had particular reference to the Jews; and the ground of injustice which a Jew would complain of, would be, that the plan made salvation dependent on faith, when a large part of the nation had not heard the gospel, and had had no opportunity to know it. This objection the apostle meets, so far as it was of importance to his argument, in Rom 10:18-21. The first part of the objection is, that they could “not call on him in whom they had not believed.” That is, how could they call on one in whose existence, ability, and willingness to help, they did not believe? The objection is, that in order to our calling on one for help, we must be satisfied that there is such a being, and that he is able to aid us. This remark is just, and every man feels it. But the point of the objection is, that “sufficient evidence of the divine mission and claims of Jesus Christ had not been given to authorize the doctrine that eternal salvation depended on belief in him, or that it would be right to suspend the eternal happiness of few and Gentile on this.”

How shall they believe in him ... - This position is equally undeniable, that people could not believe in a being of whom they had not heard. And the implied objection was, that people could not be expected to believe in one of whose existence they knew nothing, and, of course, that they could not be blamed for not doing it. It was not right, therefore, to make eternal life depend, both among Jews and Gentiles, on faith in Christ.

And how shall they hear ... - How can people hear, unless some one proclaim to them, or preach to them what is to be heard and believed? This is also true. The objection thence derived is, that it is not right to condemn people for not believing what has never been proclaimed to them; and, of course, that the doctrine that eternal life is suspended on faith cannot be just and right.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

&c. Or how shall they believe, &c. He shews the necessity of preachers, and that all true preachers must be sent, and have their mission from God. --- Who hath believed our report? [1] Literally, our hearing? Some expound it thus: who hath believed the things we have heard from God, and which we have preached? The common interpretation is, who hath believed what he hath heard from us? (Witham)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The connexion of this verse and the following verses of this chapter is very obscure. Some connect these words with Rom 10:12. There he said: There is no difference between Jew and Greek, & c. And this he proves, because the means to attain salvation by the true invocation of God hath been made common to all; and consequently faith, and so, from time to time, the hearing and preaching the word of God, according as the one is occasioned by the other. Others make this the coherence: Seeing the righteousness of faith is the only true righteousness, and doth, in common, by the promise of God, belong to Jew and Gentile (as hath been said); it was therefore necessary, that some must be sent of God to both people, which is the ordinary way and means to beget faith, and to bring men to Christ. His way of arguing is such, as logicians call sorites; rhetoricians, a gradation; and it is very forcible and demonstrative: q. d. God hath, by his prophets, promised salvation indifferently to Jew and Gentile; but without calling on him, there is no salvation; and without faith, there is no prayer; and without hearing, there is no faith; and without a preacher, there is no hearing; and without solemn mission, there can be no preacher. His manner of speaking all along is by way of interrogation, which is the more convincing, because it carries in it a kind of an appeal to the persons spoken to; every interrogation is equivalent to a negation.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? There is no foundation then for the popish doctrine of invocating saints and angels.

How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Amongst the elect of God, there may be some that are born deaf; and in these, God doth supply the want of outward means in an extraordinary way: but ordinarily, hearing is as necessary to faith, as faith is to prayer, or prayer to salvation.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. How—By a succession of queries, like propelling waves, St Paul declares that invocation requires faith, faith hearing, and hearing a preacher; and crowns the climax with a beautiful strain from the old prophet.

Hear… preacher—St. Paul is here defending the rising organism of the new Christian Church, by which a most rapid system of proclaiming the Gospel and converting the world was coming into existence and power.

Preacher—As the whole Church cannot go forth, so a preacher, and an order of preachers, must be ordained.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 14, 15. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? This question may be taken, in the first place, as serving to connect the two passages from Joel and from Isaiah (see previous note). But it is further the beginning of a sorites, suggested by a new thought, which is carried out to the end of the chapter. The course of this new thought through the rest of the chapter may be expounded as follows: It might be pleaded, in behalf of the unbelieving Jews, that they had never really heard, through preachers duly sent to them, the gospel message; and hence that they were not to be blamed for rejecting it. With this idea before him, the apostle first (vers. 14, 15) allows generally, in the form of a series of questions, that, as before calling on the Lord there must be faith, so before faith there must be hearing, before hearing there must be preaching, and for preaching there must be authorizing mission; and he quotes, in illustration, a passage from Isaiah, which describes beautifully the preaching of good tidings of peace by commissioned messengers to all the world. But he is careful to add (vers. 16, 17) that, according to the same prophet, such universal preaching, and consequent hearing, does not involve universal hearkening; thus showing, in view of the main purpose of his argument, that the fact of the Jews not hearkening now is no evidence that they had not heard. Then he goes on to ask whether any could plead the excuse of not having heard, so as to justify want of the faith that cometh of hearing. Nay, he replies (ver. 18), the sound of the good tidings has gone forth to all the earth, even like the language of nature spoken of in Ps 19. Then (ver. 19), pressing his argument home to the Jews, who have been all along in view, he asks, "But I say, Did not Israel know?" The word egnw , being different from hkousaan previously used, must express some different meaning. But what St. Paul exactly meant by it is not quite clear. The quotations from the Old Testament that follow in proof of knowledge (vers. 19, 20) seem to support the view that what Israel knew, or ought to have known, was the Divine design of the promulgation of the "good tidings" to all the world, which has just been spoken of. Such promulgation should have been to them no stumbling-block; for it had been told to them from Moses downwards, and they had full opportunity of knowing it. Lastly (ver. 21), the apostle intimates that the present state of things, in which Gentiles accept the gospel while Israel in the main rejects it, far from being an objection to it, is but a further fulfilment of Isaiah"s prophecies, which represent God as making himself known to those who had not known him, while pleading with Israel in vain. This exposition of the supposed course of thought being borne in mind, the passage (with the further aid of some interposed comments) may become intelligible. It continues: And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard! and how shall they hear without a preacher! and how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel (or, good tidings) of peace, and bring glad tidings of flood things! (Isa_3:7) The genuineness of the words within brackets is at least doubtful. Even with them the text is not quoted in full, though sufficiently to remind of its purport.

Vers. 14, 15. Preaching.

Paul was himself brought to the Saviour by that Saviour"s immediate interposition. Doubtless he had heard much of Jesus; yet he had never truly known him during his career of unbelief and persecution. It was when Jesus met him by the way that his hostility was overcome, that his heart was melted, that his nature was changed. But this was exceptional treatment. The Lord who, by a supernatural appearance and voice, called Saul to the knowledge of himself, commissioned him to preach the gospel to his fellow-men, and made him one of the first, and perhaps the most successful, of the innumerable baud of preachers of the cross. We have here

I A DIVINE PROVISION. All good is from God. No apostle more constantly insists upon this great truth than does Paul; and in no treatise is it more prominently set before the mind of the reader than in this Epistle to the Romans.

1. We are told what the ultimate blessing is which Christianity proffers. It is salvation. Righteousness has reference rather to what is positively given; salvation, rather to the state from which men are rescued by the Redeemer. A worthy end! worthy even of the interposition of Heaven, of the benevolence of God the Father, of the sacrifice of Christ, of the grace of the Spirit. A deliverance of the spiritual nature from condemnation and from all evil, and the provision for the saved of new associations, a new lot, a new hope a salvation which is final and eternal.

2. We have brought before us the extent to which salvation may be enjoyed, the persons for whose benefit it is proposed. All mankind are qualified to be recipients of this boon upon compliance with the terms proscribed. There is no difference in the view of God. The comprehensive term "whosoever" is conclusive upon this point. Jews are not excluded; Gentiles are welcomed; the provision is for humanity.

3. The text sets before us the conditions upon which this blessing may be enjoyed. It is required

(1) that men should call upon the Name of the Lord, i.e. Christ Jesus; and

(2) that they should do this in intelligent and cordial faith: for "how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?" The expression, "call upon the Name of the Lord," is full of meaning and beauty. It reminds us whence the blessing of salvation proceeds; and as the voice, the call, the cry, come from a heart conscious of need and longing for deliverance, it speaks of the spiritual state which prepares for receiving salvation. Thus Christians are spoken of as "all who in every place call upon the Lord." They who act thus glorify God and his promises of faithfulness. They seek what he has promised to bestow, and they seek with earnestness and confidence. "He is near to all that call upon him in truth." In order to intelligent calling upon the Lord, the apostle reasons, there must be faith. "He that cometh unto him must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that seek after him." Faith is the first requirement of the gospel; faith in the glad tidings proclaimed; faith in that Divine Saviour to whom those tidings relate, and who, indeed, is himself the Gospel. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." An arrangement this in harmony with the wisdom of God, and with the moral nature of man. Dead in unbelief and unspirituality, the sinner rises in faith into newness of life, for he lays hold of the grace of God revealed in the Saviour Christ. Consider how unspeakably rich is the provision here made, and how unspeakably gracious the conditions here proposed. Hearers of the gospel, how can you remain without such a blessing as this when it is put within your reach, and when you are invited to take it, and when the terms upon which you may enjoy it are such that you cannot cavil at them? How can you think of such a Saviour and such a gospel, and remain faithless and unmoved? How can you do other than, from your sin and danger and helplessness, call upon One who is "mighty to save to "save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him"? This is the day of visitation. "Today," says Christ, "if ye will hear my voice, harden not your hearts.

II A HUMAN AGENCY. The apostle brings before us two classes of agents those who, by the publication of the gospel, are the means of leading their fellow-men to faith; and those who send forth such preachers upon such a mission.

1. God employs preachers in bringing men to salvation. They have glad tidings of peace, of good things, to communicate. As the first bands of returning exiles, bringing good news of a larger company following in their train, were welcome to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who hailed their approach by the mountains of Judaea; so the preachers of Christianity may well have been welcomed by the spiritually captive tribes and nations whom they visited on their errands of grace and evangelization. This method of promulgating truth, though not peculiar to our religion, is very distinctive of it. Christ chose twelve apostles; he sent out other seventy also. Before he left the world he directed and sanctioned personal agency in the ministry of the gospel. Paul instructed Timothy to commit the things he had received to faithful men, who should be able to teach others also; thus arranging for a succession, not of a priesthood, but of a teaching ministry. Christ calls out, sanctifies, and blesses the ministry of man to man. Would that there were a more general disposition to listen to his voice and to respond to his summons, "Whom shall I send?" in the ancient language, "Here am I; send me." The success which attended the ministry of the apostles and first evangelists was such as to confirm faith in the Divine appointment. God was pleased by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believed. And every succeeding age has witnessed, in greater or less measure, to the efficacy of this wise provision. In our own day literature is so vigorous, and education so general, that the press has become a mighty auxiliary and ally to the ministry. Every preacher who has confidence in the Divine origin of his message, and in his own sincerity, will welcome the aids to general intelligence which are afforded by the able and varied literature of these enlightened days. Amongst a Christian community, preaching becomes naturally something more than the publication of the great fundamental facts of the gospel. But whilst there is abundant room for instruction, by which the Word of God may be expounded, and the application of religion be shown to all spheres and relationships of life, there is still a pressing need for evangelization. The young have to learn afresh "the first principles of the oracles of God;" the inattentive and careless have to be aroused by the Word which is as "a fire, and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces;" the regions around have to be enlightened by the gospel, which is the true light; the world has yet to be gladdened by the good news of salvation and eternal life.

2. God employs his Church to send forth preachers of the gospel. All are not called upon to preach, but, in a sense, all are called upon to send. True, the one great Sender is the Divine Head of the Church; and they who are not commissioned by him are without authority, whatever human sanction, credentials, and approval they may enjoy. "The Lord gave the Word, and great was the company of those that published it." We have an instructive instance of the way in which the Lord inspires his people to send forth his servants upon a benevolent mission, in the narrative of the proceedings of the Church at Antioch, when that Church became the second great centre of missionary enterprise. "How shall they preach, except they be sent? a query little regarded by very many of the congregations named after Christ. It is thought enough to leave the matter to individual impulse, wise or unwise, or to consider it the vocation of the pastorate to call out living agencies. Yet, look at the vast demands of our own day. Clergy of all variety of gift; pastors for congregations; evangelists for our rural districts; city missionaries for our great towns; popular itinerant preachers; colonial missionaries; labourers, by voice and pen and press, among the heathen; defenders and promulgators of Christian truth in all the departments of literature; we need all these, of the best and most varied quality, and in increased numbers. In order that Christian society may send out into the world those who shall diffuse the faith of Christ, it is first of all necessary that that society should be in such a condition that from among its members such agencies shall naturally emerge. Mechanical means are of little avail in this matter. Where there is little life there will be little movement. If love to Christ be chilled by worldliness, no place will be found for love of souls. Out of the fulness of the heart the mouth will speak; when the feeling of the Christian community is strong, its voice will not be silent. The use of any and every means will depend for efficacy upon the sound and living condition of the society in which such means may be employed. It should be habitual with Christian congregations to call out and encourage the exercise of gifts divinely imparted. There are many other gifts beside that of religious instruction and persuasion, and gifts equally precious to God and useful to man. But there are reasons why speech for Christ needs special culture, Natural timidity has to be overcome, and formidable difficulties have to be encountered. It is here that wise counsel and affectionate encouragement come in with especial appropriateness. Almost every youthful speaker has been tempted to renounce this means of usefulness; and often it has happened that a word, providentially spoken, has cheered the diffident and discouraged. It must not be forgotten that, if there are to be learners, there must be teachers. If the Christian Church is to send out preachers and instructors, it must do something more and better than fling them unfurnished on the world. Those who are to influence men must in the first place be influenced by men. That community is rich which contains a large amount of teaching, quickening power. One of our chief dangers is lest we should overestimate the power of money. There is much which cannot be purchased by material wealth. It is in the abundance of the highest type of Christian character that spiritual wealth consists. Where there are found the lofty, noble-minded, the holy and the learned, the spiritual and benevolent, among the leading spirits of a Church, there the young and ardent and devoted wilt gather by a subtle magnetism, and thence they will derive in turn, by God"s grace, the power of Divine attraction. Hence the importance of seeking a high standard of biblical knowledge and Christian intelligence among all classes in our congregations. And hence, too, the importance of seeking out, and wisely employing, all the ability and culture which are devoted to Christ and sanctified to his glory. Can they be said to be truly sent who are thrust forth and then forgotten? Or, rather, does not that Church truly send which follows its agents, whether near or far, with kindly interest, with watchful sympathy, with fervent prayer? Sympathy is invaluable to those who labour, as all Christian servants must do, amid many difficulties and much opposition. Prayer of intercession is due from every member of the universal Church, and is especially required on behalf of Christian labourers. "Brethren, pray for us, that the Word of God may have free course, and be glorified." In order that the Churches may more adequately fulfil their office as illuminators of a dark world, it is necessary that there should be a sincerer pity for the multitudes who are in darkness, and a firmer faith in the light which is from heaven. A Church which hesitates as to whether or not it possesses the truth, and has a gospel for mankind; a Church which can look with unconcern upon the prevalence of sin and misery in the world, is not likely to send forth heralds of Christ and tidings of salvation. Faith in the Redeemer, pity for those whom he died to redeem, forgetfulness and denial of self, these are the conditions of true evangelization. It is for us, then, to look up for a renewed baptism of the Holy Spirit, as a Spirit of life and of power. How otherwise can we rise to fulfil responsibilities so sacred, to discharge duties so momentous? Hearers of the gospel, seek the Spirit of faith and prayer, that you may be not hearers of the Word only, but doers also! Preachers of the gospel, seek the Spirit of wisdom and fervour, that your words may be with demonstration of the Spirit and of power! Churches of Christ, seek the Spirit of your Master, that you may, feeling your own debt to the Divine, immortal Saviour, act in the spirit of his lesson, "Freely ye have received, freely give"!

Vers. 14, 15. Four questions for every Christian.

When the great heart of the Apostle Paul burned within him as he wrote his Epistles to the Churches, he threw aside, as it were, the calm and stately prose of the quiet thinker and careful writer. He became an orator. He saw before him even in his prison cell immortal souls, whom he wanted to awaken and arouse. He asked questions, as if he expected an answer to them all. Such questions are frequent in this Epistle to the Romans, and on looking carefully over them we see that they are not only full of eager earnestness, but also of profitable instruction. In the four questions before us the apostle seeks to press home upon Christians the absolute necessity of mission work. In the previous chapter he is sorrowing for the unbelief of the Jews, and he begins this chapter by saying that his heart"s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Then, as he goes on, he is led to think of the salvation, not only of the Jews, but also of the whole world. He says, "There is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." And then, as he thinks of the heathen world lying in darkness, he asks these four questions.

I "HOW SHALL THEY CALL ON HIM IN WHOM THEY HAVE NOT BELIEVED?" In the ordinary dealings of daily life a certain amount of faith in another person is necessary before we can make any request of him. Unless we believe that he hears us, unless we believe that he is both able and willing to give us what we want, we are not likely to ask anything of him. So in spiritual matters, faith in God the belief that he is, that he hears us, and that he is able and willing to help us is necessary to successful prayer. It is necessary to salvation. But the heathen cannot call upon this gracious God of ours. As a matter of fact, they do not. No doubt, even amid heathen darkness, there are some earnest seekers after God. Certainly, if they call upon him, they shall be saved. But the vast majority of the heathen are without the knowledge of the true God. They are bowing down to pieces of silver and gold, of wood and stone, which cannot hear, or help, or save. Their very worship is a degradation in itself. Their religious rites are for the most part horrid cruelties, or foul and unspeakable lusts. And as for Buddhism, to quote only one authority, Sir Richard Temple, lately Governor of Bombay, tells us that however excellent and attractive the poetic accounts of it may be, as in the well-known poem, "The Light of Asia," the actual Buddhism of India is as degrading as can well be imagined. What they need to know is that there is a God who will hear them when they call upon him. They need to know that God is of purer eyes than to behold evil, that the abominations of their land may be put away. They need to know of the Lamb of God who beareth away the sin of the world, that they may turn from their useless ceremonies and cruel penances. They need to know of a Saviour who gives to all who call on him salvation, holiness, everlasting life. But how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

II "HOW SHALL THEY BELIEVE IN HIM OF WHOM THEY HAVE NOT HEARD?" Even Christians need to have the importance of hearing about God more impressed upon them. Some professing Christians seem to imagine that the heart instinctively turns to God, and that in some mysterious way the heathen who have never heard of God will come to him. This mistake is fallen into because in Christian lands we have been so accustomed to hear about God from our childhood that we can hardly imagine it possible not to know about him. But the simple refutation of this idea is the actual state of heathen nations. St. Paul, in this very Epistle, (Rom_1:21, Rom_1:25, Rom_1:28) assures us that though the heathen had at one time a knowledge of God from his works of nature, yet they glorified him not as God, but changed the truth of God into a lie, and therefore lost the knowledge of God. This is confirmed by the testimony of travellers in heathen lands. Missionaries often find it very difficult to convey to heathen minds an idea of what God is, so degraded have been their notions. It is a long time before a heathen can grasp the ideas of God"s holiness and truth and purity, so accustomed is he to think of gods whose qualities are the very opposite of these. Even in our Christian land, unhappily, there are places in our large cities so neglected and degraded that children have grown up without hearing about God. And in such cases it has been found very difficult to convey at first an idea of God"s being his greatness, his holiness, his mercy, and his love. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" Hence, when the heathen learn of the love of God and the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, they often ask the question, "Why did you not send and tell us sooner?" No wonder that with sorrowful hearts they ask the question, as they think of loved ones who have passed away without hearing the glad tidings. How sad is the condition of millions of the heathen without the knowledge of the crucified Saviour!

III HOW SHALL THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER?" Yes, the preaching of the gospel is still the agency that is to regenerate the world. It was the preaching of the gospel that was the means of converting thousands upon the Day of Pentecost. It was the preaching of the gospel which overthrew the idols of ancient Rome. It was the preaching of the gospel which brought about the Protestant Reformation. "The Word," said Martin Luther over and over again, "it was the Word that did it all." It was the preaching of the gospel that overthrew the idols of Madagascar, and that has already brought civilization and peace and contentment into many of the islands of the sea. It is good to circulate the Word of God in every language. But it is necessary also to have the living preachers. "Go ye therefore into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." It needs the living preacher to be a living witness to the truth and power of the gospel the full heart overflowing with love to Christ and love to souls; the ripe experience; the fulness of the Spirit. The Ethiopian treasurer had the Word of God in his hand as he returned in his chariot from Jerusalem. But he was not savingly converted until Philip began at the Scriptures which he was reading, and "preached unto him Jesus". (Act_8:36) But the number of missionaries is still very small in comparison with the millions of heathen who have not yet heard the gospel message. "How shall they hear without a preacher?

IV "HOW SHALL THEY PREACH, EXCEPT THEY BE SENT?" This is the intensely practical question. If we realize the darkness and misery of heathen lands, if we are really thankful for the unspeakable blessings which the gospel has brought to us, what are we doing to send the message of salvation to those who sit in darkness?

1. We can help to send out missionaries by our prayers. "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

2. We can help to send out missionaries by our gifts. We need to understand, not merely the duty of giving, but the privilege of giving. Surely it is a glorious privilege to be a labourer together with God. Upon the Christian Church is laid the responsibility of preaching the gospel to all nations. And there is this blessed encouragement:

3. If the last of these parts of mission work, of which the apostle speaks, is fulfilled, the rest are all sure to follow. If missionaries are sent, then there will be the preaching, the hearing, and, in God"s own good time, the believing and the salvation of souls. His Word shall not return unto him void. Thus by our sending we may be the means of saving. C.H.I

The beauty of the gospel.

The words, "How beautiful are the feet!" are plainly a figurative expression. This expression signifies the delight with which the messenger of peace is hailed, or, in other words, how welcome is the message which he brings. In Isaiah (Isa_52:7) it reads, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, as if the reference was to the inhabitants of some beleaguered city looking out for the messengers of peace, and as they behold them appearing, fleet of foot, upon the mountain-top, they exclaim, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace!" Such a description the apostle here applies to the messengers of the gospel

I THE GOSPEL IS BEAUTIFUL IN THE TRUTHS IT TEACHES. The truths of the gospel are here called "glad tidings of good things." This, in fact, is the very meaning of the word "gospel glad tidings or good news.

1. Think what the gospel teaches us about the one true God. What a contrast to the helpless idols of heathenism! How beautiful to think that God is a Spirit who is everywhere present, who knows all our circumstances, and to whom we can always draw near in the assurance that he hears us, and is able and willing to help us! What a contrast to the unknown god of even the best forms of heathenism, to the unconscious and unsympathetic Brahm, the god of Hinduism! I heard a missionary to the Red Indians, speaking in Dr. Storrs" church in Brooklyn, mention how the chief of an old Indian tribe, seven thousand in number, had come seven times in fifteen months a distance of a hundred and fifty miles to a mission station, to ask that a missionary might be sent to tell them of "the white man"s God." How beautiful to them that sit in darkness is the glad tidings of the true God, the loving and merciful Father in heaven!

2. Think what the gospel teaches us about the human soul. The gospel does not permit us to regard man as one of the beasts that perish, as he is under so many of the heathen religions. Some of these have no idea of the existence of a soul at all; but in the best of them the soul is either annihilated at death, or transferred to some other creature, or absorbed into the universal being as a drop into the ocean. The gospel, on the other hand, teaches that man was made in the image of God; that he has an immortal destiny; and that, when he had destroyed his own present happiness and future prospects by his own sin, so great value did God place upon him, so great love did his heavenly Father cherish for him, that he sent his own beloved Son to live and die for man"s salvation. The gospel which proclaims the greatness, the majesty, the holiness, the glory of God, proclaims also the dignity and the immortality of man

II THE GOSPEL IS BEAUTIFUL IN THE INFLUENCE IT EXERCISES. This we might expect from the beauty and grandeur of the truths it teaches. There is nothing very elevating about the worship of an idol of wood or stone. There is nothing very inspiring. in the thought that life must end at the grave, or that I shall be absorbed into the universe. It may be very poetic to sing, as Shelley did of his departed friend Keats"He is made one with Nature. There is heard His voice in all her music, from the moan Of thunder to the song of night"s sweet bird. He is a presence to be felt and known In darkness and in light in herb and stone; Spreading itself where"er that Power may move Which has withdrawn his being to its own.

But such a thought would bring little comfort to the bereaved parent or sorrowing widow; and how very slight would be its influence upon character and life, compared with the thought that I am a responsible being, that I must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, and that my life as an immortal being hereafter will be determined largely by my life as an individual now! As a matter of fact, the gospel of Jesus Christ has exercised an elevating, purifying, beautifying influence wherever its power has been felt. Take, for instance, the treatment of woman. Mohammedanism and heathenism have both kept woman in humiliation and degradation. By keeping her in seclusion, they have at once injured her own moral and spiritual being, and deprived the community of the healthful influence which good women can exercise. Christianity has raised woman to respect and honour; it has promoted her own personal happiness; and it has enabled her to exercise a mighty power for good in the family, and in society at large. Mohammedanism and heathenism are the props of slavery. It was Christian missions that first aroused the Christian conscience on this subject. Sir William Hunter, one of the most distinguished scholars and statesmen of our day, speaking at the great Missionary Conference in London, June, 1888, said, "I recognize in missionary work a great expiation for the wrong which the white man has done to the dark man in the past; and I recognize also a pledge of national fight-doing in future. During the past century missionaries have marched in the van of all our noblest national movements. When the time came for the great wrong of slavery to be redressed, it was the missionary voice which first stirred up the nation against the slave trade. That voice is now awakening the national conscience against the terrible evil which is being done by our liquor traffic among the darker and less civilized races." How long shall the Christian public of mighty England stand meekly by, while slavery"s chain is still clanking, and slavery"s lash still falls? How beautiful is that gospel which has lifted woman out of her degradation; which has emancipated already so many millions of slaves; which has abolished cannibalism in so many islands of the sea; which has put an end to the suttee and other cruel ceremonies in India; and which is drawing the nations of the earth together in a universal brotherhood of good will and peace!

III IT IS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO BE A BEARER OF THIS MESSAGE. "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace!" What share are we taking in this glorious work? "Consecrated capital," says Dr. A. T. Pierson, "is not only potent; it is well-nigh omnipotent. To have and to use money well is to multiply personal power a thousandfold, nay, to multiply one"s self a thousandfold. The giver is potentially wherever his gift is. Sarah Hosmer"s frugal savings educated six young men to preach the gospel in Oriental lands, and where they were, she had her representatives and preached through them. A man recently died in New York whose noble benefactions had spread so far, that in not less than two hundred and fifty different places he was represented by a mission Sunday school, a church, an asylum, a hospital, a college or seminary, or some other form of beneficence: his money made him virtually omnipresent as a benefactor." Oh that individual Christians would awake to their opportunities! Oh! that they would realize the moral grandeur and glory of being a bearer of the gospel message, and a helper in the gospel cause! C.H.I.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This is the thought which is now expanded, the necessity of universal Gospel-preaching:

v. 14. 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?

v. 15. And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

The apostle here explains what is implied in calling upon the Lord, v. 13. He had stated that this worship of the Lord in faith was a condition of salvation, and he now follows up that thought, showing what is involved in that word of the Lord. How is it possible for them to call upon Him in whom they do not believe? Worship is an act of faith; therefore, where faith is not present, the proper worship of the Lord is excluded. How is it possible for them to believe in Him of whom they have not heard, or, where they have not heard? Where the voice of Christ has not been heard in the Gospel, there faith is out of the question. And this leads to the next question: But how can they hear without one that preaches? If there is no one there to proclaim the Gospel, the hearing of the joyful message of salvation is manifestly not to be thought of. And finally: How can they preach the Gospel if they have not been sent? 1Co 1:17. If the Lord does not send preachers of the Gospel, if He does not make men’s hearts willing to prepare for the office, if He does not issue His call through the medium of the congregation or the Church, how can the office be supplied? Thus Paul, by a series of convincing logical inferences, brings out his conclusion of the duty of preaching the Gospel to all people. "As invocation implies faith, as faith implies knowledge, knowledge instruction, and instruction an instructor, so it is plain that if God would have all men to call upon Him, He designed preachers to be sent to all, whose proclamation of mercy being heard, might be believed, and, being believed, might lead men to call on Him and be saved. " (Hodge.) This reasoning agrees exactly with a prophecy of Isaiah, the present need is met by the prophetic saying, Isa 52:7: How beautiful the feet of those that preach the Gospel of peace, that preach the Gospel of good things! The feet of the messengers of the Gospel are lovely, because their coming is delightful, because they are eager to bring the tidings of joy. The content of their proclamation is peace, reconciliation with God through Jesus, good things, the fullness of God’s blessings through the work of Jesus. In this way the declaration of the prophet, in speaking of the joy with which the coming of the messengers of the Gospel will be received everywhere, is used to prove the necessity of preaching the Gospel to all men.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The scope of the apostle in these words is to prove, that these words is to prove, that there was a necessity of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews, in order to their believing on Christ; and his way of arguing is very forcible, demonstrative, and convincing. Thus, "God has by the prophets promised salvation to the Gentiles; but without calling on him there is no salvation; and without faith there is no calling upon him by prayer; and without hearing there is no faith; and without a preacher there is no hearing; and without solemn mission, or sending by Christ and his ministers, there can be no preacher."

And the apostle’s manner of speaking is by way ofinterrogation, which is equivalent to a negation: How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

That is, it is impossible to do it, and it would be impious and wicked to do it. None must be the object of our prayers, but he that is the object of our faith and trust: now it is God alone that is the object of our faith and trust; therefore he alone must be prayed unto.

And if so, then the practice of the Papists in praying to angels and saints departed, is very blame-worthy and abominable in the sight of God. How can they pray unto them, unless they believe in them and trust in them? And if they trust in them that curse falls upon them, Cursed is that man that trusteth in man; that is, in any creature.

The truth is, if Christ himself were a mere man, and not God as well as man, we should sin by worshipping of him; but it is one good argument to prove the divinity of Christ, that the scripture represents him as the object of faith, and religious invocation.

From the whole observe, That the only way to heaven is by Christ, the only way to Christ is by faith, the only way to faith is by the word, it cometh by hearing; the only way, that is, the only ordinary way.

What becomes of those that never heard of Christ in the preaching of the gospel, God only is fit to judge. This is certain, that all men at the great day shall be judged according to the law that they were under, and obliged by, and no other. Now promulgation being the essence of a law, the gospel cannot be a law to them to whom it was not promulgated and made known; but a practical belief of the gospel is indispensably necessary to the salvation of them to whom it is revealed.

Observe further, The great reverence and high esteem which is due and payable to the preachers of the gospel, and that by the approbation of God himself. He commands us to admire the very feet of them that preach the gospel of his Son unto us, and bring glad tidings of good things: How beautiful are the feet of them, &c.

And for great reason should it be thus, because the ministers of the gospel are the messengers of Christ; they receive both their mission and commission from him; they are instructed by him, they negotiate for him, they speak in his name, they act in his stead; and whatsoever they either promise or threaten in God’s name, he stands ready and resolved to perform it, He confirmeth the words of his servants, and performeth the counsel of his messengers. Isa 44:26.

Lord! how beautiful and blessed are the feet of thy messengers and ministers in thy account! Let them be so in thy people’s estimation also.

Learn hence, That nothing ought to be so welcome to us, and so joyfully entertained by us, as the preaching and preachers of the gospel. How beautiful are the feet of them, &c.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14-17. Here Paul beautifully elaborates the divine economy of salvation through faith, superinduced by hearing the Word through the preachers sent of God, whose very coming is a harbinger of heavenly benediction.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

[Since the apostle's thought in this section is obscurely connected, the line of argument has been found difficult to follow. It will aid us, therefore, at the start to get his purpose clearly in view. He has shown that the gospel is universal. But in giving a universal blessing God would of course see to it that it was universally published and propagated. This, God had earnestly attempted to do, but his efforts had largely been frustrated so far as Israel was concerned. But this was Israel's fault, and therefore that people were utterly without excuse (1) for not becoming part of the universality which God contemplated and attempted; (2) for not fully understanding this universality and rejoicing in it; nay, for so misunderstanding it, despite full Scripture warning, as to be made jealous by it, so as to spurn it and reject it.] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? [The form of the Greek question demands the answer, "They can not." Though the question presents a psychological impossibility, Paul is not thinking of psychology, but of his two quotations from Scripture; viz., verse 11, which (as interpreted by verse 9) conditions salvation on belief, and verse 13, which conditions it on invocation or calling on the name of the Lord. He has twice coupled these two conditions in the "belief" and "confession" of verses 9 and 10; and now he couples them a third time in the question before us, which is a strong way of asserting there can be no acceptable calling without believing. Since, then, salvation, the all in all of man's hopes--salvation which God desired should be universal--depends upon acceptable calling or invocation, and since acceptable calling in its turn depends upon belief, whatever steps are necessary to produce universal invocation and belief should by all means be taken on the part of God and his evangelists, and should likewise by all means be universally accepted by man. What these steps are the apostle proceeds to enumerate] and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? [Hearing is the next step. We can believe nothing till we have first heard it. But in the apostle's thought our belief is not directed toward an abstraction, but toward Jesus, a person. We are to hear him, and believe him, and believe on him. As we can not meet him face to face, we must believe on him as he presents himself to us by his commissioned agents ( Luk_10:16 ; Joh_13:20 ; 1Th_4:8 ; Eph_2:17 ; Eph_4:19-20 ; 1Jo_4:5-6 ), called preachers ( 1Ti_2:7 ; Mar_16:15 ). Therefore the next question reads] and how shall they hear without a preacher? [and the Jews hated Paul for being one!]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? The passages quoted from the prophets show that the Gentiles also were to have the opportunity of salvation. Hence the duty of preaching to them is now shown. They could not “call upon the Lord” (see verse 13) without faith. But there could be no faith in the Lord unless they had heard of him, since knowledge is an element of faith. But they could not hear the gospel story until it was preached to them. Hence, preaching to the Gentiles was essential to carry out the purposes of God.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

How then can they call on him in whom they have not believed?

Paul uses a question to emphasize the importance of taking the good news of Christ to those who have not heard. The word "they" refers to those who do not yet belong to God. AT: "Those who do not believe in God cannot call on him!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

Paul uses another question for the same reason. AT: "And they cannot believe in him if they have not heard his message!" or "And they cannot believe in him if they have not heard the message about him!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

believe in

Here this means to acknowledge that what that person has said is true.

How can they hear without a preacher?

Paul uses another question for the same reason. AT: "And they cannot hear the message if someone does not tell them!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

Then how can they preach, unless they are sent?

Paul uses another question for the same reason. The word "they" refers to those who belong to God. AT: "Then they cannot tell other people the message unless someone sends them!" (See: Active or Passive)

How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim glad tidings of good things

Paul uses "feet" to represent those who travel and bring the message to those who have not heard it. AT: "It is wonderful when messengers come and tell us the good news" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

call

believe

preach

send

written

preach

good

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

14. πῶς οὖν κ.τ.λ. The string of rhetorical questions at once justifies S. Paul’s preaching to the Gentiles and shows that the Gospel has been offered to the Jews; they have failed, but not for lack of opportunity; this thought is developed in 16 f.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vv. 14, 15. “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? And how shall they preach, except they be sent, as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that publish peace, who announce good things!”

No invocation without faith; no faith without hearing; no hearing without preaching; no preaching without sending. A universal apostolate is therefore the necessary corollary of a free and universal salvation. Such are the contents of our two verses, which are directed, not against Judeo-Christian prejudices, but against the ignorance of Israel, the final result of which was necessarily their rejection. Paul points out to the Jews, who took offence at the wide and universal character of his apostleship, the internal necessity on which it was based, and the positive prophetical texts which justified it. We are therefore still at the development of this theme: The ignorance of Israel the cause of their rejection.

And first, no invocation without faith. It is difficult to decide between the T. R. ἐπικαλέσονται, shall they call on, and the Alex. and Greco-Latin texts: ἐπικαλέσωνται, shall they be able to call on. This same variant reappears in the following verbs, and that without the critical authorities being consequent with themselves. The simple future is more natural, though the subjunctive may easily be defended.

No faith without the hearing of the gospel message. The pronoun οὖ, whom, presents a difficulty; for the meaning is: “Him whom they have not heard.” Now, men cannot hear Jesus Christ. Meyer answers, that they can hear Him by the mouth of His messengers: “whom they have not heard preaching by His apostles.” But could this idea be left to be wholly understood? Hofmann gives to οὖ a local meaning: in the place where: “How could He be invoked in the place where men have not heard (Him spoken of)?” But the ellipsis of the last words would be very marked. It seems to me simpler to apply the pronoun οὖ to Jesus, not as preaching (Meyer), but as preached; comp. Eph 4:21: “If at least ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him.” It is true the pronoun which is the object of have heard, in this passage, is in the accusative (αὐτόν), and not, as here, in the genitive. But this difference is easily explained; the act referred to in Ephesians is one of the understanding which penetrates the object, while here it is only a simple hearing, the condition of faith.

Frédéric Louis Godet — Commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1870s–1890s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.