Gospel Prayer Ministry

📖 Passage

Romans 10:14–21
Read Romans 10:14–21 (NKJV)

🧠 Context & Background

Romans 10:14–21 flows out of Paul’s great burden for Israel’s salvation. In the opening verses of chapter 10, Paul explains that Israel pursued righteousness by works rather than by faith, stumbling over Christ, the true cornerstone. He then shows that righteousness comes through faith in Christ and is available to everyone who believes, whether Jew or Gentile.

In verses 14–21, Paul turns to the necessity of preaching as God’s ordained means of bringing people to faith. He carefully lays out the chain: people cannot believe unless they hear, they cannot hear without preaching, and no one can preach unless they are sent. This underscores the central role of proclamation in God’s redemptive plan. To strengthen his argument, Paul weaves in Old Testament texts, including Isaiah and Psalm 19, to show that Israel has heard the message but remained disobedient.

The background also highlights the tension of Paul’s day: the gospel was spreading rapidly among Gentiles, while much of Israel remained hardened. This raised questions about God’s faithfulness to His covenant people. Paul answers by pointing to the remnant chosen by grace (chapter 11), but here he stresses human responsibility—Israel’s unbelief is not due to lack of hearing but to a willful rejection of God’s Word.

🌿 Key Themes

Necessity of preaching — faith requires proclamation of Christ.
Hearing and believing — faith comes through the Word of Christ.
Israel’s unbelief — hearing is not the same as responding in faith.
Universal gospel call — the message has gone out to all nations.

📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary

Romans 10:14 – The Logic of Evangelism

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

Chain of faith — calling on the Lord requires belief, belief requires hearing, and hearing requires preaching.
Necessity of preaching — salvation comes through the proclaimed Word, not vague spirituality.

Romans 10:15 – The Sending of Preachers

“And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace…’”

Sending required — gospel proclamation is rooted in God’s commissioning.
Isaiah 52:7 cited — messengers of good news are honored because they carry the message of peace and salvation.

Romans 10:16 – Israel’s Rejection of the Gospel

“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’”

Not all respond — hearing doesn’t guarantee believing.
Isaiah 53:1 quoted — Israel’s unbelief in the Servant was foretold.
Obedience of faith — true hearing involves submission to Christ.

Romans 10:17 – Faith Comes by Hearing

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Faith’s source — not self-generated but produced by hearing the gospel.
Centrality of the Word — salvation requires the preached message of Christ.

Romans 10:18 – The Universal Proclamation

“But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: ‘Their sound has gone out to all the earth…’”

Psalm 19:4 quoted — originally about creation’s witness, applied here to the gospel’s worldwide reach.
No excuse — Israel cannot claim ignorance; the message has been proclaimed broadly.

Romans 10:19 – Israel Provoked by Gentiles

“But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: ‘I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation…’”

Deuteronomy 32:21 cited — God foretold using Gentile inclusion to provoke Israel.
Gentiles as contrast — Israel’s rejection makes Gentile faith all the more striking.

Romans 10:20 – Gentiles Found by God

“But Isaiah is very bold and says: ‘I was found by those who did not seek Me…’”

Isaiah 65:1 — God revealed Himself to those outside Israel.
Grace magnified — Gentiles who weren’t seeking God were brought near by mercy.

Romans 10:21 – Israel’s Stubbornness

“But to Israel he says: ‘All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.’”

Persistent offer — God patiently extended His hands to Israel.
Tragic response — Israel resisted with stubbornness and rebellion.
Final contrast — Gentiles embraced the gospel they didn’t seek; Israel rejected the gospel long promised to them.

🔍 Trusted Insight

Charles Spurgeon once said: “The preaching of the gospel is God’s great battering ram against the gates of hell. Faith comes by hearing, and if men are to believe, they must hear the gospel. Silent Christians are like sealed fountains; they give no living water. It is by the telling out of the good news that sinners are saved.”

Spurgeon reminds us that preaching is not optional—it is God’s chosen means of bringing life to dead souls. Through the Word proclaimed, Christ Himself is set before the hearers, and the Spirit works faith in their hearts. This emphasizes Paul’s teaching that the gospel must be spoken, proclaimed, and heard if anyone is to believe.

🧩 Review Questions

🌎 Worldviews

Secular Humanism — Views preaching as unnecessary or even manipulative. From this perspective, truth is relative and faith is treated as a personal coping mechanism rather than a response to divine revelation. A secular humanist might argue that education, science, and human effort are sufficient for moral progress, dismissing preaching as an outdated practice. For example, someone might say, “We don’t need sermons; we just need to be good people and trust in human reason.”
Religious Pluralism — Claims all paths to God are equally valid, which directly denies the necessity of gospel preaching and the exclusivity of Christ. A pluralist might affirm Christianity as one option among many, alongside Buddhism, Islam, or Hinduism, rejecting Jesus’ claim in John 14:6. For instance, a pluralist might respond to Romans 10 by saying, “Preaching Christ is fine for Christians, but it’s arrogant to insist He is the only way for everyone.”
Cultural Christianity — Assumes that being raised in a Christian culture, attending church occasionally, or having “Christian values” is enough for salvation. It downplays the need for personal repentance and faith. Someone might say, “Of course I’m a Christian — I was baptized as a baby and go to church on Christmas and Easter.” This worldview treats Christianity as a tradition or cultural identity, not as a living faith that comes through hearing and believing the gospel.
Biblical Christianity — Affirms that faith comes only by hearing the Word of Christ and that preaching is God’s appointed means of salvation (Romans 10:17). This worldview insists that without the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen, people cannot believe, no matter their culture or background. It also recognizes that rejecting the preached Word, as Israel did in Paul’s day, is a matter of the heart, not of access. An example of this worldview would be missionaries taking the gospel to unreached peoples, convinced that “how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”

🙋 Application Questions

How does this passage shape your view of evangelism?
In what ways are you personally called to support gospel preaching?
How should the church respond to widespread unbelief?

🔤 Greek Keywords

Kēryssō (κηρύσσω) — to proclaim or herald publicly.
Pistis (πίστις) — faith, trust, reliance on Christ.
Akoē (ἀκοή) — hearing, the message received by listening.

📚 Cross References

Isaiah 52:7 — How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.
Psalm 19:4 — Their voice has gone out through all the earth.
John 17:20 — Jesus prays for those who will believe through the apostles’ word.
1 Corinthians 1:21 — God saves through the foolishness of preaching.

📦 Next Study

Next Study → Romans 11:1–24

Romans 10:14–21 – The Need for Preaching