Daily Bible Nugget #302, Romans 10:17

The Nugget:

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

My Comment:

The sixth proof for the Perspicuity of Scripture is found in Romans 10:17, which states that the Bible is understandable because it is the source of faith.

As you either hear the Word of God in Scripture, or read the Scripture for yourself, you really will discover that the Scripture produces faith in your life. For me, I was not expecting anything unusual as I first read the New Testament seriously. I was not looking for saving faith, or even salvation, for at the time I did not realize I was not saved. But God through His written Word by means of the working of His Holy Spirit brought me to saving faith and a personal knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ as I have mentioned here many times. If you will receive the truth of God’s Word as you read it, God can and will do the same for you so that you can absolutely know that you have everlasting life (John 5:24; 1 John 5:13).

But notice what this proves. The Bible is understandable! It could not produce saving faith if it were not understandable.

So, though this may be contrary to what you have been taught, though it be contrary to what some churches teach, the Bible itself declares it is understandable. I have now furnished you six specific proofs from the Bible that establish that the Bible claims to be understandable. The doctrine of the Perspicuity of Scripture, therefore, is firmly established.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1290 for Romans 10:17.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1311 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Romans 10:17.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Romans 10:17. faith. ver. Ro 10:8, *Ro 10:14. **Ro 1:16. *Lk 16:29-31. *1 Cor 1:18-24. Ga 3:2, 5. Ep 2:8. *Col 1:4-6. **1 Th 2:13. *2 Th 2:13, 14. *He 4:2. *James 1:18-21. *1 P 1:23-25. *1 P 2:1, 2. by hearing. T#888. **Ro 1:16. Jb 42:5. Ps 18:44. *Ps 19:7, 8, 11. *Ps 119:105, 130. Pr 6:23. 8:33, 34. Is 2:3. 55:2, 3, 10-12. *Mk 4:24, 25. Lk 9:11. Jn 1:37. **Jn 5:39. 6:63. **Jn 20:31. Ac 4:4. 10:22, 36-43. 15:7. +**Ac 17:11, 12. 1 Cor 1:21. *Ga 3:2, 5. Ep 1:13. Col 1:6. He 4:2. *James 1:21. *2 P 1:19. *Re 1:3. and hearing. FS16, +Ge 1:27. +*Je 23:28, 29. *Mk 4:24. Lk 8:11, 21. +*Lk 11:28. *2 Cor 2:17. **He 4:12, 13. Re 1:9. by the word. Gr. rhēma (S#4487g), Mk 9:32n. T#1115. ver. Ro 10:8. *Pr 4:20-22. **1 Th 2:13. +**2 Tim 3:15-17. *James 1:18. *1 P 1:23. of God. Lk 3:2. **Lk 4:4. Jn 3:34. **Jn 8:47. Ep 6:17. He 6:5. 11:3. 13:7. **1 P 1:25. Significant ancient authorities support the alternate reading “of Christ,” but Gifford cites Meyer, De Wette, Lange, Philippi, etc., who “agree in regarding it as a gloss intended to define more precisely the meaning of “by the word of God.” Furthermore, if the alternate reading is accepted, it is the only occurrence of rēma Christou in the New Testament. Jn 5:38. 8:37. Col 3:16. 1 P 1:11. 1 J 1:10.