The Nugget:
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
My Comment:
I firmly believe that faith comes by hearing God’s Word. That hearing may take place by literally hearing Bible truth spoken by someone, such as a pastor or Christian worker, presenting the message orally. Equally, that hearing may take place as a result of our own reading of the Bible for ourselves. This verse, so understood, argues for the understandability of the Bible. It also argues for the effectiveness of the Bible to accomplish what God intended it for, namely, the salvation of souls. If you read the Bible, starting with the New Testament, you can be saved as God the Holy Spirit enables you to understand what it means. It happened to me. It has happened to a number of my students in public school to whom I recommended that in the face of the difficulties they were facing they would find help, comfort, and guidance in the Bible. They did. They wrote compositions in my English class to let me know, or they told me in person, or called my home to let me know they had received Christ as a result of reading the Bible.
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. 8, *14. Ro **1:16. Lk *16:29-31. 1 C *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. Ja *1:18-21. 1 P *1:23-25. *2:1, 2. by hearing. T#888. Ro **1:16. Jb 42:5. Ps 18:44. *19:7, 8, 11. *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. **5:39. 6:63. **20:31. Ac 4:4. 10:22, 36-43. 15:7. +**17:11, 12. 1 C 1:21. Ga *3:2, 5. Ep 1:13. Col 1:6. He 4:2. Ja *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. +*11:28. 2 C *2:17. He **4:12, 13. Re 1:9. by the word. Gr. rhēma (S#4487g), Mk 9:32n. T#1115. ver. 8. Pr *4:20-22. 1 Th **2:13. 2 T +**3:15-17. Ja *1:18. 1 P *1:23. of God. Lk 3:2. **4:4. Jn 3:34. **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.
heb 13.15 by him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to god continually, that is,
the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
rom 10.17 so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of god
alot of encouraging references on faith.
1. prov 3.5-6 trust in the lord with all thine hear; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. vs 6 in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths
2. gal 2.20 i am curcified with christ: nevertheless i live; yet not i, but christ liveth
in me: and the life which i now live in the flesh i live by faith of the son of god, who
loved me, and gave himself for me.
3. col 2.6-7 as ye have therefore received christ jesus the lord, so walk ye in him:
vs 7 rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving.
4. heb 11.6 but without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to god
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him
5. 1 jn 5.4 for whatsoever is born of god overcometh the world: and this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith.
hearing with the ears is not enough. a person must hear with an open heart and
mind, willing to be shown the truth of god. if he does, he will find that the word
has a ring of truth, and that truth is self-authenticating. he will then believe.
psm 28.7 the lord is my strength and shield, my heart trusted in him, and i am helped
therefore my my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will i praise him.