What is the meaning of Romans 10:15? And how can they preach unless they are sent? • Paul is finishing a logical chain that began in Romans 10:14: people will not call on Christ unless they believe, they will not believe unless they hear, they will not hear without a preacher, and that preacher cannot speak with authority unless God commissions him. • The sending comes first from the Lord Himself—“As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21)—and is affirmed by the church, just as the believers in Antioch laid hands on Barnabas and Saul before sending them out (Acts 13:2-3). • Jesus established this pattern in Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15, and He later reinforced it when He told His followers to “ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38). • Authority to proclaim the gospel is not self-appointed; it is a stewardship entrusted to us (1 Corinthians 9:16-17). • That stewardship calls every believer—whether going or supporting—to value and participate in gospel mission; Paul calls churches “partners” in grace when they share in that sending (Philippians 1:5-7). • Practically, this verse urges us to: – Pray for God to raise up and send faithful messengers. – Encourage those who sense God’s call. – Give generously so that no preacher lacks the means to go (Philippians 4:15-19). As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” • Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7, where the prophet celebrated the future herald who would announce Israel’s deliverance. In Christ that promise reaches its fullest meaning, because the “good news” now declares freedom from sin and peace with God (Ephesians 2:17). • The “feet” are singled out because they carry the messenger across mountain ridges and dusty roads; what ordinarily seems ordinary or unattractive becomes precious when it brings life-changing news. • Nahum 1:15 echoes the same picture, and Luke 2:10 shows heaven’s delight when angels proclaimed, “good news of great joy.” • Every believer who shares Christ participates in that beauty. Paul links gospel readiness with footwear: “and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). • The value of the messenger is measured by the value of the message. Because the gospel is priceless, the one who carries it is esteemed in God’s sight, and should be in ours as well (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). • We honor such messengers by: – Welcoming them, as Lydia did for Paul (Acts 16:15). – Caring for their needs, as the Philippians did (Philippians 4:10-14). – Imitating their faith, as early believers were urged to do (Hebrews 13:7). summary Romans 10:15 teaches that effective gospel proclamation depends on divine commissioning and human cooperation. God sends, the church supports, and messengers go—carrying the beautiful, life-giving news of salvation in Jesus Christ. When we pray, give, and go, we share in that beauty and fulfill God’s plan for every nation to hear the good news. |
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