The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

(Isaiah 65:1–16)

Brothers, certainly the will of my heart, and my prayer to God, is for them unto salvation.

For I offer testimony to them, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

For, being ignorant of the justice of God, and seeking to establish their own justice, they have not subjected themselves to the justice of God.(a)

For the end of the law, Christ, is unto justice for all who believe.

And Moses wrote, about the justice that is of the law, that the man who will have done justice shall live by justice.

But the justice that is of faith speaks in this way: Do not say in your heart: “Who shall ascend into heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down);

“Or who shall descend into the abyss?” (that is, to call back Christ from the dead).

But what does Scripture say? “The word is near, in your mouth and in your heart.” This is the word of faith, which we are preaching.

For if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and if you believe in your heart that God has raised him up from the dead, you shall be saved.(b)

For with the heart, we believe unto justice; but with the mouth, confession is unto salvation.

For Scripture says: “All those who believe in him shall not be confounded.”

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord is over all, richly in all who call upon him.

For all those who have called upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Then in what way will those who have not believed in him call upon him? Or in what way will those who have not heard of him believe in him? And in what way will they hear of him without preaching?(c)

And truly, in what way will they preach, unless they have been sent, just as it has been written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who evangelize peace, of those who evangelize what is good!”(d)

(e)

But not all are obedient to the Gospel. For Isaiah says: “Lord, who has believed our report?”

Therefore, faith is from hearing, and hearing is through the Word of Christ.

But I say: Have they not heard? For certainly: “Their sound has gone forth throughout all the earth, and their words unto the limits of the whole world.”

But I say: Has Israel not known? First, Moses says: “I will lead you into a rivalry with those who are not a nation; in the midst of a foolish nation, I will send you into wrath.”

And Isaiah dares to say: “I was discovered by those who were not seeking me. I appeared openly to those who were not asking about me.”

Then to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out my hands to a people who do not believe and who contradict me.”(f)

Footnotes

(a)10:3 The justice of God:That is, the justice which God gives us through Christ; as on the other hand, the Jews’ own justice is, that which they pretended to by their own strength, or by the observance of the law, without faith in Christ.(Challoner)

(b)10:9 You shall be saved:To confess the Lord Jesus, and to call upon the name of the Lord (ver. 13) is not barely the professing a belief in the person of Christ; but moreover, implies a belief of his whole doctrine, and an obedience to his law; without which, the calling him Lord will save no man. St. Matt. 7:21.(Challoner)

(c)10:14 Notice that Sacred Scripture does not say that those who have not believed or have not heard cannot call upon him. They can hear of him implicitly, by the good that is in Creation and by the good that is in the hearts of their fellow human beings, and they can believe in that goodness, even if they have not heard of Christ, or even if they have heard, but did not believe due to the sins of others and due to their own sins (though not to the extent of an actual mortal sin). And they can call upon him implicitly, by the way they seek truth and goodness in their lives.(Conte)

(d)10:15 Notice that some evangelize not the Gospel explicitly, but the Gospel implicitly, by evangelizing peace and all that is good.(Conte)

(e)10:15 Unless they be sent:Here is an evident proof against all new teachers, who have all usurped to themselves the ministry without any lawful mission, derived by succession from the apostles, to whom Christ said, John. 20:21, As my Father has sent me, I also send you.(Challoner)

(f)10:21 The word ‘mihi’ is added at the end of the verse according to the 1590 Vulgate. It is Christ who stretched out his hands on the Cross to all the world, and He still stretches his hands out on the Cross, for Christ is God and God is Eternal. Christ’s act of suffering and dying for our salvation is ever present tense. For from the Cross, Christ who is Eternal God pours out His graces from Eternity to every Time and Place.(Conte)