Romans 10:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But Isaiah foretold this long ago. More precisely, he foretold not only this, but something much greater. You make it an accusation that not all obeyed, but Isaiah says even more than this. What exactly? "Lord, who has believed our report?" Then, having removed this disturbance by the words of the Prophet, the Apostle again keeps to the former connection. He had said that calling must come first, that those called must believe, that those who believe must first hear, that those ready to hear must have preachers, and that preachers must be sent. Since he had proved that they were sent and preached, he now intends to propose another objection. For this he takes his basis from another prophetic testimony, by which shortly before he had resolved the objection. In this way he joins it and connects it with what came before.

Isaiah's prophecy about the swift feet of those who preach peace refers directly to the Apostles. In the prophecy it further speaks of the reign of the Lord and the spread of divine salvation throughout the whole universe (Isa 52:10). "Do you see," says Saint John Chrysostom, "how by the very manner of preaching the Apostle proves that they are preachers, foreseen and sent? The Apostles, going around the universe, proclaimed nothing other than ineffable blessings and the peace of God with men. Therefore, if salvation depends on calling, calling on faith, faith on hearing, and hearing on preaching, and if the Apostles were sent and preached, then it is clear that unbelief is the Jews' own fault. On God's part everything has been done." "The Jews again raise a new objection, saying: if the Apostles were sent by God, then all ought to have obeyed them. The Prophet foretold this also from of old. What are you saying? he asked. Is it this, that not all obeyed the Gospel? But Isaiah foretold this long ago. More precisely, he foretold not only this, but something much greater. What exactly? 'Lord, who has believed our report?'" That is, very few. Since the Jews constantly sought miracles, desired to see the Resurrection, and many eagerly demanded this, the Apostle says: "hearing is by the word of God." The preachers did not speak their own things, but proclaimed what they had heard from God. This is much higher than miracles. God, when He speaks and when He works wonders, must equally be believed and obeyed, because works and miracles are produced by His word. But perhaps, although the word of the Lord was proclaimed, the Hebrews did not hear it? Explaining the Apostle's answer to this, given in the Psalmist's comparative words, "Their proclamation has gone out into all the earth," blessed Theodoret observes: "Was it possible for the Jews not to hear, when the Gentiles heard in the whole universe? The preachers of truth proclaimed the preaching first to the Jews. For the Lord Himself said to them, 'Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Mt 10:6). And in the Acts of the Apostles it is said, 'It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first' (Acts 13:46)." It remains to suppose that the Hebrews heard the Gospel preaching but did not understand it or feel it. From this side also, as is clear from what follows, they could have no excuse, because they knew and understood everything in Christianity, but persisted in obstinacy.

At the beginning of chapter 53 he foretold that not all would believe them. Therefore, the fact that not all believed the Gospel does not refute that the evangelists were sent by God and proclaim the truth.

For this was foretold by God. Blessed Theodoret writes: "Having brought forward the testimony about the preachers, the Apostle continues in the form of a question: 'But have not all obeyed the Gospel?'

"Then, in the form of an answer, he brings forward the words of the Prophet."

Saint Chrysostom depicts this more fully: "The Jews again raised a new objection, saying: if the Apostles were sent by God, then all ought to have obeyed them.

"Notice Paul's prudence, how he proves that the very thing which caused disturbance ought to remove disturbance and anxiety. What troubles you, O Jew, after so many and such weighty testimonies, and after their confirmation by the facts themselves?

"Is it that not all obeyed the Gospel? This very fact, that not all obey, together with the other proofs, is enough to convince you of the truth of what is preached.

"For the Prophet also foretold this from of old. What are you saying, he asks? That not all obeyed the Gospel? But Isaiah long ago foretold even this.

"More exactly, he foretold not this alone, but something much greater. You make it an accusation that not all obeyed. Isaiah says still more. What exactly? 'Lord, who has believed our report?'"

Let us add from Blessed Theophylact: "Here the word 'who' is used instead of 'few.' That is, few believed what they heard from us."

The prophetic passage is taken from the fifty-third chapter of holy Isaiah, where he portrays the sufferings and death of Christ the Savior so vividly, as though they were taking place before his eyes.

At the very beginning of this portrayal he poses the question: "Lord, who has believed our report?" Here he assumes the person of the Apostles and speaks thus on their behalf.

In reality this is exactly what happened. The Apostles preached Christ crucified, as the Apostle Paul testifies. For the Jews this was a scandal, and for the Greeks folly (see 1 Cor. 1:23).

For this reason both resisted believing. Some believed, but few, namely the chosen. Therefore the question was fitting in their soul: Lord, how few believe what we place in their ears.

Who, who believes? Foreseeing this, the Prophet cried out, as though in their person, before depicting the sufferings and death of the Lord and Savior: who has believed?

It is closer to the subject of verses 15 and 16 to read the words "But have not all obeyed the Gospel?" as a question. In these verses the Apostle answers the proposed question: were the preachers not sent?

They were sent, he says, and they preach. The fact that not all listen should not cast doubt on the fact that they truly were sent.

If these words are read without a question, they will contain an unanswerable accusation against the Jews, the subject of the whole section (see Rom. 10:14-21). Therefore this too is fitting, but it somewhat disturbs the structure of the discourse.

In the answers to "Have they not heard?" and to "Did Israel not understand?" only prophetic words are cited, without attaching an accusation. But here an accusation would stand.

Yet the Apostle's aim is not to accuse them openly to their face. It is that the Jews themselves should pronounce the accusation against themselves on the basis of what he says.