Romans 10:1-21

Paul continues his argument with the Jewish objections to justification by faith.  These are excuses  with no foundation but important arguments for us to understand.

THE GOSPEL IS AVAILABLE TO ALL: The Jews are insisting that righteousness is only available through the works of the Law.  However Paul insists that this is ignorance and the result of a hard heart.  God has revealed a righteousness through Christ that is available to all who believe.  While the Law was only available to a few, faith is available to all.  Those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.  We only call when we recognize that we are in need of help.  Those who think that they are good on their own believe that they have no need of calling.  However, when men come to an end of themselves they call out for God.  But in order for them to call they must have heard the Gospel.  Paul is defending his ministry to the Gentiles whereby he preaches to them that they might hear, believe, call and be saved.  This is God's strategy for missions.  This is God's means of salvation for both Jew and Gentile.

THE GOSPEL IS UNDERSTANDABLE TO ALL: The message of Christ is not some sort of code beyond human understanding.  God has revealed His plan of salvation from the Old Testament as well as the preaching of the Apostles.  Paul quotes the Old Testament prophets in order to show that his message is consistent with that which God has revealed about Himself from the very beginning.  The Jews are claiming that this is some sort of new message that they are unable to grasp because of their culture and exposure to the Law.  Paul tells them that this is a fatally flawed argument because the message is consistent with the prophets.  If the Gentiles who had not been given the advantage of Old Testament revelation were able to understand and respond, certainly the Jews were more than able to do the same.  The message of the Gospel in simple we must not complicate it or allow others to claim to be confused by it.

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