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We’re going to look at a very familiar verse which is often quoted, which means it is also highly misquoted. Bible translators are partly responsible for this, because they know it’s written in the subjunctive aorist tense, but they translate it in the perfect future or perfect past tense. It’s a minor gripe, but it does affect the intonation and thus meaning.

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 

The subjunctive aorist is a past tense frame that also includes the present and future tenses. Since our English doesn’t have this form, translations get clumsy. A better reading might be: “How then could they ever have or ever will call for help on the One they have never nor could ever believe in?” This phrasing opens up Paul’s if this, then that workflow of salvation, which Paul said last week was the loving answer to “anyone who ever calls upon the name of the Lord.”(v.13).

I’m going to assemble his workflow chronologically in order to deduce his thesis in this passage, otherwise I think we will fall prey to creating a formula for salvation. That “formula” expounded in Evangelicalism is sermon preaching with “invitations” or “alter calls.” This leads us to conflate going to church with hearing the Gospel and/or getting saved, and I proved last week how those are soteriological fallacies.

Step 1: Sending (v.15) (àpostéllo–send, send a message, harvest)

Paul’s question is: “How could anyone have ever or will ever preach if they were never or will never be sent?” Paul answers this question by quoting Isaiah 52:7:

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who bring good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!””

Anyone familiar with this Messianic prophecy from Isaiah knows that which was sent, is the Messiah (anointed one/ Christ). It’s the Christ who brings Good News of peace, Good News of happiness, and salvation. This isn’t a verse to confer onto those going on a missions trip, nor for an ordination ceremony, nor for the basis of evangelical endeavors. The “sent” part is not us, it’s Christ who was sent to us. It is not “preaching Christ” that is the reason we preach, but “Christ Himself.“ It is not Christ who sends us, but Christ who is sent to us. I’m not splitting hairs or being nit-picky, but the difference in salvation is either Christo-centric or anthropo-centric.

Step 2: Preaching (v.14-15): (kerússo– announce, tell, preach)

Christ being sent leads telling others…spreading news. Publication was far too slow in Pauls day. Word of mouth was the only way for news to spread. So Paul’s question is: “How could anyone have ever heard or would ever hear about Christ being sent to us, without preaching/ announcing/ telling?” Kerusso is in the present active form. Telling someone about Christ being sent to us is a present happening, not a past event. Remember, the Rema (word/message/event) is so close, it’s in our mouth (v.8). While it can be said that there was a past event where Christ has been sent to us, Paul’s teaching is to help us see the present event where Christ is sent to each of us, AS our life. Paul’s exhortation is not to become a preacher, but to tell the event of Christ as our life.

“When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4)

Step 3: Hearing (v. 14) (àkoúo-hear, able to hear, pay attention, understand, receive news)

Telling people about the event of Christ being sent in and as your life is what helps people to understand, or to pay attention to, or to hear. The story of Jesus life is wonderful, but far too many people omit the present story that is their life. If Jesus is alive, if He has risen from the dead (V.9) Then the former doesn’t exist apart from the latter. It is quite possible to grow up in church and never experience Christ as your own life. Christ may appear in worship, or in others, but is always an historical image. How many people simply don’t understand the gospel this way? How many versions of the Gospel exist? Can you see how religion confuses or obscures this Christ experience? If our world doesn’t understand, it’s because the Gospel isn’t being preached.

Step 4: Belief (v. 14) (Pisteúo– think to be true, trust, entrust, believe)

Christ being sent into our life leads us to tell about it, which leads to hearing, which leads to us considering it to be true. Unbelief doesn’t make something untrue, it means that what is ultimately True isn’t yet true for the unbeliever. Unbelievers are not limited to those outside of religion. The religious in Jesus day did not believe. Unbelievers are those who do not want something to be true. If the water is to be cut off on Tuesday, it is the unbeliever who does nothing about it on Monday. We are all unbelievers, and on our best days, only partial believers. Belief is an action verb, “faithing” as I like to say. It isn’t generated by conversion, it isn’t anything more than living in fidelity with what you understand to be true.

Paul’s simple message about salvation and faith is that all we have to do is cry out for help (epikalaomai-call for help, appeal-“call out over“)(v.14). It’s not a logical argument, it’s not a debate, it’s not historical evidence, it’s not converting to a religion, it’s nothing more than asking with the expectation of an answer. “everyone who cries out for help gets a loving answer.” (v.13)

Paul summarizes this workflow:

¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed (upakoúo–“heard near“, understand)the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard (hakoé) from us?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

This last verse is alway butchered and the first part is ignored. In light of my exposition the last two weeks, we can understand (hear) this part too. This Gospel is not the exhortation of a narrative codified by the Gospel Coalition. This isn’t something put in a paper tract with bright pictures to hand out to unsuspecting passers-by. The rema(word, message) once again is in your mouth, where it is “heard near” and that is Christ’s event. And no other passage in Isaiah speaks of the Christ more than 53, which is quoted. Paul is saying Christ is in us the moment we speak. Think of “Horton hears a who” story. We have to really lean in to get it.

Paul’s message about salvation and belief is that it’s not far off (v.8). It’s not a spiritual odyssey that we must embark upon. It isn’t a religion into which we must be schooled, indoctrinated, or ranked. His message is that Christ is closer to us than we are to ourselves. Just…be…still…be…quiet…be…present. As our cry comes forth from the silence, a loving answer awaits. That’s Paul’s salvation. What comes out of our silent contemplation and the connection between ourselves and our Maker is genuine faith. A faith that starts small, but is big enough to awaken our heart. As James Finely says: “Never break faith with your awakened heart.”

This is all going to make a lot more sense once we enter chapter 12 where Paul gives us a new way to live and relate to the world. Until then, let us re-define salvation and faith how Paul does, and not from religious overreach nor church history. The question is: “Will we trust the tiny voice of the rema within us more than shouting voice of our religion? Would we trust it more if we “heard” it like this?

“Faith comes from understanding the event of Christ within you.”