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Trinity/After Pentecost · The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

Romans 10:9-17

Faith Comes from Hearing

August 23, 2026

St Paul Preaching at Athens, Raphael
St Paul Preaching at Athens, Raphael, c. 1515–16Royal Collection, on long-term loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
One of Raphael's cartoons for the Sistine tapestries, full-size designs in bodycolour that have outlived the tapestries in fame. Paul stands with both hands raised before a sceptical crowd; Dionysius and Damaris are picked out among them.This is the Areopagus sermon, the one time Paul argues from an altar his hearers already had rather than from scripture they did not.RaphaelRaphael Sanzio of Urbino (1483-1520), the youngest of the three who defined the High Renaissance. He died on Good Friday at thirty-seven.Royal Collection, on long-term loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonThe Raphael Cartoons belong to the Crown and have hung in a purpose-built gallery at the V&A since 1865, where they can be seen at the scale they were drawn.Royal Collection, on long-term loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Historic One-Year Lectionary
GospelMark 7:31-37Mk 7:31-37
Epistle2 Cor. 3:4-112 Cor 3:4-11Alt. EpistleRom. 10:9-17Rom 10:9-17
Old TestamentIsa. 29:17-24Is 29:17-24
PsalterPs. 146Ps 146

Overview & Insights

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

Nine verses carry four scriptural quotations, and Paul argues by chaining them: Isaiah 28:16 at v. 11, Joel 2:32 at v. 13, Isaiah 52:7 at v. 15 and Isaiah 53:1 at v. 16. Verses 14-15 run a sequence backwards, from calling to believing to hearing to preaching to being sent, so that mission is derived from the promise rather than added to it. The confession of v. 9, that Jesus is Lord, is tied to belief in the resurrection, and the decisive step is v. 13, where Joel’s phrase “the name of the LORD” is applied to that Lord without argument. Verse 16 then concedes the difficulty the chapter exists to face, Israel’s unbelief, by locating it already in the prophet’s own complaint. The conclusion at v. 17 became a Reformation watchword, and it is worth noticing that in Paul it stands as a conclusion and not as a premise.

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Commentary

Commentary on Romans 10:5-15Commentary on Rom 10:5-15 Working Preacher

Lectionary commentary on confessing with the mouth and faith coming by hearing, overlapping this passage.

Romans 10 CommentaryRom 10 Commentary Enduring Word

Full chapter commentary on confession, faith, and the preached word.

Commentary on Romans 10 by Matthew HenryCommentary on Rom 10 by Mt Henry Blue Letter Bible

Classic exposition of righteousness by faith and the call to preach.

Background & Word Study

Romans 10:9 CommentariesRom 10:9 Commentaries BibleHub

Aggregates classic commentators on confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in the heart.

Romans 10 ResourcesRom 10 Resources Precept Austin

Collected verse-by-verse study resources on the chapter.

The Church Fathers

Romans 10:9 Patristic CommentaryRom 10:9 Patristic Commentary Catena Bible

Fathers commenting directly on this confession-and-belief verse.

Homily 17 on RomansHomily 17 on Rom NewAdvent (Chrysostom)

Chrysostom's homily covers Romans 10:1-13, overlapping this exact pericope.

Podcast

Confession (tag archive) Issues, Etc.

Lutheran radio episodes on confession of faith, the theme opening this passage.

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