Chapter 33 - Romans 10 & Gospel Means

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. HOW SHALL THEY CALL UPON HIM OF WHOM THEY HAVE NOT BELIEVED? and HOW SHALL THEY BELIEVE IN HIM OF WHOM THEY HAVE NOT HEARD? and HOW SHALL THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? SO THEN FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." (Romans 10:1-18)

It will take some time to deal with the correct interpretation of this passage of inspiration in view of the varied heretical views which the Hardshells have historically put forth on it. It is clear to me, as one knowledgeable in the history of the "Primitive Baptist Church," that there has clearly been an "evolution" in how this chapter has been "interpreted" since the beginning of the denomination. In this chapter and the next, I will show why I was lead to reject all the numerous and varied "interpretations" presented to me during my years with this denomination. I will overthrow all their false "interpretations" by an honest analysis of the passage, in conjunction with Baptist History and its traditional interpretation.

I lay it down here as a fact not to be denied, that all the Baptists, prior to the "rise of the Hardshells," interpreted this chapter as dealing with eternal salvation, with coming to faith in Christ, with both regeneration and conversion, and not to some supposed "time salvation" invented by the Hardshells. This uniformity in Baptist interpretation, historically, prior to the "rise of the Hardshells," shows that the Baptists all believed in "gospel means" in regeneration and in conversion and that the Hardshell "interpretations" did not exist. The "novel" and "hybrid interpretations" of the Hardshells, which assert that Romans chapter 10 deals only with a "time salvation," for those already eternally saved, is an "interpretation" totally unknown to Baptist writers prior to the "rise of the Hardshells"

I will begin with a look back to an "interpretation" of one of the "founding fathers" of Hardshellism. This founding father's view did not get taken seriously, however, by the Hardshells, for I never heard his view preached by anyone in the "Primitive Baptist Church" while I was in that denomination, and I am sure I heard, in one form or another, thousands of sermons. I also never heard or read anyone, among the leading apologists within the denomination, who had taken the view set forth below by Elder Grigg Thompson (who was the son of Elder Wilson Thompson, who, as I shall show in a later chapter, was one of the "three heads" of the "Anti-Mission Hydra," together with Elders Daniel Parker and John Taylor).

Here is what Elder C. H. Cayce said about interpretations that are not in keeping with Baptist tradition.

"We also hold that "Whatever is Scriptural." That is, whatever the Baptists have ever taught--whatever has been a distinctive doctrine of the Baptist Church--is Scriptural. If this is not true, then the Baptists have been wrong allo along the line; and if they have been wrong all along the line, then the Baptist Church is not the church of Christ." (Editorials, Vol. IV., pages 30,31)

We will see further, as we already have, that the Hardshells do not take interpretations on Scripture that are in accordance with Baptist views prior to the "rise of the Hardshells." They are therefore neither Baptistic nor Scriptural.

The following commentary by Elder Grigg Thompson is lengthy, but I feel I need to cite enough of his writing to allow the reader to understand fully his argumentation on the passage. I will thus give his treatise and will then judge its merits based upon Scripture and reasoning from it. I will high-light parts of his commentary of which I will being taking special notice.


Elder Grigg Thompson

"The last, and perhaps thought to be the most conclusive proof brought against us on this subject by our opposers is found in Romans, tenth chapter. It is contended that there our views are fairly met and squarely negatived. With a great show of triumph they will quote the text, "So, then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." That it is by hearing the word spoken by the preacher that faith is begotten in the heart of the sinner dead in sin, and he, through this instrumentality, is made a believer in Christ, and fitted for his kingdom.

We will now examine this text and its connection, and if all prejudice is laid aside, and we look at it calmly and rationally, I think all will see that it is one of the clear proofs of our position.

If you will read the epistle to the Romans, you will find that a large portion of it is in dialogue form; first, the epistle affirms the truth and then states the Jew's objection to it. To illustrate, it is said, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" This is evidently an objection brought against Paul's doctrine by the unbelieving Jew, and Paul responds, "God forbid; how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?"

Again, the same objector would say," What advantage then hath the law? or what profit is there in circumcision?" And Paul responds, "Much every way; chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God." You will find in a number of other places Paul states the objection of the unbelieving Jew to his doctrine and answers the objection, and the text under consideration is one of these objections brought by the unbelieving Jew, stated and replied to by Paul.

If you will look at the connection you will see that the apostle has been showing the difference between the law and faith; that the law belongs to this life, and only bestows temporal blessings; that "Moses describeth the righteousness, which is of the law; that the man which doeth those things shall live by them." "But the righteousness which is by faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)"

Faith is a fruit of the Spirit, and all who have it in their hearts believe that God has raised up Christ from the dead, and that he is our peace, who hath made both one, who hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, that there is now no difference between the Jew and the Greek, but that all that have this faith have access to God through Christ, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

To this the Jews would object, for they believed that there was a difference between the Jew and the Greek, or Gentiles, and that faith was the fruit of human arguments and teaching brought to bear on the natural intellect or mind of man, and without this knowledge was imparted by man, they could never believe or call on God.

They had no idea that this was a lesson that none but God could teach. Paul knew this, and in the 14th and 15th verses he gives us the Jew's objection in as strong terms as the Jew could give them, and here they are. "How, then, shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good tidings?"

This objection Paul answers by saying, "But they" have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" Faith will beget obedience, and Paul lets the objectors know that they had not obeyed, and that their disobedience was an evidence of their unbelief, as Esaias saith, "Lord, who hath believed our report?" The same prophet that the Jew quotes to sustain his position, shows that he is wrong; that faith does not come by the report or the preaching of the gospel, or all that heard it would believe. But the Jew responds,

"So, then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The argument is, that there is no way for faith to come, but by words and arguments addressed to the rational man. It is the fruit of testimony, or evidence, and all the way that evidence can be brought to the mind is by words and arguments; but Paul answers firmly and positively, "But I say, Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth; and their words unto the ends of the world."

They have heard the gospel; it has been preached; "Their sound went into all the earth; and their words unto the ends of the world," and unbelief and infidelity still remains, and will remain until the arm of the Lord is revealed. For faith is not the fruit of words and arguments, but is the fruit of God's Spirit, and is begotten in the heart by the operation of God, and is produced by the same power that raised up our Lord from the dead.

But the Jew will contend, as all natural men do, that this doctrine will never do. There is no way to get faith, but by words and arguments. Any other position is foolishness and nonsense in the extreme, and it is preposterous to say that Israel is in unbelief. For says the Jew, "But I say did not Israel know?" Israel is not in ignorance. She has been taught, she has been instructed. To charge Israel with unbelief is unjust and false. But Paul is not defeated or driven from his position, but will meet them with Moses, by whom the law was given, and says, "First, Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hand unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." Words and arguments with the Jews have failed, for they have Moses and the prophets and the law, with the priests, their offerings and typical service; they have had the preaching of John the Baptist, Christ, and the apostles; they have witnessed the miracles and the mighty works that Jesus did among them, and they are still in unbelief, and are a disobedient and gainsaying people, and have persecuted and put to death the very men that came preaching the gospel of peace to them. It takes more than words and arguments to subdue the enmity and hatred of the carnal heart, and to give spiritual life and sensibilities to the natural man, the man dead in sin.

This Paul knew by experience, for he had heard them preach the gospel of peace. He had heard the eloquent and unanswerable appeal made by the dying Stephen, but words and arguments could not move him, and make a believer of him, until God revealed his arm, and by his mighty power subdued the hatred and murderous feelings of his heart, and revealed Christ in him and to him, and Paul would testify that it is " By the grace of God I am what I am." For if God's grace and almighty power had not interposed in his case, and changed the enmity, and hatred, and murderous feelings of his heart, he never would have been any thing else but a bloodthirsty persecutor of Christ and his people. Paul's case is not an exception.

All the sons and daughters of Adam have the same heart of hatred, and mind of enmity against God, are led by the prince of this world, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. The fear of God is not before their eyes, the ways of peace they have not known. It is their delight to fulfill the desires of the flesh and the carnal mind. Nothing but the power of God can change the affections of their hearts, and make them love the things they once hated. A new life, new affections and desires, have to be begotten within them. They have to be made new creatures. The change is a great one, and is called a birth, a resurrection, a creation, and regeneration, and without this change no one can ever know or enjoy spiritual blessings or comforts in this world, or inherit and enter into the bright and endless joys of the upper world.

This (solemn truth stands as firm as the eternal throne. No other work will ever prepare the sinner to enter into, and enjoy the kingdom of God. 0, are we today living careless and thoughtless upon this subject? Time with us is swiftly passing by, and we are rapidly approaching the eternal world, with this truth, as it fell from the Savior's lips, sounding in our ears: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God." Dying sinner, these words are true. 0, may God give you to see it, and feel it in your soul, and may he, by his power and grace, work this change in us, and then we shall sing..."

Garrett's Analysis & Rebuttal

It is quite clear that Thompson did not go the route of making the "salvation" of Romans 10 to be a "time salvation." He reflects the traditional view that had been handed down to him from the 18th century Baptists.

What I admire about the view of Thompson, though wrong of course, was this very fact; he made the chapter to deal with eternal salvation while today's Hardshells do not. Elder Thompson began by saying:

"We will now examine this text and its connection, and if all prejudice is laid aside, and we look at it calmly and rationally, I think all will see that it is one of the clear proofs of our position."

Prejudice? We will see where the "prejudice" lies in regard to the interpretation of this chapter and these verses. I have already shown how the Hardshells violate the most basic laws of "hermeneutics." It is obvious that the "interpretation" set forth by Thompson is a "prejudiced" view of the passage. It certainly is "novel." He thinks Romans ten is a "clear proof" of the Hardshell position. This is laughable! Romans 10 destroys Hardshellism.

When a man takes a "novel interpretation" of a passage of scripture, one that no one else has taken before, he ought to see that he is, very more than likely, in error. He needs to be shown how he is taking an "interpretation" to a passage, rather than getting one from the passage, from an honest look at the passage. When Hardshells read this passage, and those like it, teaching gospel means in salvation, they are already opposed, in their minds, to what it teaches. So, rather than accepting it for what it says, they must invent some kind of "explanation" of the passage to make it mean what it does not mean. So, they "pre-judge" the meaning of the passage and the mind of Paul.

Thompson said:

"...the text under consideration is one of these objections brought by the unbelieving Jew, stated and replied to by Paul."

Where is there any indication from the passage in Romans 10 that shows that the questions, 1) "How shall they call upon him of whom they have not believed?" and 2) "How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard," and 3) "How shall they hear without a preacher?" are "objections" by the Jews to some teaching of the apostle?

The view of Thompson has Paul opposing the view that people must believe in Christ before they can call upon him? Does he then believe that a person can call upon him in whom they do not believe? That is exactly the view Thompson is taking on the passage and it is absurd. Here is a man that is probably the best preacher the Hardshells ever had taking such an absurd position on a passage of Scripture! Does he then believe that one can believe in one of whom they have never heard? Yes, that is exactly the view he is taking! Again, it is absurd to find Paul arguing against the view that one must hear about a person before he can believe in him. Can one believe in Christopher Columbus without hearing about him?

Thompson believes that one can call upon the Lord in whom they do not believe and that they can believe without hearing, and that they can hear without a preacher, and that preachers can be sent without the Lord! He thinks the Jews are making these statements, as do the "Mission Baptists," and that Paul is disagreeing with them! I wonder why Dr. Gill and other Old Baptists never saw these words as the words of Jews and not the words of Paul? Who of them believed that Paul was denying, rather than affirming, these words?

Are there not other verses that say the same thing and which are not "objections" of the Jews?

Does not Paul say that he was a "minister by whom you believed," in writing to the Corinthian Christians? (I Cor. 3:5) Notice the record in Acts 18:8.

"And many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized?"

Did they believe before they "heard," as Grigg Thompson believes? Clearly they believe the gospel, after they hear it from a preacher, and then embrace the Christ it announces and proclaims, and thus they have a proper object for faith.

Thompson said:

"Faith is a fruit of the Spirit, and all who have it in their hearts believe that God has raised up Christ from the dead, and that he is our peace, who hath made both one, who hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, that there is now no difference between the Jew and the Greek..."

"Faith" can be possessed "in the heart," and one can also be a "believer," in heart, a "believer in Christ and his resurrection," according to Thompson, without ever hearing the gospel preached!

Then why preach? That is the obvious question, is it not? If Thompson and the Hardshells are correct, that men come to "believe in Christ" and "in the gospel" without preachers of the word, then there is no need to preach to anyone!

Again, then, according to this view, Paul would have found believers in Jesus in every place he went to preach! Also, the Pilgrims would have found many who "believed in Jesus and his resurrection" among the savage Indians!

Notice also how Thompson, a 1st generation Hardshell, affirms that all the elect who have been saved and born again, will come to faith in Jesus, though it be one that is in the form of an "inner secret" that the soul knows, unconsciously, but the external mind does not know. Again, this is all a bunch of nonsense. But, still, very few Hardshells today will affirm that one must come to have "faith in Jesus," come to "know him," for eternal salvation. Again, this is another example of "evolution" in doctrine and interpretation among the Hardshells over the past 190 years. In the next chapter I will examine the common interpretation given of Romans 10 and the verses cited, showing why it too is a false interpretation and one emanating from a refusal to accept, with an honest heart, what it teaches.

He says further:

"To this the Jews would object, for they believed...that faith was the fruit of human arguments and teaching brought to bear on the natural intellect or mind of man, and without this knowledge was imparted by man, they could never believe or call on God."

No, the text does not say "human arguments and teaching," does it? "Faith comes by hearing the word of God," and "word of God" is "interpreted" by Thompson as meaning "human arguments and teaching." Since when does the phrase "word of God" mean "human words"? If a man is allowed to change the meaning of words and phrases in this manner, then he can make the Bible say anything! This is corrupt hermeneutics.


What's Wrong With Words & Arguments?

One can see how Elder Thompson seems to think that any believer's "faith" cannot possibly be the result of "words" and "arguments." I know that he probably intends to fight the belief of his "twin brother," the Campbellites, against their idea of "word alone" "regeneration," but he has gone to an extreme himself in embracing the "Spirit alone" idea, and in divorcing the use of "words and arguments," in the presentation of the gospel, in bringing about faith, regeneration, and conversion.

It makes me wonder what Elder Thompson thought about these verses which emphasize the idea of "persuading" people by the use of "words and arguments." Does the Lord not say to all, "Come and let us reason together?"

"Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." (Acts 26:28)

"Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." (13:43)

"And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." (18:4)

"Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands." (19:26)

"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." (II Cor. 5:11)

I will be citing Grigg Thompson again in my chapters dealing with Addresses to the Lost," where Thompson addresses those who are lost and without faith, exhorting them, with argument, how they need to come to Christ and be saved (as in the end of the above citation). So, Thompson is hypocritical in this regard. He can decry all preaching of the gospel that uses "human words and arguments," as part of "exhortations to sinners," but then do it himself! He certainly gives many "arguments" in his writings to get non-Hardshells to "come to believe" in the Hardshell "faith." Yes, "consistency, thou art a jewel!"

One can look back in the chapter in which I dealt with John chapter 5 and see that Christ clearly gave forth "arguments" to the Jews who were refusing him, relative to their sins, especially the sin of rejecting him.

Dr. Gill On Romans 10

Ver. 14. "How then shall they call on him in whom they, have not believed?"

The apostle having observed, that whoever, Jew or Gentile, believe in the Lord and call upon his name, shall be saved; and that the same Lord was ready and willing to dispense his grace, without any difference to them; suggests, that it was therefore absolutely necessary, that the Gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews; that it was the will of God it should be; that what he and others did, was by a divine commission; that they were sent by the Lord to preach the Gospel to them; that hearing they might believe, and so call upon the name of the Lord, and be saved; and therefore the Jews ought not to blame them for so doing, for there was a real necessity for it, since there can be no true calling upon God without faith, no faith without hearing, no hearing without preaching, and no preaching without a divine mission. The first of these is signified by this interrogation. Every man calls upon the God he believes in, and him only; this has been the practice of all men, in all nations; such as have not believed in God and Christ, do not call upon them; it is true indeed, there may be an external invocation of them, where there is no true faith; but then this is not calling upon them in truth and sincerity; as is their faith, so is their calling upon them; as the one is historical, the other is only external; there is no true invocation without faith, or any that is acceptable to God, or of any avail to men; for calling on the name of the Lord, as it ought to be practised in all religious worship, so it includes and every part of worship as done in faith:

"and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?"

the meaning is, that there is no faith in Christ without hearing of him; as it is in human, so in divine faith, there may be believing without seeing, but not without hearing; so we believe that there were such men as Alexander and Julius Caesar, and other persons now in being, though we never saw them, having heard of them, or had a report made of them, which we have reason to give credit to; so there may be, and is faith in Christ without seeing him with our bodily eyes, though not without hearing of him; for of an unheard of person, there can be no faith in him, because no exercise of thought about him."

So Dr. Gill, a much more learned one in the school of Christ than Thompson, did not see what the Hardshell sees in the passage. Yes, modern Hardshells have rejected this view of Thompson, affirming that the gospel is necessary to experience the "salvation" and "conversion" of the chapter. They have chosen to take a different apologetic approach, disconnecting the chapter from dealing with eternal salvation, but to a "time salvation," to a "conversion" that is not part of "regeneration" nor necessary to be saved in heaven.

Gill comments further:

"and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

or there is no hearing without, preaching; there may be reading without it, and this ought to be where there is preaching, to see that what is preached is agreeably to the Scriptures; but there is no hearing the word explained without preaching; explaining the word is preaching. There is no hearing of Christ, and salvation by him, without the preaching of the Gospel; the usual and ordinary way of hearing from God, and of Christ, is by the ministry of the word: this shows not only the necessity and usefulness of the Gospel ministry, but also points out the subject matter of it, which is Christ, and him crucified. They that preach ought to preach concerning the person of Christ, his offices, grace, righteousness, blood, sacrifice and satisfaction, otherwise men may hear the preacher, and not hear Christ." (Commentary)

Let the Hardshells produce writings, prior to "the rise of the Hardshells," who took the view of Thompson above or the modern view of the PB's that says the chapter does not concern eternal salvation. I affirm that they cannot produce such evidence. They are not Old Baptists for they deny what the Baptists have always taught about this passage in Romans 10. They have tried several various novel interpretations that would allow them to claim to believe it without giving up the Spirit Alone heresy, but they all fail, for the words of Romans 10 still remain, like a mountain of stone, withstanding all the assaults of the Hardshells against its clear teaching. It is a passage that has spurred all the missionary zeal and labor of every Christian since it was written. I pray it will continue to do so.