Romans 15.21-Paul Cites Isaiah 52.15 For Three Reasons
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday June 17, 2010
Romans: Romans 15:21-Paul Cites Isaiah 52:15b For Three Reasons-It Alludes To The Content Of His Gospel, It Describes His Ministry, It Supports Romans 15:20
Lesson # 521
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 15:14.
This evening we will study Romans 15:21, and in this passage Paul cites Isaiah 52:15b because it alludes to the context of his gospel, it describes his ministry to the Gentiles and it supports his teaching in Romans 15:20.
Romans 15:21 concludes the pericope, which began in Romans 15:14 that contains Paul’s discussion regarding his ministry to the Gentiles.
Romans 15:14, “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.”
Romans 15:15, “But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God.”
Romans 15:16, “To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:17, “Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God.”
Romans 15:18, “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed.”
Romans 15:19, “In the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
Romans 15:20, “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation.”
Romans 15:21, “But as it is written, ‘THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.’”
The quotation from Isaiah 52:15b that appears in Romans 15:21 stands in direct contrast with the idea of Paul building on another’s foundation and proclaiming the gospel in places where Christ was already known.
“As it is written” introduces an Old Testament quotation, namely Isaiah 52:15b that indicates a comparison with Paul’s previous statement in Romans 15:20 that he aspired to proclaim the gospel in those regions of the earth were Christ was never known in order that he would not build upon another’s foundation.
Isaiah 52:13, “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men. 15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations, kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand.” (NASB)
Isaiah 52:13-15 comes near the beginning of the fourth Servant passage, who we know is Jesus Christ (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) and refers to His impact on many nations and kings, which makes it applicable to Paul’s ministry.
This quotation from Isaiah 52:15 in Romans 15:21 marks the seventieth and final time that Paul will quote from the Old Testament Scriptures, which includes his use of some Old Testament passages more than once.
Paul is quoting exactly the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 52:15.
Isaiah 52:15b supports Paul’s previous statement in which he wrote that he aspired to proclaim the gospel in those regions of the earth where Christ was never known in order that he would not build upon another’s foundation.
It also alludes to the content of his gospel, namely Christ and describes the purpose and modus operandi of his ministry on behalf of the Gentiles since in this passage the individuals who have not had the gospel proclaimed to them and have not heard it yet are “kings” and “nations” (cf. Isaiah 52:15a).
So in Romans 15:21 to validate his assertion in Romans 15:20 that he aspired to proclaim the gospel in those regions of the earth where Christ was never known in order that he would not build upon another’s foundation, Paul quotes exactly from the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 52:15b.
Romans 15:21, “But as it is written, ‘THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.’”
“THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS” emphatically declares that unregenerate Gentiles had ever heard about Jesus Christ prior to Paul’s proclaiming the gospel to them.
“Of Him” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the content of the gospel along with His death and resurrection (See Romans 1:3-4).
“SHALL SEE” is the third person plural future middle indicative form of the verb horao (ὁράω) (or-rah-owe), which refers in a metaphorical sense to the Gentiles accepting by faith the gospel message about Jesus Christ.
The future tense of the verb is a predictive future indicating from the perspective of Isaiah that “it will come to pass” or “will take place” that the Gentiles will accept by faith the message of the gospel concerning the Messiah.
“THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD” emphatically declares that unregenerate Gentiles had ever heard about Jesus Christ prior to Paul’s proclaiming the gospel to them.
“SHALL UNDERSTAND” is the third person plural future active indicative form of the verb suniemi (συνίημι) (see-nee-mee), which refers in a metaphorical sense to the Gentiles, comprehending by faith the message of the gospel about Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection.
The future tense of the verb is a predictive future indicating from the perspective of Isaiah that “it will come to pass” or “will take place” that the Gentiles will accept by faith the message of the gospel concerning the Messiah.
The statements “THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE” and “THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND” both speak of the Gentiles accepting by faith the gospel message concerning the Messiah indicating that Paul is writing rhetorically again as he did in Romans 10:9-10.
That he is writing rhetorically is indicated by the fact that the verb anangello, “HAD NEWS” and akouo, “HAVE HEARD” are negated by the emphatic negative adverb ou and both refer to the same act of hearing the gospel message.
Also, the verb horao, “SHALL SEE” and suniemi, “SHALL UNDERSTAND” both refer to accepting the gospel message by faith.
To summarize, the apostle Paul in Romans 15:21 cites Isaiah 52:15b for three reasons.
First, it alludes to the content of his gospel, namely Christ.
Secondly, it describes the purpose and modus operandi of his ministry on behalf of the Gentiles since in this passage the individuals who have not had the gospel proclaimed to them and have not heard it yet are “kings” and “nations” (cf. Isaiah 52:15a).
Thirdly, it supports his statement in Romans 15:20 that he would not build upon another’s foundation since this Old Testament passage speaks of exposing people to the gospel who have not yet heard it.