Brother Bob said:
"16": But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
They were talking about the Gospel also. Is there two different Gospels or one?
The Law was a shadow of the real thing. This is the real thing now, no longer just a shadow.
But they have not all obeyed the gospel (and this) Lord, who hath believed our report? These two things are talking about the same thing, One Gospel.
Bob,
Verse 16 is a citation of Isaiah 53:1.
"53:1 Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
Isaiah 53 is the story of the suffering Servant.
53:1 Who has believed what they heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
This passage is quite arguably the best passage in the Bible for arguing for the necessity of the atonement. It because of this passage and others like it that we believe in the need to receive Christ in order to have assurance of salvation. Apart from Jesus Christ there is no salvation.
Back to your attempt to suggest that vs. 16 refutes the need to believe the gospel in order to be saved. Placed within the proper context it supports what I am teaching. Vs. 16 states, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?'" The OT would be the context of Isaiah and the gospel of the OT was repent and believe. That is pretty much the same gospel today with the added knowledge that we must believe in Jesus. So too like in the days of Isaiah not every did believe, so too in our day as in the day of Paul not everyone will believe. Notice however the very next verse:
"17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
