Romans 10:15

Romans 10:15. Except they be sent. Sent by Christ is implied, but the main thought is, sent, ‘through the word of God' (Romans 10:17). Commissioned through the message they proclaim, as this citation from Isaiah indicates.

As it is written (Isaiah 52:7), How beautiful, etc. The four oldest manuscripts, together with minor authorities, sustain the briefer reading: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!' The fuller form is that of the LXX., hence is likely to have arisen from a desire to conform. The Apostle has also omitted ‘upon the mountains,' and substituted the plural for the singular. (The E. V. obscures the parallelism of the original; ‘preach the gospel' and ‘bring glad tidings,' represent the same word.) The prophecy is undoubtedly Messianic, and, hence, properly applied by the Apostle to the preachers of the gospel. The primary reference to the restoration from exile ‘derived all its value from being introductory to that more glorious deliverance to be effected by the Redeemer' (Hodge). The necessity and dignity of the preachers of the gospel, as here set forth, form a solemn warning to all who attempt to preach without being sent, as well as an encouragement to all, however feeble, who have been sent. The character of the message is the main test of the preacher's mission.