Romans 10:17 (DRB)

Passage

Faith then cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ.

Nearby Context

Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach unless they be sent, as it is written: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things?

Romans 10:16 But all do not obey the gospel. For Isaias saith: Lord, who hath believed our report?

Romans 10:17 Faith then cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:18 But I say: Have they not heard? Yes, verily: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the whole world.

Romans 10:19 But I say: Hath not Israel known? First, Moses saith: I will provoke you to jealousy by that which is not a nation: by a foolish nation I will anger you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "cometh", "hearing", "word", and "christ". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "cometh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "But all do not obey the gospel..." into verse 18's "But I say Have they not heard...", so "faith" and "cometh" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "faith" and "cometh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.