10:14-17 Does this mean that everyone has to hear the gospel to be saved?

Yes! V14-15 and 17 are very clear on this point - it is the gospel alone that saves. Of course this does not mean that God cannot still sovereignly move upon sinners to bring them to Christ if He so chooses.

But as far as Christians are concerned, they must preach the gospel in order for sinners to hear and believe it for their salvation (CP Mt 24:14; 28:18-20; Mk 13:10; 16:15; Lu 24:46-48; Ac 1:8; 10:42). These scriptures all confirm what Ro 10:14-15 and 17 teach: sinners must hear the gospel to be saved.

Christians must be very clear on this point, because there is a teaching that has persisted in the contemporary church called "lifestyle evangelism", which advocates that sinners can be won to Christ simply by letting them observe the exemplary lifestyle of Christians. But that is not correct as scriptures clearly prove (CP Psa 22:22; 40:9-10; 119:13; Eze 33:10-12; Jn 5:24; Ac 1:6-8; Ro 1:16-17; 1Cor 1:17-21; 4:15; 1Ti 4:16; Tit 1:1-3; Jas 1:18; 1Pe 1:23-25).

These scriptures are not exhaustive, but representative of the many that clearly refute lifestyle evangelism. Every one of them teaches that the gospel has to be proclaimed for sinners to receive it and be saved. Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that sinners can be saved by observing the lifestyle of Christians, no matter how exemplary their lifestyle is. No one lived a more exemplary lifestyle than Jesus, yet no one got saved as a result of it.

They got saved because Jesus confronted them with the gospel, and it is the same throughout scripture (CP Jn 17:14, 20; Ac 4:1-4, 29-33; 8:26-38; 10:36-37; 12:24; 13:2-5, 26, 38-39, 42-44, 48-49; 17:1-4; 28:23-24). Lifestyle evangelism places no urgency on winning souls to Christ, which Jesus and Paul both emphasized (CP Jn 4:34; 2Ti 4:1-2).

Lifestyle evangelism teaches another way of evangelizing that is totally unscriptural. It could be weeks or even months before sinners can be confronted with the gospel, yet in the meantime they could die and be lost forever. If that were to happen their blood will be on the hands of the Christians involved.

But if the Christians had already confronted the sinners with the gospel and they rejected it, God will not hold the Christians to account (CP Eze 3:17-21 (also 33:7-9). It is plain from scripture that lifestyle evangelism is not a valid teaching for New Testament Christians.

Another fallacious teaching which many Christians cling to, and which scriptures also refute, is the belief that one must wait on the leading of the Holy Spirit to confront a sinner with the gospel.

As we learned in 2Ti 4:1-2 Christians are commanded to proclaim the gospel, whether or not they consider it an opportune time and whether or not they feel like it, so we do not have to wait on the Holy Spirit's leading to share the gospel of salvation with a lost sinner.

All we have to do is obey Christ's command to preach the gospel, and the Holy spirit will work through it to convict of sin and engender faith in those we preach to who are disposed toward eternal life, to believe the gospel for their salvation (CP Ro 10:17 and Jn 16:7-11 with 1Cor 1:21 and Ac 13:44-47).

The Holy Spirit does sometimes prompt Christians to witness to a particular person, but that is the exception rather than the rule (CP Ac 8:26-39). Ro 10:14-17 also refutes the belief held by some Christians that sinners can be "prayed into the kingdom".

While it is incumbent upon the church to pray for them, prayer alone will not get sinners saved. As has been proved throughout this study, hearing the gospel is necessary in order for them to believe it for their salvation.

(See also comments on Mt 3:10, 12:30, 28:19-20; Lu 19:11-27; Jn 15:2, 15:4-6, 15:16; Ac 11:19-21; Ro 1:13, 1Cor 9:16-17; 2Cor 5:18-19; Eph 1:11-14 and 2Ti 4:1-2, and author's studies

The Christian Calling - Winning Souls to Christ in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith, Chosen by God? in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1), and Redeeming the Time - Winning Souls to Christ in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 2)).

"Romans"