10:18-21 Had the gospel already gone out into all the earth at the time Paul wrote this?
10:18-21 Had the gospel already gone out into all the earth at the time Paul wrote this?
Yes! World in V18 means the known world of that time, which was the extent of the Roman Empire. Paul applied Psa 19:4, which refers to the revelation of God's glory and His handiwork throughout the earth, to the evangelizing of the Jews (CP V18 with Psa 19:1-4 and Ro 1:18-20).
The point Paul was making in Ro 10:18-21 is that the Jews had all heard the gospel, but had rejected it. That is why in Ro 1:20 Paul said they were without excuse.
Right throughout their history the Jews obstinately refused to obey God, and Paul goes back into their past to quote Moses and Isaiah who had both predicted that what was happening to them now would happen, because of their disobedience and stubbornness (CP Ro 10:19-20 with De 32:15-26 and Isa 65:1-7).
God did not want to punish the Jews and pleaded with them throughout scripture to change their ways, but they would not listen and eventually God had to temporarily put them aside, and take the gospel to the Gentiles, who were "no people" in the Jew's eyes. God did this to provoke the Jews to jealousy, that in due course they would come to accept the gospel (CP Ro 10:21 with Isa 65:2 and Hos 11:1-7).
Gainsaying in Ro 10:21 (KJV)means the Jews declared themselves against God and refused to have anything to do with Him (see also comments on Ac 13:48; Ro 1:19-21; 9:30-33, 10:4, 10:6-11, 10:12-13, 10:18-21, 11:1-10, 11:2, 11:4, 11:7-10, 11:16, 11:17-24, 11:29, 11:32, 11:33-36; Rev 12:1-5, and 12:6 and author's studies The Old Covenant -
Fulfilled in Christ and Completely Abolished in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1), and Israel in God's eternal Purpose in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 2)).