"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that PREACH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all OBEYED the gospel. For Esaias saith,Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing BY THE WORD OF GOD." Rom. 10:14-17.
Nothing about a Church. Or a tradition. Or a doctrine. Just the word of God.
Interesting word study on the Greek for the word “word”
Romans 10:17 “... and hearing by the word of God” the Greek is “rhema”.
http://concordances.org/greek/4487.htm
rhema - Definition: a thing spoken, (a) a word or saying of any kind, as command, report, promise, (b) a thing, matter, business.
4487 rhema (from 4483 /rheo, “to speak”) – a spoken word, made “by the living voice” (J. Thayer). 4487 /rhema (”spoken-word”) is commonly used in the NT (and in LXX) for the Lord speaking His dynamic, living word in a believer to inbirth faith (”His inwrought persuasion”).
Ro 10:17: “So faith proceeds from (spiritual) hearing; moreover this hearing (is consummated) through a rhema-word (4487 /rhema) from Christ” (Gk text).
[See also Gal 3:2,5 which refers to “the hearing of faith” (Gk text) – i.e. a spiritual hearing that goes with the divine inbirthing of faith.]
Perhaps it is mine that are open. :)