<p>15:21- see on Acts 13:47.</p><p><i>But, as it is written: They shall see, to whom no tidings of him came, and they who have not heard shall understand</i>- Paul's policy of preaching in fresh areas was guided by his understanding of this prophecy. We are to use our initiative in fulfilling Bible prophecies, rather than assuming the fulfilment shall come about anyway. Indeed it could be argued that God's purpose is so open ended that He as it were depends upon our initiative in fulfilling some of the prophecies. Here Paul appropriates a prophecy of how the news of the crucified Christ would spread to those who had never heard it. He didn&rsquo;t just read those verses as prophecy; he saw in them an imperative to fulfil them. In Rom 15:21, Paul justifies his preaching by quoting from part of the suffering servant prophecy in Is. 52 / 53. That whole passage is set in a context of explaining &ldquo;how beautiful are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings&hellip; all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God&rdquo; (Is. 52:7,10). The preaching of good tidings and the declaration of God&rsquo;s salvation was through the crucifixion. Paul quotes Is. 52:15: &ldquo;To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand&rdquo;. This was Paul&rsquo;s justification for taking the Gospel to where Christ has not been named. Note in passing how the Lord Jesus sees us as &ldquo;beautiful&rdquo; in our witness to Him (as in Song 7:1). Yet further into Is. 53, so much else jumps out at us as appropriate to Paul&rsquo;s preaching: &ldquo;Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high cp. Paul knowing how to be exalted and abased, themes that occur in Is. 53 about Jesus&rsquo; death. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man cp. Paul&rsquo;s thorn in the flesh?, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider&rdquo;. Paul appeared before Agrippa, Festus, and one or two Caesars, with a visage marred by his evangelistic sufferings.</p>