READING TIME: 3-6 MINUTES
April 9, 2020
Romans 10:9-10, Part 2
Paul develops this Messianic salvation beginning with Rom 9:27-29. In Rom 9:27 Paul, quoting from the LXX of Isaiah 10:22 states a remnant “will be saved” a reference to physical deliverance of a minority of Israel whom God would deliver from the Assyrian invasion in 722 BC. The Hebrew text though speaks only of this remnant that would be returned. Thus, the translators of the LXX used “saved” to describe the return of the remnant of Israel from exile, not personal salvation from eternal condemnation. This forms the backdrop for understanding Paul’s use of “saved,” in Rom 10:1, a reference to their future deliverance as described in Jer 31:7-8, which describes that future national deliverance with the word “saved.” In the last reference to salvation in this section, Rom 11:26, Paul is again quoting from the Old Testament concerning Israel’s national deliverance in the future.
Through the prophets, Yhwh promised that He would one day bring a full “salvation” to Israel (Isa 25:9; 43:5; Jer 31:7; 46:27; Zech 8:7). At that future time, Israel will call upon the name of the Lord and will be delivered (Joel 2:32, quoted in Rom 10:13). Thus we see that Rom 10:9-10 uses the word “saved” in a context that supports the meaning of a national deliverance for Israel at the end of days.
In twelve verses of chapter 10, which immediately surround the verses under investigation, Paul quotes from twelve different Old Testament passages. The only verses in chapter ten that are not Old Testament citations are verses 1-4, 9-10, 12, 14, 17. Only nine of the twenty-one verses in the chapter are not Old Testament citations. This clearly shows that Rom 10:9-10 must be understood in light of Paul’s discussion of Israel’s future deliverance and not in terms of individual justification.
Contextually, we first learn that Paul uses justification to refer to the doctrine of the individual’s deliverance from the eternal penalty of sin. In Romans, “salvation” usually refers to either the ongoing spiritual life after salvation, the end of the salvation process, or physical deliverance, but never as a synonym for justification. Thus, it is unlikely that Rom 10:9-10 addresses salvation from eternal damnation when it uses the word “saved.” Second, we learn that the focus of Rom 9–11 is on God’s plan for Israel as a corporate entity, not God’s plan for individual justification. Third, we learn that Rom 10:9-10 must be interpreted in light of the use of twelve surrounding quotes from the Old Testament, which in turn focus not on individual Jewish justification, but God’s final deliverance of the nation in fulfillment of His promises in the Old Testament. Context alone makes it doubtful that this is a verse related to personal justification.
What Does it Mean to “Confess with the Mouth?”
The phrase “calling on the name of the Lord” fits the context of the Old Testament quotations. The quotes from Deut 30:11-14 focus on the requirement of the nation to have experiential righteousness to enter the land. This presupposes individual justification and also includes personal, ethical righteousness or sanctification. Only when the nation has corporately recognized Jesus as Messiah will they call upon the name of the Lord to rescue them from certain destruction at the end of the Tribulation. Therefore, contextually, it seems best to view both the righteousness and the salvation as related to end-time deliverance of the nation. This is confirmed by the structure of the passage.
Of those who obey Jesus’s command to flee to the mountains, the majority would do so because they have already trusted in Him as Savior who died as their substitute. Individually, they would already be justified. As a result, a remnant composed of justified Jews will flee to the hills to survive the last half of the Tribulation. Old Testament prophecies suggest that they find shelter in Edom, specifically in Bozrah (Jer 49:13-14; Isa 34:6; 63:1-3). From there, the leadership of Israel, representing the nation in the same way as the scribes and Pharisees of the first century, will cry out to Jesus to come to deliver them. Their calling upon the name of the Lord will be a public confession of their national sin (Lev 26:40-42) and acknowledgment of their corporate recognition of Jesus as their Savior (Zech 12:10). Then He will then come to rescue them from certain destruction (Rom 11:26-27) and lead them in a victory against the armies of the antichrist in Jerusalem where He will judge them and destroy them (Joel 3:2, 12).
Conclusion
Though this passage appears at first to be talking about conditions for individual justification
salvation, our analysis of the passage shows that this is not the topic of this chapter or section in
Romans at all. Paul is instead talking about God’s faithfulness to His promises to Israel in the
Old Testament and how they will eventually be fulfilled.
The context shows Paul’s use of righteousness (dikaiosune) expresses experiential righteousness. The chiastic structure of Rom 10:9-10 shows further that righteousness in these verses also express experiential righteousness since it is parallel to “saved” that is a reference to Messianic salvation, not individual justification.
According to these verses, to be saved (contextually meaning to be delivered from a physical catastrophe), Israel will need to respond to Jesus’s claim to be the God-Man Messiah. As a nation, they must place their faith in Jesus and then they will be delivered. Rom 10:9-10 is not talking about personal justification, but emphasizes the final rescue of national Israel based on their recognition of the deity of Christ and His substitutionary atonement for their sin. Paul states this as a universal principle to show that in the same way, that confession of Jesus as God and trusting Him leads to the national deliverance of Israel, so this same trust in Jesus by all, including Gentiles, can lead to their deliverance from God’s wrath, divine judgment in time, as well.
Sources Consulted
Constable, Dr. Thomas L. “Notes on Romans: 2020 Edition.” < https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/romans/romans.htm>.
Dean, Robert. “Believe and Confess: Does the Bible Teach a Two-Step Way to Salvation?”
Dewey, Arthur J. “A Re-Hearing of Romans 10:1–15.” Ed. Joanna Dewey. Semeia 65 (1994): 109-127.
Dillow, Joseph. Final Destiny: The Future Reign of The Servant Kings: Fourth Revised Edition. Grace Theology Press, chapter 14.
Hart, John F. “Why Confess Christ? The Use and Abuse of Romans 10:9–10.” Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society Volume 12 12.22–23 (1999): 118-135.
Meisinger, George E. “Why Confess with One’s Mouth? (Romans 10:9–13).” Chafer Theological Seminary Journal Volume 12 12.2 (2006): 8-25.
Mounce, Bill. “Confess and Believe – Rom 10:9: Monday with Mounce (127).” Jan 9, 2012.
Rydelnik, Michael A. “The Jewish People and Salvation.” Bibliotheca Sacra 165 (2008): 447–462.