Romans 10:5-15 - EXEGESIS:
Rom. 10 CONTEXT: As we look at verses 5-15, we must remember how they relate to the rest of the chapter. Note the abundance of connecting words with which Paul links one thought to another: "but" (vv. 2, 6, 8, 14, 18, 21)-"and" (vv. 14,15)-"for" (vv. 3, 4, 5, 10, 12, 13, 16, 18-)-"because" (v. 9)-"so" (v.17)-"Again" (v. 19)-"Then" (v. 20). Paul reminds us again and again that we cannot understand isolated portions of this chapter apart from their context.
Throughout chapters 9-11, Paul talks about the salvation of Israel and the broadening of the plan of salvation to include Gentiles. Israel's unbelief is a problem (9:30-33), but Paul expresses his "heart's desire and my prayer...that they may be saved" (10:1). "For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness" (10:3), and have failed to understand that "Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (10:4).
ROMANS 10:5. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW
5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness.
"For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law" (v. 5a). The NRSV leaves out the "For," but it is there in the Greek, showing us that verse 5 grows out of verses 1-4, where Paul spoke of his "heart's desire and prayer to God for (his fellow Israelites) that they might be saved," and their "ignorance of the righteousness of God," preferring to establish their own righteousness. In this verse, Paul sets up a contrast between "the righteousness of the law" and "the righteousness which is of faith" (v. 6).
"The one who does them will live by them" (v. 5b). Paul paraphrases Leviticus 18:5, where Moses said, "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them: I am Yahweh." Israel staked its salvation on keeping God's ordinances, and Israel's devotion to God's law, while far from perfect, distinguished Israel from other nations.
There were, however, two problems related to Israel's keeping God's law:
ROMANS 10:6-8. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF FAITH
6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"-that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
"But the righteousness which is of faith" (v. 6a) contrasts with "righteousness of the law" (v. 5a). Paul spoke earlier of "righteousness which is of faith" (9:30) and "God's righteousness" (10:3).
"Don't say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down); or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.) 'But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart'" (vv. 6b-8). Paul alludes to Deuteronomy 30:11-14, where Moses exhorted the Israelites to obey Yahweh's commandments-commandments that were neither too difficult nor too remote to observe. Those commandments were nearby, in their mouths and in their hearts. Yahweh had made those commandments accessible so that the Israelites could, without difficulty, know and obey them.
"Don't say in your heart" (v. 6) alludes to Deuteronomy 9:4, where Moses warned Israel, "Don't say in your heart, after Yahweh your God has thrust them out from before you, saying, 'For my righteousness Yahweh has brought me in to possess this land;' because Yahweh drives them out before you because of the wickedness of these nations."
Paul reinterprets these verses from Deuteronomy to speak of Christ rather than commandments, asking: "'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down)" (v. 6) and "'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)" (v. 7). In doing so, Paul reveals a hidden layer of meaning to these verses from Deuteronomy that could be understood only after the resurrection.
"'The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;' that is, the word of faith, which we preach" (v. 8). Just as the commandments were not "too far away," but were "in your mouth, and in your heart" (Deuteronomy 34:11, 14), so also, Paul assures these Roman Christians, the word of faith is near-"in your mouth, and in your heart" (v. 8). Paul notes, "we proclaim" this "word of faith" (v. 8).
ROMANS 10:9-13. CONFESS, BELIEVE-BE SAVED
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."
"that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (kurion-from kurios), and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (v. 9). In verse 8, Paul said, "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart." Now he tells us what that means in practical terms. The word on our lips (v. 8) means confessing that Jesus is Lord (v. 9). The word in our heart (v. 8) means belief in the resurrection (v. 9). One oddity: The order seems backwards. One must believe before one can confess. Paul's adopts the confess/believe order because Deuteronomy 30:14 puts "mouth" before "heart": "But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it" (Deuteronomy 30:14).
The word kurios is used thousands of times to refer to God in the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament). While the word kurios does not always refer to God, Paul clearly intends its use in this verse to place Jesus on the same level as God.
"believe in your heart" (v. 9b). Both Old and New Testaments use the word, heart, to refer to the core of the person. When Paul talks about believing in your heart, it is clear that he means something greater than mere intellectual assent. Heart belief is a wellspring at the core of our being, and determines not only what we think but also how we act and the direction that our life will take.
"that God raised him from the dead" (v. 9c). Faith in Christ and belief in the resurrection are essentially synonymous.
"you will be saved" (v. 9d). We are saved by the grace of God, but our faith and confession of that faith are essential components of that salvation.
"For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (v. 10). Paul reverses the order of verse 9, putting belief before confession-a more conventional order.
"Whoever (Greek: pas-all, everyone) believes in him will not be disappointed" (v. 11). A literal translation from the Greek would be: "All who believe in him will not be put to shame." In this case, the literal translation seems preferable, because "All" highlights the inclusive character of God's saving action. The idea is that everyone who believes in Jesus will be saved-both Jew and Gentile.
This allusion to Isaiah 28:16 (cf. Joel 2:26) was more fully developed in Romans 9:33, where Paul quoted it this way: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed."
"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him" (v. 12). Earlier, Paul said: "For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (3:21-23). In chapter 3, the "no distinction" was our sin. In chapter 10, the "no distinction" is God's grace.
"Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved" (v. 13). Paul alludes to Joel 2:32, "Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." The original context was "the great and terrible day of Yahweh" (Joel 2:31), and those saved were to be from "Mount Zion and in Jerusalem" (Joel 2:32). In Romans, however, "Everyone" takes on a broader character, because "there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all (Jew and Gentile) who call on him" (v. 12).
ROMANS 10:14-15. HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!"
The four questions in these verses explain why it is necessary to preach the gospel. Paul has just said, "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." That is a wonderful promise, but many people have not called on the name of the Lord. In some cases, they have refused to do so because they are in rebellion against the Lord. In other cases, they have neglected to do so because they were consumed by other concerns. But in many cases, they have not called on the name of the Lord because they know nothing about the Lord. They need someone to tell them. The four questions in these verses are progressive and deal with what is needed if people are to call upon the name of the Lord (v. 13):
"And how will they preach unless they are sent?" (v. 15a). Sent by whom? By God! The church is also involved in the sending. It ordains people to various kinds of ministry and provides them with resources-but it simply acts as the agent of God, who called the people to ministry in the first place. It is God who calls and sends, and it is God who empowers.
"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" (v. 15b). Paul alludes to Isaiah 52:7, which says: "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"
Rom. 10:5-15 - Richison Commentary
v. 5: For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."
The paragraph running from verse 5 to 13 contrasts two kinds of righteousness:
Righteousness which has its origin in the law (the law provides no means for fulfilling its demands).
Righteousness which comes from faith in Christ.
Verses 5-8 describe the implications of a person who tries to fulfill the law by works.
For. The "for" here gives the basis for the assertion in verse 4. The idea of 10:4 was that Christ and Christ alone fulfilled all the demands of the law. Any other attempt to gain salvation would be utterly vain.
Paul does not quote directly from the Old Testament in the next sequence of verses. He merely puts the teaching of salvation by faith and grace in Scriptural language.
Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, Moses was the author of the first five books of the Bible. Those books establish the law under the economy of the nation Israel. Jews dispersed to Rome would understand the implication of these verses from the Old Testament.
"The man who does those things [the law] shall live by them." This sentence is an allusion to Leviticus 18:5. Should a Jew attempt to keep the standards of the law by human achievement he would utterly fail. The words "shall live by them" indicate that the Jew would have to rest his case before God by keeping the entire law. This is something that the Jew cannot attain because of the absolute character of God. No one can measure up to His righteousness.
The Old Testament sacrificial system taught the proper way of salvation. It was by atonement, by substitutional sacrifice. These sacrifices only pointed to the One who would fully paid for sins. The type cannot save but only the antitype. A symbol could never give eternal life to anyone.
PRINCIPLE: The person who chooses to go to heaven by keeping the law must keep them in every respect.
APPLICATION: A person who chooses to attain heaven by works would have to keep the entire law perfectly to be saved. This is an unbearable task. The issue is keeping all the law, not most of it. Since people cannot meet the demands of the law, they need a Savior. They need grace, not works. Salvation by works means doing everything the law teaches.
If we chose to be saved through the law then God holds us accountable for everything, every commandment that is in the law. If a person fails in just "one" point of the law then God will judge for failing all the law. That is why no one can be justified before the law:
v. 6: But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above)
The previous verse referred to the attempt to gain an acceptable status before God by human achievement. Verse six shows how we can gain that status by faith. There is a radical contrast between these two systems of salvation.
The word "but" introduces a contrast of salvation between (1) keeping the law and (2) salvation earned by Christ and offered by His grace.
the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, By alluding to another Scripture, Paul showed that we find righteousness by faith in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. This phrase is a contrast to verse five, where some attempt to live up to the law. "Righteousness of faith" is a central theme of the book of Romans (1:17). Faith in God's provision of His own righteousness by what He has done is the believer's response to the grace of God. The idea here is not that faith creates righteousness, but that faith is the means by which one receives salvation.
The point of the Deuteronomy passage has to do with the grace principle. God offered Canaan as a grace gift. The analogy is between entering Canaan and heaven.
"Do not say in your heart, This phrase is repeated in Deuteronomy 8:17 and 9:4. It is a warning against the idea that human righteousness can transcend God's revelation of grace. To "say in the heart" refers to the self-delusion that what Israel accomplished was by her own efforts.
There are two questions that people are not to dispute in their hearts: (1) that the resurrection of Christ is a reality and (2) that He went to the grave and came back again:
"Who will ascend into heaven?" The implication is that the Messiah never came in order to ascend into heaven (raised from the dead).
"Who will descend into the abyss?" The "abyss" is the place of the dead.
The responsibility for grace is not for us to undertake. Christ achieved that for us by coming to earth, dying on the cross, and rising and ascending into heaven.
'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above)
The phraseology of verses six through eight is an allusion to Deuteronomy 30:12-14. This was Moses' charge to Israel about how to enter the land of Canaan. The core idea is that God will promise blessing for obedient faith and chastisement for disobedience. Moses warned that Israel would face dispersion to other nations if they were disobedient to God's law. If, however, after being dispersed to other nations they turned back to God in faith, He would restore them to the land in blessing and prosperity (30:1-10).
The idea of ascending into heaven is proverbial for something impossible to accomplish. Moses' generation had the law. It was near them (Deut 30:11,14). They did not need direct revelation "from above." This was also true of the generation of Jews in Paul's day; as Moses' generation did not need more revelation, neither did Paul's readers need "to bring Christ down from above." Christ had already revealed Himself in flesh:
Jn 1: 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
There was, therefore, no need for the Jews to ask God to bring Christ down from above for incarnation.
PRINCIPLE: We have all the revelation in the Bible we need to understand how to go to heaven.
APPLICATION: We do not obtain truth by esoteric means. Truth is accessible and understandable from divine revelation. The New Testament gives adequate information for people to become Christians.
We cannot put Christ at a distance and still have an adequate view of salvation. The clarity of the gospel that faith in the fact that Jesus died for our sins is all that is necessary for salvation.
v. 7: or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
The "or" introduces another negative alternative. As there is no need for the esoteric approach to go to heaven directly to get the message from God, so there is no need to go to the grave for that purpose either.
" 'Who will descend into the abyss [without bottom]?' "
This sentence is a reference to Deuteronomy 30:13. Man does not have the power of life and death. The "abyss" was the place of those who died. There is no need to go to the extreme of bringing someone from the dead, because Christ is already raised from the dead.
(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Jesus has already gone to the grave and returned again by bodily resurrection.
PRINCIPLE: People do not have to go to great lengths to obtain salvation.
APPLICATION: Any self-righteous attempt to gain salvation will end in failure. There is no human means that man can concoct to earn salvation. There is no need for any superhuman attempt at salvation.
v. 8: But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
8 But what does it say? Paul alluded to Deuteronomy 30:14 in verse eight. He used the language of Deuteronomy to achieve his point. This is not a direct quotation.
"The word [of faith] is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"
Alluding to Deuteronomy 30:11 and 14, Paul said that revelation was near the Jews of his day. Jesus was available to them.
The word "word" in this sentence is the spoken word. God spoke His word to Paul's generation; it was accessible to them right then. It is the message that the Roman church heard.
The word "near you" is truth contemplated and demanded by the Word of God. The gospel speaks for itself. Faith is at hand if we are positive to God's message to us. Therefore, journey to extensive lengths is not necessary to become a Christian. All that is necessary is the faith to believe what God says.
The idea of this verse is developed in 10: 9-10.
(that is [namely], the word of faith which we preach):
"The Greek word for "word" was what stimulated belief or trust. It is always the Word of God that evokes faith:
Ro 10: 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
When a person hears the message of the gospel, all that God requires is to respond to it by faith. Faith is believing the message sent from God.
Faith here stands in contrast to works (9:32). We find the source of salvation not in our works but in the saving work of Christ.
PRINCIPLE: There is no need for extraordinary means to discover who and what Christ is.
APPLICATION: God clearly gave us the message of salvation in the gospel. There is no need for a miracle or any other extraordinary means for a person to become a Christian. On occasion God will use extraordinary means as an exception, but His normal means is through the gospel and the Bible.
The message is simple. It is a different kind of righteousness. Righteousness by faith is very different from righteousness that comes from keeping the law. The plan of salvation does not require us to do what is impossible to do. That would be necessary if we attempted to keep the law for salvation. The gospel is attainable by faith.
v. 9: that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Beginning with verse nine, Paul developed the content of what we believe. The issue is genuine faith.
The word "that" indicates the content of Christ's saving message. It matters not only who we believe but what we believe. The emphasis is on content here.
if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
The idea of "confess" alludes in this context to Deuteronomy 30:14 (cf. v. 8). Confession is public identification with Christ as the Messiah. The Greek word means to say the same thing. We agree that Jesus is God Almighty.
"Lord" indicates Jesus as sovereign God. The Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint) uses the word "LORD" over 6,000 times for the name of God.
Confession with the "mouth" indicates that the confession must be made audibly and openly. This is a confession that, as Lord, Christ as God is sovereign over all things, especially sovereign over our salvation.
and believe [point action-Greek] in your heart
Believing in one's heart is to believe with one's entire being. This is a belief that grabs the person; it is not superficial belief or fideism. What the heart believes the mouth confesses. Belief is primarily a mode of thinking, not emoting.
The "heart" in the New Testament is not emotions but the entire being-mind, emotion, and will. This means that belief is more than a function of the mind; it is a function of the mind, but it is more. Believing with the "heart" is no token assent that Jesus rose from the dead.
Note that in 10:9 confession precedes belief, and in 10:10 belief precedes confession. The reason for this is twofold:
"Mouth" precedes "heart" in Deuteronomy 30:14 (v. 8)
Verse nine emphasizes the incarnation first and the resurrection second in chronology. Verse 10, however, stresses the order of the believer's personal experience as: (1) salvation and (2) confession. First one believes and then confesses that belief.
The first half of verse nine gives the result (confess) and the last half gives the means of salvation (believe). This verse gives the result first and the cause later, but the next verse gives the cause first and the result later.
that God has raised Him from the dead, The resurrection is completely unique; it is a distinctive of Christianity. Belief in the resurrection is a corollary of confession that Jesus is Lord.
you will be saved. God will save the soul that believes that Jesus is God and that He raised the humanity of Christ from the grave.
PRINCIPLE: What the heart believes the mouth will confess.
APPLICATION: Confession is the inevitable result of believing. The Bible never affirms faith without content. Faith in faith (fideism) is never presented in Scripture. There are two items we are to believe in our verse: (1) Jesus is Lord and (2) the Father raised Him bodily from the dead.
The resurrection of Christ validates the Christian faith. His resurrection proves that salvation from Him is true. The Father put a stamp of approval on the person and work of Christ at the resurrection.
Ro 1: 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
True faith will manifest public confession of that faith.
1 Ti 6: 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
There are those who claim that we must make Jesus Lord of our lives to be saved. Subjective lordship for salvation is not found in the Bible, but only objective Lordship; that is, Christ as Lord is God Almighty. If to be saved we "make" Jesus Lord, to what degree are we to make Him Lord before we are considered saved? It is clear that we accept Him as Lord God; that is, we believe in His deity.
v. 10: For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
"For" explains further verse nine.
with the heart one believes unto righteousness [justification], The "heart" speaks of faith and the "mouth" speaks of confession. Heart belief has to do with wholehearted conviction. This is more than intellectual assent; it is conviction that involves the entire mind, emotion, and will.
Note the word "unto" in this phrase and the next. The Greek word for "unto" expresses purpose and result. The individual believes for the purpose of being declared righteous. The mouth confesses for the purpose of declaring salvation publicly.
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. "Heart" represents the entire soul, while "mouth" represents the body (a synecdoche). The "heart" (entire soul) is the instrument of believing to justification, whereas the "mouth" is the experience of confession.
"Confession" is primarily outward manifestation of belief. It is an indication of open loyalty to Jesus Christ.
Confession is not the cause of salvation but the effect of believing. There is nothing incomplete about our salvation after belief.
Salvation comes to those who acknowledge (confess) that Jesus is God and believe in the resurrection. Salvation is something accomplished by Christ the Messiah.
Ac 4: 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
PRINCIPLE: If a Christian truly believes something, he or she will want to share it.
APPLICATION: The believer publicly confesses salvation already received. There is a work that proceeds from faith and this faith certainly produces confession. Confession is not a condition of justification but the outcome of salvation. Conviction always produces verbal witness. That kind of belief is too powerful to keep secret. This is why people get baptized as soon after salvation as possible.
The media loves to publish the sins of the saints. News organizations do not emphasize the sins of lawyers. If a dog bites a man, that is not news; but if a man bites a dog, that is news! If a businessman steals from his company, that is not great news; but if a preacher steals from his church, that makes national headlines. It makes headlines because that act is something out of the ordinary for preachers to do. Tens of thousands of preachers do not do this.
v. 11: For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
"Scripture says," Paul partially quoted Isaiah 28:16 here (also cited in 9:33). The Old Testament taught the same doctrine as Paul about how to receive eternal life. The "Lord" of Joel is the same Lord Jesus Christ (Ac 2:21).
"Whoever The principle of the universality of the offer of salvation is true for both Jews and Gentiles (v. 12).
believes on Him Faith does not give eternal life by being strong or weak. Any trust in Christ saves the soul. The important factor is the object of our faith-the Lord Jesus Christ. The legalistic spirit that requires something more is not biblical. We come as we are and put our confidence in Christ, not in ourselves.
will not be put to shame [disgraced]." On the Day of Assessment, God will vindicate anyone who trusts Christ for salvation. Our hope in Christ will not be disappointed. All men have some hope but not the hope of trust in Christ for salvation. Men hope in falsehoods. They will be ashamed at the Great White Throne Judgment for unbelievers.
Ro 5: 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
PRINCIPLE: Our confession on earth will lead to God's confession of us in heaven.
APPLICATION: The Christian's hope will never be disappointed. Those without Christ will be disgraced in eternity. They will face utter humiliation before God Himself. They will attempt to stand before God with their charity, honesty, and general goodness, but God will say that is not enough. God will one day summon all non-believers to His high court and demand that they should have been saved on the basis of His righteousness, not their righteousness.
Faith and confession are two sides of the same coin. All who believe have a guarantee from God that eternity is before them. They will not face disgrace before God.
There is both improper and proper shame. Improper shame is to carry personal shame due to poverty and then compensate for that shame by living above one's means. That is shameful shame.
Biblical shame is to acknowledge sin and faults in one's character, which will lead to repentance. Those of us whose sins are washed away will have no shame when we stand before God.
There will come a day when God will divest all men of their pretense. He will strip them naked, exposing all their sham and deception. They will no longer be able to parade their artificial self-deception in which they wrap themselves.
v. 12: For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
For The reason God will vindicate all is that anyone who believes, Jew or Greek, will have the "same LORD" by faith.
there is no distinction. [difference] between Jew and Greek [Gentile], Jesus is Lord to both Jew and Gentile. God will save both the same way-by grace through faith. When it comes to salvation, there is no distinction about the availability of salvation. All men are alike in God's sight when it comes to redemption.
Ro 3: 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
for the same Lord over all. Christ has exalted universal Lordship over all. Both Jew and Greek must have the same way of salvation, because there is one LORD who saves and He never changes.
Ga 3: 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
is rich to all. God's grace is open to anyone. He gives out of the riches of His resources in Christ. God is freely rich to all who will avail themselves of His wealth. God is no miser. He is especially generous in His grace.
who call upon Him. "Call" here is prayer by the one who believes. God's attitude is rich with salvation toward sinners. Those who call on Christ draw on God's immense resources.
PRINCIPLE: Everyone who receives salvation receives the deluxe model.
APPLICATION: There is no penal judgment for the Christian. Those who believe in Christ are declared to be as right as He is right. Because of this, no Christian will undergo condemnation from God (Ro 8:1). God gives salvation out of His unadulterated grace. He is no miser when it comes to declaring us as righteous as He is righteous.
v. 13: For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
For. This verse is a quotation from Joel 2:32 applied to the Lord Jesus. Christ's exaltation by His resurrection
demonstrates His Lordship over salvation; He makes it available to all. It is only through Him that people can
be saved. This is scriptural proof of God's universal mercy.
"whoever calls [entreats]. For the fourth time the word "whoever" occurs in verses 11 to 13 (Greek-"all"). Salvation is available to all. The "calls" here is a petition of need; it is a humbling of oneself before the LORD. We are inadequate to measure up to the standards of salvation. Calling here is a synonym for believing all that God promised to us. We trust His character to deliver on His promises.
Acts 2: 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.'
on the name of the Lord. The "name of the LORD" is His identity; it is the LORD Himself. Jesus is Creator and sovereign (Acts 17:31; He 1:2). All of God's riches for us are bound up in His "name," in everything that He represents. We can rest our present situation and our eternal future on that name.
Ac 3: 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
To call on the name of the Lord is to believe all that the name of the Lord stands for; to call on His name is to know the Lord in His qualities as Savior God, Lord of all, in order to approach Him through His grace.
shall [logical progression] be saved." The term "saved" here reminds us of our eternal future condition with the Lord. The Greek indicates that salvation is something that we receive (passive voice), not some action on our part. Believers are the subject of God's action of salvation. Salvation always depends on who and what Jesus is and did.
PRINCIPLE: God grants the possibility of salvation to everyone.
APPLICATION: If the water in the well is dirty, we do not paint the pump. There are people who consider themselves better than others. It comes as a great shock to people who consider themselves superior to others that God provides something greater than self-righteousness. God's righteousness means that all of us are filthy sinners. It is His mercy in grace that saves the unclean soul.
v. 14: 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?
The previous verse said that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Here Paul took up the implications of a person who does that. Each question expands on the previous question.
Verses 14 and 15 launch a logical train of four "how" sentences. The question is one of methodology. These are the steps necessary for the gospel to advance the calling. Note that this chain of ideas goes from the end to the beginning, from effect to cause. Here is the chronological order:
One must be sent, v. 15
Paul continued quotation of Scripture here. It is clear that the Jews of his day did not accept the gospel because they did not believe their own Scriptures. The idea that anyone has the right to call on God (Jew or Gentile) was a stumbling block to Jewish hearers of Paul's message. Turning from the responsibility to believe, Paul now challenged the believer to take up the charge to share the gospel. Understanding the gospel requires knowing certain facts. It takes people to deliver those facts.
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? "Call" in this verse follows believing in contrast to the order of the previous section. It is not possible to call on someone in whom we do not believe. No one will call on someone they do not believe in.
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? Believing is based on hearing. Hearing involves understanding. Understanding requires something spoken; that is, communication.
And how shall they hear without a preacher [a herald]? Hearing is based on proclamation. Something more than hearing is required; people need a herald, a communicator. God uses people to do His bidding. The gospel must be communicated through the instrument of human words as well as through the Holy Spirit. The "preacher" here is more than what we think of as someone standing behind a pulpit; it is anyone who announces the good news. Carrying the gospel involves believers taking the message to people.
PRINCIPLE: Calling requires faith in the content of a message.
APPLICATION: Calling is a metaphor for submission to God's will. Calling requires faith and faith requires hearing. Hearing is the crux of mission activity. God ordained that people will hear what the messenger says; therefore, hearing requires telling the message. No one can respond to a message they never heard.
1 Co 1: 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
v. 15: And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
In this verse we see the necessity of credentials to proclaim eternal truth.
And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Preaching is based on sending. This is the climax of the four questions. The idea of being "sent" is commission from a higher authority, a divine commission. Proclamation requires a commission. The gospel does not originate with the proclaimer. The emphasis here is on the one who sent the proclaimer-Jesus Christ. Missionaries and evangelists go in the name of another. We do not go in our authority or power; we go out under the auspices of God Himself.
As it is written: Paul hammered his point from a quote of Isaiah 52:7 to show the keenness of those who carry the gospel message. In Isaiah 52:7 the proclaimer announced to Judah that God ended the exile in Babylon (Isa 40:9-11); however, Paul applied this to the Jews of his day.
"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Those who carry the gospel have a welcoming message. It is a joy to those who embrace it. This is analogous to airline flights delivering food to a starving country. The message of the wrath of God being stemmed by the cross is a blessing indeed.
The word "beautiful" means from full bloom or development. We do not normally think of feet as beautiful. Most of us think they are quite ugly! It is the message that makes the messenger beautiful. "Feet" implies travel.
Who bring glad tidings of good things!" "Glad tidings" is the gospel itself. The word "gospel" means good news.
PRINCIPLE: There is a necessity for divine messengers in God's economy.
APPLICATION: God calls every Christian to proclaim the truth of the gospel. We operate under orders from the highest authority ever. The proclaimer gets his marching orders from the ultimate source possible. This is true of all believers, whether they are in full-time ministry or not. There is no such thing as home or foreign missions; the idea is simply missions. Everyone has the mission to proclaim the gospel. It is true that God calls some to go to far-flung fields, but even that is simply missions.
