Romans 10 Study Notes

10:1 Paul saw no contradiction between election and prayer. Only a sovereign God, who has rights to move unilaterally in the affairs of humanity, can answer prayer. Among unbelievers we do not know beforehand who is “elect” and will come to faith upon hearing the gospel, but we can know that “God our Savior . . . wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tm 2:3-4). Paul therefore prayed for Jewish salvation, and we must be diligent to share the good news of Jesus with everyone. It is never proper to give up on someone as “non-elect.”

10:2-3 Both zeal and true knowledge are necessary if one is truly to know God and serve him. In his zeal as a non-Christian Pharisee, Paul (then called Saul; see Ac 7:58 and note there) persecuted the church (Ac 22:3-5). Likewise, zeal among unbelieving Jews led to Jesus’s unjust execution. In spiritual blindness they not only missed God’s way of righteousness, they opposed it.

10:4 Christ is the end of the law in being both its fulfillment and its termination. Any system of salvation based on performance is excluded.

10:5-7 Paul quoted Moses on both sides of the issue. In Lv 18:5 (cp. Gl 3:12) obedience to the law brings life, but no one can keep the law and gain righteousness (as implied by Paul’s citation of Moses in v. 6). Faith-based righteousness is from Christ. He is accessible. He died for us and was raised from the dead. Moses pointed out that God’s revelation was accessible, and Paul quoted his words to show that Christ is accessible.

10:8 The nearness of the message of faith is at the heart and mouth of people, just as Moses proclaimed the nearness of God’s revelation.

10:9-10 Jesus is Lord is a confession of faith. “Lord” is the translation of the Greek word kurios. This is the regular way of translating the Hebrew name for God (Yahweh) in the Greek OT (the LXX). Jesus is not only the Messiah (Gk Christ = Hb Messiah), but he is also Lord (1Co 8:6). Not only do we believe that the man Jesus was raised . . . from the dead, but we also believe that he shares the same nature with God. This is the start of the understanding of Christ’s two natures, as articulated at the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451). Jesus is fully human and fully God. Christians by definition believe and confess this truth.

10:11-13 Paul cited biblical support for the universal offer of salvation. Salvation is for both Jew and Greek (i.e., Gentiles) since the same Lord (Gk kurios, v. 12) richly blesses all who call on him. The promise is for all who call on the name of the Lord (kurios, v. 13). As the prophet Joel said, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Jl 2:32). Jesus is the Lord.

10:14-15 What must occur for someone to call on the name of the Lord? Someone must first be sent to proclaim the gospel message, and then listeners must pay attention and believe. In the absence of any one of these factors, no one can call on the name of the Lord.

10:16-21 Paul quoted several OT passages to show that the conditions described in vv. 14-15 had been met for Israel. The gospel message was proclaimed throughout the Roman Empire. The Jews listened and simply did not believe. The Gentiles heard too, and many embraced it. Paul’s citations show that the Gentile conversion was predicted in the OT. Ultimately, all peoples are a disobedient and defiant people. Israel was singled out in this way due to their consistent rejection of God’s message and messengers (see Ac 7:51-60).