Romans 10King James Version
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. How shall they hear without a preacher?
Paul's heart for Israel is undimmed. He diagnoses their failure as pursuing a righteousness of their own through the law rather than submitting to God's righteousness through faith. The word of faith is near: confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved. There is no distinction; the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him. But Israel heard and still did not respond.
Salvation is available to everyone without distinction through a simple act of faith and confession, and Israel's failure is not from lack of opportunity but from refusing the righteousness God offers.
9: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Mouth and heart together: the public confession grounded in genuine belief, offered to anyone.
Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30 in verses 6 through 8, a passage where Moses tells Israel they do not need to seek the law in impossible places; it is near them already. Paul reads that nearness as fulfilled in the word of faith about Christ. The move is bold: what Moses said about Torah, Paul says is now true of the gospel.
Israel, zealous but misdirected. Moses and Isaiah, quoted to show that Gentile inclusion was always in the plan. Christ, the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Romans 10:9 has become one of the primary texts used in evangelistic settings worldwide. Paul's formulation is simple but theologically precise: the resurrection is the fact that grounds the confession, and the lordship claim is the content of what is confessed. The simplicity is intentional; the word is near, not hidden behind ritual or ethnic qualification.
For when faith feels like something complicated and inaccessible. Paul goes out of his way to say the word is near, in your mouth, in your heart. You do not have to ascend to heaven or cross the sea to find it.
1Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
5For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14How 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?
15And 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!
16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
19But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.