What does Romans 10:11 mean?
As he has done in the previous chapter (Romans 9:33), Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:16. Once again, he translates the verse to read that whomever believes in "Him" will not be put to shame. By Him, Paul means that Christ is the precious cornerstone God has laid in Zion. All who trust in this cornerstone, this sure foundation, will be vindicated. The foundation will hold. They will find themselves standing on the Rock.In quoting this verse once more, Paul is supporting a crucial idea from verse four which began this train of thought: "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Belief, not keeping the law, is the necessary ingredient to be declared righteous by God and welcomed into His family. In fact, as Paul will spell out in the following verses, there is no other criteria besides belief, including whether a person has been born physically into Israel or not.
Romans 10:5–13 explores how Israel's people have, for the most part, rejected God by refusing to trust in Christ. Instead of waiting for some new truth to fall from heaven, or float up from the abyss, they ought to recognize that truth has already been given. All who confess Christ as Lord, and believe in His resurrection, will be saved. This is true for both Jews and Gentiles.
Paul's heart is broken for his people, Israel. He prays they will be saved through faith in Christ. Their enthusiasm for God is made useless by their attempt to be made righteous by their own law-keeping instead of by faith in Christ. What, then, is required to be saved? One must confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead. The same is true for both Jews and Gentiles. God waits patiently for Israel to turn and believe.
