Romans 10:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Brothers, my heart 's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

NIV: Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

NASB: Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

CSB: Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.

NLT: Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.

KJV: Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

NKJV: Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

Paul strikes a new tone as chapter 10 begins. He directly addresses his brothers and sisters: the Christians in Rome to whom he is writing this letter. He calls them siblings because they are all Christians. Paul is speaking of the Israelites. In addition to a Christian and a Roman citizen, Paul is also Jewish. He writes that his heart's desire and his prayer is that the Jewish people may be saved.

Some Jews have come to faith in Christ through the preaching of Paul and the other apostles. Yet the nation as a whole has rejected the Messiah, including the Jewish religious leadership. Sadly, this is still the case in the modern era. Further, the Jewish people of Paul's day not only rejected Christ, they tried to silence Paul and others who preached about Him. That doesn't change Paul's desire to see those same people come to Christ, however.

Romans 10:1–4 describes Paul's honest desire and prayer for the people of Israel to be saved through faith in Christ. He acknowledges their enthusiasm for God, but that cannot overcome their ignorance about how to reach God's righteousness. It is not through keeping the law; that's impossible. It is through Christ alone that anyone can receive the righteousness of God.

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.

Romans 9 concluded with Paul's declaration that Israel has stumbled over the stumbling stone of Christ. Romans 10 describes Paul's heartfelt prayer that Israel would be saved, despite her commitment to saving herself through works. Why have the Israelites not confessed the Lordship of Jesus and believed in the resurrection? It's not for lack of hearing and understanding; they are disobeying the gospel. Paul will insist, though, in the following chapter, that God has not rejected Israel. He still holds out His hands to her, offering salvation through faith in Christ.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

Accessed 11/21/2024 8:31:59 AM