Romans 10:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

NIV: for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

NASB: for 'EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE Lord WILL BE SAVED.'

CSB: For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

NLT: For 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

KJV: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

NKJV: For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Paul quotes from the prophet Joel in this verse, declaring that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32). In doing so, Paul accomplishes two things. First, he connects this truth to His statement in the previous verse that Christ, the Lord of all, gives His riches to all who call on Him, both Jews and Gentiles.

The idea of "calling on the name of the Lord," in this context, means those who turn to Christ in faith seeking salvation. While not literally a description of a "sinner's prayer," Paul is referring to those who express the sentiment that a "sinner's prayer" contains. This is the act of placing one's faith in Christ. This is crucially different from those Jesus described in Matthew 7:21–23, as those who use His name, but have no actual faith in Him.

Paul makes a second connection, as well, showing that Christ the Lord is in fact Israel's Yahweh from the Old Testament. They are one in the same. All who call on Him in faith, both Jew and Gentile, will be saved from God's wrath against sin and will share in God's glory forever.

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.

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 5/6/2024 10:29:37 PM