10:8 Paul quoted Moses again (Deut. 30:14) to reaffirm the fact that the great lawgiver taught that salvation came by faith. The "word of faith"means the message that righteousness comes by faith. Faith is easy compared to a lifetime of slavish obedience to the Law. Anyone can express it easily with the mouth and accept it easily with the heart.
10:9 The terms "mouth"and "heart,"which have been a source of confusion in the interpretation of this verse, come from Moses' words that Paul quoted in the preceding verse. The statement quoted accounts for the unusual order of "confess"and then "believe"in this verse. The normal chronological order is that one believes and then acknowledges his or her belief (i.e., confesses; cf. 2 Cor. 4:13-14).
"Confess"means to say the same thing about something as someone else does (Gr. homologeo; cf. 1 John 1:9). In this context it refers to saying the same thing about Jesus Christ as other believers in Him do. It is an acknowledgment of one's faith in Christ. Obedient Christians in the early church made this confession verbally and in water baptism, as we do today (cf. Matt. 28:19-20).
In the early church the phrase "Jesus is Lord"was one of the most common and simple expressions by which believers confessed their faith in Christ (cf. Acts. 2:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; 12:3; Phil. 2:11). It is a confession parallel and very similar to Israel's basic confession of faith in Yahweh: "Yahweh our God is one Lord"(Deut. 6:4, the Shema).
"Paul's statement in vv. 9, 10 is misunderstood when it is made to support the claim that one cannot be saved unless he makes Jesus the Lord of his life by a personal commitment. Such a commitment is most important [cf. 6:13-19; 12:1]; however, in this passage, Paul is speaking of the objective lordship of Christ, which is the very cornerstone for faith, something without which no one could be saved."319
The fact that Jesus is Lord (God and Savior) became clear when He rose from the dead (cf. v. 7). Jesus' resurrection was the proof that He really was the divine Messiah. Belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ meant belief that Jesus is Lord. Paul was speaking of belief in His resurrection as an evidence of saving faith, not as a condition for salvation.
Jesus' resurrection was not part of His saving work. His death saved us (3:25). While the resurrection is part of the good news of salvation, the gospel message (1 Cor. 15:3-4), belief in the resurrection of Christ is not a condition for salvation. A person could experience regeneration if he only knew and believed that Jesus Christ died for his sins without knowing of His resurrection. What if a person heard the gospel including the fact that Jesus arose from the dead and did not believe that Jesus arose? If he disbelieved in Jesus' resurrection because he did not believe Jesus Christ is whom He claimed to be, that person would not experience regeneration.
10:10 This verse summarizes the ideas in the previous verse in general terms. Paul frequently summarized in Romans, and often these summaries refer to the results of the action in view as here (cf. 4:25; 5:21; 6:23; 7:25).
Belief in Jesus Christ in one's heart results in acceptance by God (i.e., justification, imputed righteousness, and positional sanctification). Testimony to one's belief in Jesus Christ normally follows and normally is verbal. Paul was describing the normal consequence of belief.
In what sense does this confession result in salvation? Paul obviously did not mean that confession of Jesus Christ secures acceptance with God since he just said belief in the heart does that (v. 9; cf. ch. 4). Salvation is a broad term that includes many kinds of deliverance, as we have seen. What aspect of salvation does taking a public stand for Christ secure? For one thing it saves the person making the confession from the potential discipline of God.320It also saves him or her from the loss of reward that those who are unwilling to identify themselves with Him will enjoy (cf. Matt. 10:32-33; 2 Tim. 2:12). Furthermore, it often results in the eternal salvation of other people who hear the confession of faith and then believe themselves.
10:11 Paul removed all doubt about the requirement for justification that his statement in verses 9-10 might have created with this quotation from Isaiah 28:16. Belief in God, specifically in His promises, is the only condition for justification (cf. 3:24-25). These promises are also the basis of the believer's assurance that he or she possesses salvation (cf. 1 John 5:12-13).
10:12 The blessing of justification is available to Jew and Gentile alike (cf. 3:22). Its source is the same Lord. This reference confirms the fact that "Lord"in verse 9 refers to Jesus as God rather than as personal master as does the next verse.
10:13 The "Lord"of Joel 2:32 is the same as the "Lord Jesus Christ."Peter also appealed to Joel 2:32 in his Pentecost sermon for the same reason Paul did here (Acts 2:21). Both apostles wanted to show that the door of salvation is open to everyone. When the elect call on God they are responding to His calling of them (8:28-30). The only prayer of an unbeliever that God has promised to answer is this prayer for salvation, though He sometimes graciously answers other prayers that they pray.
Possibly Paul had a more restricted concept of salvation in mind in this verse.
"This verse (10:13) is a quotation from Joel 2:32 and refers to the physical deliverance from the future day of wrath upon the earth and the restoration of the Jews to Palestine and not deliverance from hell."321
10:14-15 Paul turned from the responsibility to believe to the responsibility of the believer. "They"refers to the lost, particularly Israelites. Paul presented the logical sequence in a lost person's coming to faith in Jesus Christ in reverse order here. Faith depends on knowledge of facts. Someone has to proclaim these facts for others to know about them. "A preacher"(NASB) unfortunately implies an ordained minister, but Paul meant "someone preaching"(NIV).
Being sent (v. 15) suggests that those heralding the gospel operate under orders from a higher authority. This description also implies that that authority has given them their message. God has sent every Christian to proclaim the gospel to the lost (Matt. 28:19-20; John 20:21). Unfortunately many Christians are waiting for some special calling from God to go. They do not realize that God has already sent them. Where we go and to what segments of humanity we proclaim the gospel are secondary issues. If we get active proclaiming the gospel, God will direct us where He wants to use us (Ps. 37:23).
As is clear from Paul's quotation of Isaiah 52:7, the message is one of good news that brings joy to those who accept it. "How beautiful are the feet"is a figurative way of expressing gratitude for the obedience of the messengers who have brought good news. The context of Isaiah's words was the announcement of God's favor in restoring Jerusalem following the Babylonian captivity.
