Romans 10:11-13 KEY WORDS CONCERNING SALVATION NUMBER FIVE
Notes
Transcript
KEY WORDS CONCERNING SALVATION NUMBER FIVE
KEY WORDS CONCERNING SALVATION NUMBER FIVE
8 But 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; 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
8 But 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;
Greek: alla ti legei? (3SPAI) Eggus sou to rhema estin, (3SPAI) en to stomati sou kai en te kardia sou; tout' estin (3SPAI) to rhema tes pisteos o kerussomen. (1PPAI)
Amplified: But what does it say? The Word (God's message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
ESV: But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); (ESV)
ICB: This is what the Scripture says: "God's teaching is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart." That is the teaching of faith that we tell.
NIV: But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: (NIV - IBS)
NKJV: But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
NLT: Salvation that comes from trusting Christ--which is the message we preach--is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, "The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: 'The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart'. It is the secret of faith, which is the burden of our preaching (Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: But what does it say? Near you the word is, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the word of the Faith which we are proclaiming. (Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: But what doth it say? 'Nigh thee is the saying -- in thy mouth, and in thy heart:' that is, the saying of the faith, that we preach
Greek: alla ti legei? (3SPAI) Eggus sou to rhema estin, (3SPAI) en to stomati sou kai en te kardia sou; tout' estin (3SPAI) to rhema tes pisteos o kerussomen. (1PPAI)
Amplified: But what does it say? The Word (God's message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
ESV: But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); (ESV)
ICB: This is what the Scripture says: "God's teaching is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart." That is the teaching of faith that we tell.
NIV: But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: (NIV - IBS)
NKJV: But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
NLT: Salvation that comes from trusting Christ--which is the message we preach--is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, "The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: 'The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart'. It is the secret of faith, which is the burden of our preaching (Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: But what does it say? Near you the word is, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the word of the Faith which we are proclaiming. (Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: But what doth it say? 'Nigh thee is the saying -- in thy mouth, and in thy heart:' that is, the saying of the faith, that we preach
ROMANS ROAD to RIGHTEOUSNESS
ROMANS ROAD to RIGHTEOUSNESS
SIN SALVATION SANCTIFICATION SOVEREIGNTY SERVICE
SIN SALVATION SANCTIFICATION SOVEREIGNTY SERVICE
NEED FOR SALVATION
NEED FOR SALVATION
FOR
SALVATION
WAY OF SALVATION
WAY OF SALVATION
LIFE OF SALVATION
LIFE OF SALVATION
SCOPE OF SALVATION
SCOPE OF SALVATION
WORK OF SALVATION
WORK OF SALVATION
Related resources...
Related resources...
Summary on the Attributes of God
Summary on the Attributes of God
Spurgeon on the Attributes of God
Spurgeon on the Attributes of God
Israel of God - Is God "Finished" with Israel in His prophetic plan?
Israel of God - Is God "Finished" with Israel in His prophetic plan?
Off Site - Table Comparing/contrasting Israel & Church
Off Site - Table Comparing/contrasting Israel & Church
Off Site - Does the Church Fulfill Israel's Program? - John Walvoord
Off Site - Does the Church Fulfill Israel's Program? - John Walvoord
The Jewish People, Jesus Christ and World History - S Lewis Johnson
The Jewish People, Jesus Christ and World History - S Lewis Johnson
Are you confused about God's plan for Israel? Then I highly recommend Tony Garland's 12 Hour Course on in which he addresses in depth the question of What Will Happen to Israel? (click) or see the individual lectures below)
Are you confused about God's plan for Israel? Then I highly recommend Tony Garland's 12 Hour Course on in which he addresses in depth the question of What Will Happen to Israel? (click) or see the individual lectures below)
Paul's Sorrow Concerning Israel
Children of the Promise
The Potter and the Clay
A Remnant Will be Saved
The Righteousness of God
Has Israel Not Heard?
God Has Not Cast Away The Jews
Life from the Dead
Two Olive Trees
The Salvation of Israel
Paul's Sorrow Concerning Israel
Children of the Promise
The Potter and the Clay
A Remnant Will be Saved
The Righteousness of God
Has Israel Not Heard?
God Has Not Cast Away The Jews
Life from the Dead
Two Olive Trees
The Salvation of Israel
BUT WHAT DOES IT SAY THE WORD IS NEAR YOU IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART: alla ti legei (3SPAI) eggus sou to rhema estin (3SPAI) en to stomati sou kai en te kardia sou:
BUT WHAT DOES IT SAY THE WORD IS NEAR YOU IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART: alla ti legei (3SPAI) eggus sou to rhema estin (3SPAI) en to stomati sou kai en te kardia sou:
Listen to Dr J Vernon McGee: Mp3
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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
What does it say - This question refers to the personification of "Righteousness based on faith" which "speaks" in -note. Paul quotes a passage from the OT "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it." ()
What does it say - This question refers to the personification of "Righteousness based on faith" which "speaks" in -note. Paul quotes a passage from the OT "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it." ()
6 But 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:)
14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
Word (4487)(rhema [word study] from verb rheo = to speak - to say, speak or utter definite words) refers to the spoken word, especially a word as uttered by a living voice uttering a definite intelligible word, which has a definite meaning and which focuses upon the content of the communication. By using rhema Paul is referring to the Word as actually uttered when preached.
Word (4487)(rhema [word study] from verb rheo = to speak - to say, speak or utter definite words) refers to the spoken word, especially a word as uttered by a living voice uttering a definite intelligible word, which has a definite meaning and which focuses upon the content of the communication. By using rhema Paul is referring to the Word as actually uttered when preached.
Near (1451) (eggus) can have a spatial (position close to another - ) or temporal (point of time relatively close to another - ) meaning. Here the idea seems to be that the Word of Faith is near or close at hand and ready to help.
Near (1451) (eggus) can have a spatial (position close to another - ) or temporal (point of time relatively close to another - ) meaning. Here the idea seems to be that the Word of Faith is near or close at hand and ready to help.
23 And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
13 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Tony Garland explains it this way "Emphasis is placed on the nearness (accessibility) of God's commandments. There is an intimate connection between the heart and mouth. The mouth speaks forth that which is in the heart ( ; , , ; , ). Our problem is not one of access to God's will, but obedience! ( - The Righteousness of God) (Watch his web show or listen to his Mp3 audio which is much more in depth - )
Tony Garland explains it this way "Emphasis is placed on the nearness (accessibility) of God's commandments. There is an intimate connection between the heart and mouth. The mouth speaks forth that which is in the heart ( ; , , ; , ). Our problem is not one of access to God's will, but obedience! ( - The Righteousness of God) (Watch his web show or listen to his Mp3 audio which is much more in depth - )
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But 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:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But 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; 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
To keep the Word near one's self was exactly the command given to Joshua "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. (-note)
To keep the Word near one's self was exactly the command given to Joshua "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. (-note)
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Morris has an interesting observation "Paul in this passage is quoting (or better, paraphrasing and applying) . It is noteworthy that he refers to its authority, not as that of the Scripture, Moses, or God, as he usually does when quoting from the Old Testament, but rather as "the righteousness which is of faith" speaking (), in effect personifying that righteousness (). (Defenders Study Bible)
Morris has an interesting observation "Paul in this passage is quoting (or better, paraphrasing and applying) . It is noteworthy that he refers to its authority, not as that of the Scripture, Moses, or God, as he usually does when quoting from the Old Testament, but rather as "the righteousness which is of faith" speaking (), in effect personifying that righteousness (). (Defenders Study Bible)
14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
6 But 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:)
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
Instead of having to go to great lengths to achieve righteousness by the impossible task of trying to obey the Law (cp ), we can immediately receive righteousness by faith, by trusting in the word of the Gospel. In other words, men do not have to ascend or descend to find it, because God’s way of salvation has been clearly revealed in the Gospel. His chosen people Israel in fact had been surrounded by the word of faith (the message that righteousness comes by faith) which Paul was now preaching. Even under the Old Covenant men could claim God’s grace simply by receiving it in faith (, -note, -note [Phinehas faith brought forth works] , ).
Instead of having to go to great lengths to achieve righteousness by the impossible task of trying to obey the Law (cp ), we can immediately receive righteousness by faith, by trusting in the word of the Gospel. In other words, men do not have to ascend or descend to find it, because God’s way of salvation has been clearly revealed in the Gospel. His chosen people Israel in fact had been surrounded by the word of faith (the message that righteousness comes by faith) which Paul was now preaching. Even under the Old Covenant men could claim God’s grace simply by receiving it in faith (, -note, -note [Phinehas faith brought forth works] , ).
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment:
And so the plague was stayed.
31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness
Unto all generations for evermore.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him:
But the just shall live by his faith.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Much of our modern world today is like the Israel of Paul’s day, for they (like Israel) have a general idea of the claims of the Gospel and have access to Bibles, churches, and believers through which they could (or should be able to) easily see the gospel if they so desired. As a believer, it is difficult on this side of the veil, so to speak, to understand why men who have such open access to the truth which would set them free (,, ) still foolishly, willfully choose to pursue righteousness by works (or conversely to actively pursue unrighteousness, -note cp , ) and to “suppress (katecho = actively hold truth down and present tense = do so continually) the truth in unrighteousness” (-note, see the resultant downward "moral spiral" in -note).
Much of our modern world today is like the Israel of Paul’s day, for they (like Israel) have a general idea of the claims of the Gospel and have access to Bibles, churches, and believers through which they could (or should be able to) easily see the gospel if they so desired. As a believer, it is difficult on this side of the veil, so to speak, to understand why men who have such open access to the truth which would set them free (,, ) still foolishly, willfully choose to pursue righteousness by works (or conversely to actively pursue unrighteousness, -note cp , ) and to “suppress (katecho = actively hold truth down and present tense = do so continually) the truth in unrighteousness” (-note, see the resultant downward "moral spiral" in -note).
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
The word is near you - Paul uses an OT passage from to demonstrate to his readers that the word of faith (the message that righteousness comes by faith) was near and was accessible, intelligible, and easily obtained. As Constable says "Faith (Ed: believing the gospel) is easy, compared to a lifetime of slavish obedience to the Law (Ed: Which is futile in regard to obtaining righteousness acceptable to God)."
The word is near you - Paul uses an OT passage from to demonstrate to his readers that the word of faith (the message that righteousness comes by faith) was near and was accessible, intelligible, and easily obtained. As Constable says "Faith (Ed: believing the gospel) is easy, compared to a lifetime of slavish obedience to the Law (Ed: Which is futile in regard to obtaining righteousness acceptable to God)."
14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
McGee phrases it this way - It (the Word of Faith) is available right where you are sitting. A great many folk think they have to go to an altar in some sort of meeting to be saved. But salvation is available to you right where you are now. (Listen to Dr McGee's Mp3's = ; )
McGee phrases it this way - It (the Word of Faith) is available right where you are sitting. A great many folk think they have to go to an altar in some sort of meeting to be saved. But salvation is available to you right where you are now. (Listen to Dr McGee's Mp3's = ; )
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But 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:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But 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;
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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
In your mouth - That is to say the word of faith (the message that righteousness comes by faith) can be expressed with normal human speech. For example, every time a Jewish priest would have spoken the words from , the "bells" should have gone off in the minds of the hearers!
In your mouth - That is to say the word of faith (the message that righteousness comes by faith) can be expressed with normal human speech. For example, every time a Jewish priest would have spoken the words from , the "bells" should have gone off in the minds of the hearers!
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
In your heart - That is to say that the word of faith can be readily understood in the mind ("heart" was often used as a metonym [figure of speech using name of one thing {heart} for that of another {mind} of which it is associated]) and thus easily accepted (or received, cp the predominate response of the Jews to the Truth = ). And if one considers the Jewish phylacteries which were common in Jesus' and Paul's day (and are worn today by Orthodox Jews), the literal Word of God was near them for they would bind these boxes of Scripture on the left arm [nearer the heart!] and on their forehead [between their eyes - cp :9YLT!]
In your heart - That is to say that the word of faith can be readily understood in the mind ("heart" was often used as a metonym [figure of speech using name of one thing {heart} for that of another {mind} of which it is associated]) and thus easily accepted (or received, cp the predominate response of the Jews to the Truth = ). And if one considers the Jewish phylacteries which were common in Jesus' and Paul's day (and are worn today by Orthodox Jews), the literal Word of God was near them for they would bind these boxes of Scripture on the left arm [nearer the heart!] and on their forehead [between their eyes - cp :9YLT!]
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. 3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. 4 This day came ye out in the month Abib. 5 And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. 8 And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. 9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt. 10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year. 11 And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, 12 That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord’s. 13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem. 14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. 16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.
17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: 18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. 20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
The psalmist writes "The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip. (-See Spurgeon's note)
The psalmist writes "The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip. (-See Spurgeon's note)
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.
KJV Bible Commentary has an interesting and very plausibe interpretation of this section noting that Paul "even goes so far as to say that it is in their mouths and in their hearts. How can this be? The answer is that when entering a town to preach, Paul immediately proceeded to the synagogue. Whether the Jews believed his message or not, when he left, they remained behind to discuss what Paul had taught. The very message of the gospel of Christ had been in their mouths and in their hearts, but they did not believe. The truth of righteousness was as close to them as it could possibly be, but they failed in their responsibility to receive that truth. (Dobson, E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV Bible Commentary: Nelson )
KJV Bible Commentary has an interesting and very plausibe interpretation of this section noting that Paul "even goes so far as to say that it is in their mouths and in their hearts. How can this be? The answer is that when entering a town to preach, Paul immediately proceeded to the synagogue. Whether the Jews believed his message or not, when he left, they remained behind to discuss what Paul had taught. The very message of the gospel of Christ had been in their mouths and in their hearts, but they did not believe. The truth of righteousness was as close to them as it could possibly be, but they failed in their responsibility to receive that truth. (Dobson, E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV Bible Commentary: Nelson )
Moses' charge to remember the Feast of the Passover forever () is another OT passage that should have "made the lights flash" in the hearts and minds of the Jewish celebrants (and should do so in our day when even many non-Orthodox Jews choose to celebrate the Passover!)...
Moses' charge to remember the Feast of the Passover forever () is another OT passage that should have "made the lights flash" in the hearts and minds of the Jewish celebrants (and should do so in our day when even many non-Orthodox Jews choose to celebrate the Passover!)...
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
And it (the annual celebration of the Passover feast) shall serve as a sign (points to something = a visible mark or object intended to convey a clear message!) to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead (between your eyes - What God figuratively meant to stir their hearts, they perverted into a literal, albeit empty ritual known as the wearing of phylacteries - cp , , , , , , , , ) that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt ()
And it (the annual celebration of the Passover feast) shall serve as a sign (points to something = a visible mark or object intended to convey a clear message!) to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead (between your eyes - What God figuratively meant to stir their hearts, they perverted into a literal, albeit empty ritual known as the wearing of phylacteries - cp , , , , , , , , ) that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt ()
16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.
Comment: How "near" this Word was to the Jews who for the most part were blind to these great OT "picture book stories" of the Messiah and His work of salvation for sinful mankind! (, , ) Compare , , , , [note even the application to the doorposts and lintel would replicate the arrangement of the Cross!], , = Redeemed from Egyptian slavery by the blood of an unblemished lamb [cp , , , -notes] The word of faith has always been near to those who have eyes to see it and ears to hear it! What an awesome God we serve Who demonstrates such incredible patience and lovingkindness to men and women who are hostile toward Him (cp -note, -note)!
Comment: How "near" this Word was to the Jews who for the most part were blind to these great OT "picture book stories" of the Messiah and His work of salvation for sinful mankind! (, , ) Compare , , , , [note even the application to the doorposts and lintel would replicate the arrangement of the Cross!], , = Redeemed from Egyptian slavery by the blood of an unblemished lamb [cp , , , -notes] The word of faith has always been near to those who have eyes to see it and ears to hear it! What an awesome God we serve Who demonstrates such incredible patience and lovingkindness to men and women who are hostile toward Him (cp -note, -note)!
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Lenski - At one time the Jews from very childhood onward learned the law by the Word uttered and taught to them; it was put into the “mouth” of each one. In this way it was by the Word also to enter the “heart” of each, the center of his being. Not, indeed, so as to attain righteousness by the law. Theirs were to be believing hearts, and they were to use the law rightly for daily contrition and repentance and for their hearts’ guide to serve God aright. Just so the gospel Word, when it is uttered and preached, brings God’s righteousness, has ever brought it where it sounded forth, has placed it right into the “mouths” of the hearers to talk about it, discuss it, make it their own, confess it; right into their “hearts” to hold it there by faith. The Word, the Word uttered, is the great medium; and being gospel-Word and not command, faith is its reception, and unbelief, sad to say, its rejection. Since the medium, the uttered Word, was the same, it should have been as easy for the Jews to receive the gospel as to receive the law. Easier, in fact, because the gospel is a pure gift. But they received even the law only outwardly and not in the heart and closed their hearts obdurately against the gospel-word with its gift of righteousness. (Lenski, R. C. H. The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans page 654. Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern. Published 1936)
Lenski - At one time the Jews from very childhood onward learned the law by the Word uttered and taught to them; it was put into the “mouth” of each one. In this way it was by the Word also to enter the “heart” of each, the center of his being. Not, indeed, so as to attain righteousness by the law. Theirs were to be believing hearts, and they were to use the law rightly for daily contrition and repentance and for their hearts’ guide to serve God aright. Just so the gospel Word, when it is uttered and preached, brings God’s righteousness, has ever brought it where it sounded forth, has placed it right into the “mouths” of the hearers to talk about it, discuss it, make it their own, confess it; right into their “hearts” to hold it there by faith. The Word, the Word uttered, is the great medium; and being gospel-Word and not command, faith is its reception, and unbelief, sad to say, its rejection. Since the medium, the uttered Word, was the same, it should have been as easy for the Jews to receive the gospel as to receive the law. Easier, in fact, because the gospel is a pure gift. But they received even the law only outwardly and not in the heart and closed their hearts obdurately against the gospel-word with its gift of righteousness. (Lenski, R. C. H. The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans page 654. Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern. Published 1936)
Charles Hodge writes that "The meaning in this passage is: “The Gospel, instead of directing us to climb up into heaven (-note) or to go down to the depths (-note), tells us the thing required is simple and easy. Believe with your heart and you will be saved. (Romans Commentary Online)
Charles Hodge writes that "The meaning in this passage is: “The Gospel, instead of directing us to climb up into heaven (-note) or to go down to the depths (-note), tells us the thing required is simple and easy. Believe with your heart and you will be saved. (Romans Commentary Online)
6 But 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:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
William Kelly said it well - Christ is given and preached. It is for man to name Him with his mouth and to believe with his heart
William Kelly said it well - Christ is given and preached. It is for man to name Him with his mouth and to believe with his heart
Middletown Bible...
Middletown Bible...
The glorious proclamation about Christ is near. It’s not far away. It is accessible to all and available for all! The good news of salvation is within reach of all. How near is it? It is in your mouth and in your heart! But you must do something with it! With your heart believe it! With your mouth confess it! (It is near and close to people in America today, so near that it is in their mouths--they use the Lord’s Name all the time, but in the wrong way, not to confess but to curse!)
, can be illustrated by the robber on the cross (, , , , , ). The crucified Christ was very near him! The word was in the robber's mouth but in the wrong way (he reviled Him at first). But this man repented and he believed in his heart that God would raise Him from the dead () and with his mouth he confessed Him as Lord and King (). May we believe and confess as this man did! (Ed: And not be like the other thief who refused to repent and believe!)
The glorious proclamation about Christ is near. It’s not far away. It is accessible to all and available for all! The good news of salvation is within reach of all. How near is it? It is in your mouth and in your heart! But you must do something with it! With your heart believe it! With your mouth confess it! (It is near and close to people in America today, so near that it is in their mouths--they use the Lord’s Name all the time, but in the wrong way, not to confess but to curse!)
, can be illustrated by the robber on the cross (, , , , , ). The crucified Christ was very near him! The word was in the robber's mouth but in the wrong way (he reviled Him at first). But this man repented and he believed in his heart that God would raise Him from the dead () and with his mouth he confessed Him as Lord and King (). May we believe and confess as this man did! (Ed: And not be like the other thief who refused to repent and believe!)
8 But 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;
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.
32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
THAT IS, THE WORD OF (THE) FAITH WHICH WE ARE PREACHING: tout estin (3SPAI) to rhema tes pisteos o kerussomen (1PPAI): (; ,; ; ,; ; ,; ; ,; ; ,)
THAT IS, THE WORD OF (THE) FAITH WHICH WE ARE PREACHING: tout estin (3SPAI) to rhema tes pisteos o kerussomen (1PPAI): (; ,; ; ,; ; ,; ; ,; ; ,)
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
19 I create the fruit of the lips;
Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord;
And I will heal him.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Word (4487)(rhema [word study] from verb rheo = to speak - to say, speak or utter definite words) refers to the spoken word, especially a word as uttered by a living voice. Laleo is another word translated speak but it refers only to uttering a sound whereas rheo refers to uttering a definite intelligible word. Rhema refers to any sound produced by the voice which has a definite meaning. It focuses upon the content of the communication. For example in Luke we read...
Word (4487)(rhema [word study] from verb rheo = to speak - to say, speak or utter definite words) refers to the spoken word, especially a word as uttered by a living voice. Laleo is another word translated speak but it refers only to uttering a sound whereas rheo refers to uttering a definite intelligible word. Rhema refers to any sound produced by the voice which has a definite meaning. It focuses upon the content of the communication. For example in Luke we read...
And they understood none of these things, and this saying (rhema) was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said. ()
And they understood none of these things, and this saying (rhema) was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said. ()
34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
The word of faith - Literally this reads "word of the faith" or "saying of the faith". What word was Paul preaching? In context "the Word of the faith" Paul was preaching was the message that righteousness comes by faith. In other words, this would be another way of referring to the good news of the gospel. In the OT passage the "word" is God's word as found in the law. Paul takes the OT passage and applies it to the gospel, "the word of faith", which is something we confess as well as believe. Note that in the following verse (), Paul reverses the normally expected chronological order, placing confess before believe, the expected pattern being that found in , .
The word of faith - Literally this reads "word of the faith" or "saying of the faith". What word was Paul preaching? In context "the Word of the faith" Paul was preaching was the message that righteousness comes by faith. In other words, this would be another way of referring to the good news of the gospel. In the OT passage the "word" is God's word as found in the law. Paul takes the OT passage and applies it to the gospel, "the word of faith", which is something we confess as well as believe. Note that in the following verse (), Paul reverses the normally expected chronological order, placing confess before believe, the expected pattern being that found in , .
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.
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
Hodge agrees writing that "The expression word of faith may mean “the word or doctrine concerning faith,” or “the word to which faith is due,” which should be believed. In either case, it is the Gospel, or doctrine of justification, which is intended here. (Romans Commentary Online)
Hodge agrees writing that "The expression word of faith may mean “the word or doctrine concerning faith,” or “the word to which faith is due,” which should be believed. In either case, it is the Gospel, or doctrine of justification, which is intended here. (Romans Commentary Online)
Paul's main point is the ready availability of Good News. Righteousness can be gained by sinful men, but it can only be secured by faith and not by deeds. This Good News is readily available to anyone who will receive it freely from God through Christ.
Paul's main point is the ready availability of Good News. Righteousness can be gained by sinful men, but it can only be secured by faith and not by deeds. This Good News is readily available to anyone who will receive it freely from God through Christ.
Preaching (2784) (kerusso or kerysso from kerux/keryx = a herald - one who acts as the medium of the authority of one who proclamation he makes; kerugma = the thing preached or the message) means to proclaim (publicly) or to herald or act as a public crier - the town official who would make a proclamation in a public gathering.
Preaching (2784) (kerusso or kerysso from kerux/keryx = a herald - one who acts as the medium of the authority of one who proclamation he makes; kerugma = the thing preached or the message) means to proclaim (publicly) or to herald or act as a public crier - the town official who would make a proclamation in a public gathering.
The Greco-Roman rulers had special heralds who made announcements to the people. They were commissioned by the ruler and were to proclaim their announcements in a loud, clear voice so that everyone could hear. In the ancient world not to heed the ruler’s messenger was a serious error and to abuse the messenger was even worse. So just as kerusso was used of the official whose duty was to proclaim loudly the coming of an earthly king, even our gospel is to clearly announce the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords (-note)!
The Greco-Roman rulers had special heralds who made announcements to the people. They were commissioned by the ruler and were to proclaim their announcements in a loud, clear voice so that everyone could hear. In the ancient world not to heed the ruler’s messenger was a serious error and to abuse the messenger was even worse. So just as kerusso was used of the official whose duty was to proclaim loudly the coming of an earthly king, even our gospel is to clearly announce the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords (-note)!
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
The Imperial Herald would enter a town in behalf of the Emperor, and make a public proclamation of the message which his Sovereign ordered him to give, doing so with such formality, gravity, and authority as to emphasize that the message must be heeded! (Think about this in regard to the Gospel of God instead of the decree of a man! cf note ). He spoke to the people exactly what the Emperor had instructed him to give, nothing more, nothing less. He did not dare add to the message or take away from it. Should this not be the example and pattern every preacher and teacher of the holy gospel of God seeks and strives to emulate, yea, even doing so with fear and trembling! ("not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts" -note)
The Imperial Herald would enter a town in behalf of the Emperor, and make a public proclamation of the message which his Sovereign ordered him to give, doing so with such formality, gravity, and authority as to emphasize that the message must be heeded! (Think about this in regard to the Gospel of God instead of the decree of a man! cf note ). He spoke to the people exactly what the Emperor had instructed him to give, nothing more, nothing less. He did not dare add to the message or take away from it. Should this not be the example and pattern every preacher and teacher of the holy gospel of God seeks and strives to emulate, yea, even doing so with fear and trembling! ("not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts" -note)
13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
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.
Greek: hoti ean homologeses (2SAAS) en to stomati sou kurion Iesoun, kai pisteuses (2SAAS) en te kardia sou hoti o theos auton egeiren (3SAAI) ek nekron, sothese (2SFPI)
Greek: hoti ean homologeses (2SAAS) en to stomati sou kurion Iesoun, kai pisteuses (2SAAS) en te kardia sou hoti o theos auton egeiren (3SAAI) ek nekron, sothese (2SFPI)
Amplified: Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Amplified: Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
ESV: because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
ESV: because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
ICB: If you use your mouth to say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from death, then you will be saved.
ICB: If you use your mouth to say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from death, then you will be saved.
NIV: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
NIV: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
NKJV: that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
NKJV: that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
NLT: For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
NLT: For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Phillips: If you openly admit by your own mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and if you believe in your own heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Phillips: If you openly admit by your own mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and if you believe in your own heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Wuest: If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from among the dead, you will be saved.
Wuest: If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from among the dead, you will be saved.
Young's Literal: that if thou mayest confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and mayest believe in thy heart that God did raise him out of the dead, thou shalt be saved,
Young's Literal: that if thou mayest confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and mayest believe in thy heart that God did raise him out of the dead, thou shalt be saved,
THAT IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH JESUS AS LORD AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART: hoti ean homologeses (2SAAS) en to stomati sou kurion Iesoun: (; ,; ; ; ,; ; ,; ) (; , , ; , , , ; ; , , , , ; )
THAT IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH JESUS AS LORD AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART: hoti ean homologeses (2SAAS) en to stomati sou kurion Iesoun: (; ,; ; ; ,; ; ,; ) (; , , ; , , , ; ; , , , , ; )
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
ONLY ONE
CONFESSION
"COUNTS"!
ONLY ONE
CONFESSION
"COUNTS"!
And if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord - This is a fascinating statement but one which is as it were "time sensitive". This confession must be made during life before we die physically. Indeed, there is coming a glorious day when the great God and Lord of all, Christ Jesus, will be acknowledged for Who He truly is by every man and woman ever born! The tragedy of tragedies is that this future confession in the life to come does not gain salvation for those who have denied His Lordship in this present evil age ()!
Paul affirms the reality of this future confession twice noting first that...
it is written (grapho in the perfect tense = it stands written in the OT prophecy and is a permanent binding irrevocable record!), “As I live, says the Lord, every (pas = all with no exception!) knee shall bow to Me, and every (pas = all with no exception!) tongue shall give praise (exomologeo = conveys the thought of an open, frank, and full confession. The middle voice = reflects each person's definite personal involvement in this confession) to God.” (-note)
Therefore (because of , , -notes, -note) also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY (pas = all without exception!) KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every (pas = every tongue without exception!) tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Amen and Amen!) (, , -note)
Confess (3670) (homologeo from homoú = together with + légo = say) means to say the same and so to agree in one's statement. Homologeo means to express openly one's allegiance to a proposition or a person, in this context the person of Christ. It is a statement of identification, faith, confidence, and trust.
Outward confession stems from a profound inward conviction.
Homologeo has strong legal connotations. As a judicial term, the word indicates the binding and public declaration which settles a relationship with legal force. A person can confess to a charge in court and thus openly acknowledge guilt. Or one may agree with a court order and thus make a legally binding commitment to abide by it. This last sense is implied in passages like this one in that call on us to acknowledge Jesus. We are to express our binding commitment to Jesus publicly thus acknowledging our relationship to Him as our Lord and Savior.
Confession (of Christ) - Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
Confess, Confession - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
Confess, Confession - Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words
Confession - Holman Bible Dictionary
Confession - Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Middletown Bible...
To confess that Jesus is the Christ means that a person agrees that Jesus is indeed the Messiah (; , ,). According to the Old Testament Scriptures, the Messiah was portrayed as
(1) the God-man ()
(2) the mighty God ()
(3) the sinner’s Substitute and Saviour (, )
(4) the eternal King (Micah5:2) and
(5) THE LORD (JEHOVAH) OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (, )
There is a cost involved in confessing that Jesus is the Messiah () and because of this cost many fail to confess Him (). But those who do confess Him before men have Christ's own promise that He will confess them before the angels and before His heavenly Father (Mt10:32; ).
Jesus as Lord - Cranfield writes that...
The confession that Jesus is Lord meant the acknowledgment that Jesus shares the name and the nature, the holiness, the authority, power, majesty, and eternity of the one and only true God.
Lord (2962) (kurios) means lord, master, owner or the one who has absolute ownership power. Kurios translates Jehovah (LORD in OT) in the Septuagint (LXX) almost 7000 times. In the New Testament there are 717 references to kurios and it is notable that Jesus is referred to as Savior about ten times and as Lord about 700 times! Kurios signifies sovereign power and absolute authority. Kurios is the one who has absolute ownership and uncontested power. It is the one who is in charge by virtue of possession (owner).
Kurios is used to describe human relationships. Jesus described the relationship of slaves to their lords (; ). The Apostle Paul told slaves to obey their masters or lords as a sign of the slaves' faith in Christ (-note, -note; -note).
In the earliest Greek kurios meant "to have power or authority." Later it came to describe one who is in control. As classical Greek developed, it became a title for men of importance. Since the gods of ancient Greece were neither creators nor lords of their fate, pagan deities were not called "lord" until much later. By the time of Christ, kings had come to be called "lord." This was true of the Roman Emperor Caligula (A.D. 37-41). It was also true of Candace, the fabled queen of upper Egypt (see ). So too Herod the Great, Herod Agrippa I, and Herod Agrippa II were called "lord."
Mounce - The Greek word (kurios) used throughout the LXX for Yahweh (Ed: See discussion Jehovah = Jesus)...is here applied to Jesus. The implications of this are staggering. Primarily it means that Jesus’ authority is absolute, unlimited, and universal. Those who come to Christ by faith are acknowledging that they have placed themselves entirely and without reserve under His authority to carry out without hesitation whatever he may choose for them to do. There is no such thing as salvation apart from lordship. Although our level of obedience may falter from time to time, that does not imply that we can view our responsibilities as if they did not matter. Those who say that they intend to have a good time on earth and take a back seat in heaven do not realize that there are no “back seats” for those who approach salvation with this attitude. (Mounce, R. H. Vol. 27: Romans. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
Martin Luther puts Lord in an interesting perspective noting that "The life of Christianity consists of possessive pronouns. It is one thing to say, "Christ is a Saviour"; it is quite another thing to say, "He is my Saviour and my Lord." The devil can say the first; the true Christian alone can say the second.
William MacDonald addresses the important topic of "Lordship" - The question often arises, “Can a person be saved by accepting Jesus as Savior without also acknowledging Him as Lord?” The Bible gives no encouragement to anyone who believes with mental reservations: “I’ll take Jesus as my Savior but I don’t want to crown Him Lord of all.” On the other hand, those who make submission to Jesus as Lord a condition of salvation face the problem, “To what degree must He be acknowledged as Lord?” Few Christians would claim to have made an absolute and complete surrender to Him in this way. When we present the gospel, we must maintain that faith is the sole condition of justification. But we must also remind sinners and saints constantly that Jesus Christ is Lord (Jehovah-God), and should be acknowledged as such. (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson )
Is there a "cost" to confessing Christ as Lord? John alludes to the cost in his story of the blind man who was given sight by our Lord noting that...
His parents said this (, ) because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ (the long expected Messiah), he was to be put out of the synagogue (aposunagogos = literally "separated from the synagogue" = excommunicated). (, see also , )
Comment: "Excommunication" from the Jewish synagogue was a very serious matter for any Jew and the healed man's parents were not willing to pay the "price" of confession for it could mean the loss livelihood, as well as a loss of privileges of the Jewish religion. In short, we need to count the cost when we confess Him as Lord. I remember some 20 years ago when I was first saved and so excited that I could not "shut up" about Jesus. One of my dearest relatives told me that if I did not cease talking about Him, I need not come back to their home! It was very painful, and dear reader I'm sure this anecdotal story conjures up a similar memory in your past!
Dr Luke records Jesus' own words on this topic - "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man shall confess him also before the angels of God, but he who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. (, , cp , )
In His Revelation, the Risen Glorified Lord Jesus affirms the church at Pergamum "I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. (-note, cp -note)
Middletown Bible - The word that means the opposite of "confess" is the word "deny" (; , ). To confess is to say "YES"; to deny is to say "NO." In , , , Peter should have said, "Yes, I know Him ()!" "Yes, I am one of them ()!" "Yes, I was with Him (, )!" But Peter denied Christ (although his denial was only temporary because later, on the day of Pentecost, he boldly confessed Christ and preached Christ before thousands--, , , , , ). Thus, when asked this question, "Do you own Jesus as your Saviour and Lord? Do you claim Him as your own?" the believer can respond: "Yes I do! I acknowledge that He is mine! I belong to the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me!" During the great Christian persecutions of the second and third centuries, those believers who would not deny the Lord even at the risk of great suffering were known as CONFESSORS. May we never be ashamed of the God who was unashamed to die for us (-note; Ro1:16-note; -note)!
The apostle John succinctly states the importance of the confession of Jesus writing that...
Whoever (Pas = all without exception!) denies (arneomai in the present tense = they persist in their denial) the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses (homologeo in the present tense = they persist in their confession) the Son has the Father also. ()
Comment: To deny the Son is to deny the Father, a message that should be noted by all religions that say they "worship God" but deny the Son! The Son will one day deny them (-note, , -note)!
J Vernon McGee: When you say that you believe in God and deny the deity of Christ, you really do not believe in God, certainly not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is the one who sent His Son into the world to die for our sins. And since the Son is God, He alone is the one who could make a satisfactory sacrifice to God for our sins. Had he been anyone else other than God, He Himself would have been a sinner. In the great Riverside Church in New York City when Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick was the pastor, the cover page of a bulletin at that time said,
Whoever you are that worship here, in whatever household of faith you were born, whatever creed you profess, if you come to this sanctuary to seek the God in whom you believe or to rededicate yourself to the God in whom you do believe, you are welcome.
It goes on to say a lot about peace and the Fatherhood of God, but I’m nauseated reading that far so I will not quote any more of it. It sounds sweet and flowery; it appeals to the natural man, but John’s whole point is that we need to beware of this, for this is antichrist. We need to emphasize this very important verse. (You will enjoy listening to Dr McGee's fuller explanation on the Mp3 of ).
Paul writes that "If we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. (-note)
We see the same principle uttered even by the psalmist who declares...
I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings and shall not be ashamed (-note)
Spurgeon: This is part of his liberty; he is free from fear of the greatest, proudest, and most tyrannical of men. David (Ed: Not everyone agrees that David wrote but it is certainly possible) was called to stand before kings when he was an exile; and afterwards, when he was himself a monarch, he knew the tendency of men to sacrifice their religion to pomp and statecraft; but it was his resolve to do nothing of the kind. He would sanctify politics, and make cabinets know that the Lord alone is governor among the nations. As a king he would speak to kings concerning the King of kings. He says, "I will speak": prudence might have suggested that his life and conduct would be enough, and that it would be better not to touch upon religion in the presence of royal personages who worshipped other gods, and claimed to be right in so doing. He had already most fittingly preceded this resolve by the declaration, "I will walk," but he does not make his personal conduct an excuse for sinful silence, for he adds, "I will speak." David claimed religious liberty, and took care to use it, for he spoke out what he believed, even when he was in the highest company. In what he said he took care to keep to God's own word, for he says, "I will speak of thy testimonies." No theme is like this, and there is no way of handling that theme like keeping close to the book, and using its thought and language. The great hindrance to our speaking upon holy topics in all companies is shame, but the Psalmist will "not be ashamed"; there is nothing to be ashamed of, and there is no excuse for being ashamed, and yet many are as quiet as the dead for fear some creature like themselves should be offended.
When God gives grace, cowardice soon vanishes. (GLORY!) He who speaks for God in God's power, will not be ashamed when beginning to speak, nor while speaking, nor after speaking; for his theme is one which is fit for kings, needful to kings, and beneficial to kings. If kings object, we may well be ashamed of them, but never of our Master Who sent us, or of His message, or of His design in sending it.
D. H. Mollerus - I will not be ashamed. That is, I shall not be cast down from my position or my hope; I shall not be afraid; nor will I, from fear of danger or reproach, shun or renounce the confession; nor shall I be overcome by terrors or threats.
William Cowper - A good conscience renders always great consolation; and an honest life makes great boldness to speak without fear or shame, as ye see in David towards Saul, in Elias to Ahab, in Paul to Agrippa, to Festus, and to Felix.
When we confess sin this confession is more than a mere acknowledgment of sin in the life. It is an agreeing with God as to all the implications that enter into the fact that one has sinned. It is looking at sin from God’s point of view, and acting accordingly. It means the putting away of that sin. It means the determination to be done with that sin.
To reiterate, the idea of confess is not just to say with one's lips, but to validate the lip's confession with the life's direction (conduct, behavior)! Do not be deceived, beloved brethren. One must confess Christ with his mouth, but he must also "confess" Him through his righteous behavior.
Lips and Life
Must Match
In we see a confession with the lips which is denied by the life lived in those who are defiled and unbelieving (-note) "profess (homologeo in the present tense - their lips continually profess) to know God, but by their deeds they deny (their practice negates their profession - they say one thing and do another = they say with their behavior and lifestyle that they do not know Jesus or are in any way related to Him) Him, being (present tense - continually) detestable (root word means to "stink"!) and disobedient, and worthless (their deeds are rejected after examination = their works do not stand God's test of deeds wrought by abiding in the Vine, Christ Jesus) for any good deed . (-note)
We are to confess Christ “before men” which emphasizes the public character of the confession. When we confess Jesus as Lord, we are agreeing with what God the Father says about Jesus His Son, and with what Jesus says about Himself. It means we recognize that Jesus is God, that He is the Messiah in the OT, and that His finished work on the Cross () secured the only way of salvation for mankind (, ). If the heart truly believes, the mouth will be eager to confess. Confession (much like repentance, e.g., ) is characteristic of true faith and is not an separate or additional condition of salvation.
Haldane adds that "The confession of Christ is salvation. But that confession which is salvation, is a confession which implies that the truth confessed with the mouth is known and received in the heart. The belief of the heart is therefore joined with the confession of the lips. Neither is genuine without the other, though it may be said that either the one or the other is salvation, because they who believe with the heart will confess with the tongue. If a man says, “I believe in Christ,” yet denies Him when put to trial, or confesses Him with the lips, yet denies Him in His proper character, he neither confesses nor believes Christ (cp , ). It should always be remembered, that if he believes anything different from the testimony of God relating to the person and work of the Savior, he does not believe the Gospel, but something, whatever it may be, which can neither sanctify nor save. The Gospel alone is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes it. ( Commentary)
Frederic Godet explains that "The two terms: confessing with the mouth and believing with the heart, reproduce the ideas in thy mouth and in thy heart, of ("in your mouth and in your heart". These are the two conditions of salvation; for while faith suffices to take hold of the finished expiation, when this faith is living, it inevitably produces profession...Profession is put first here, in keeping with the words of Moses (: in thy mouth); the order is that which from the external ascends to the internal; it reminds us that profession would be nothing without faith.—The object of the profession is the title Lord given to Christ, as is done in the invocation by which we publicly declare ourselves subjects; cp. ... Here again we find the idea of , that of the glorified Christ. The same relation between the sovereignty of Christ and the Christian profession appears in , , : “Wherefore God hath supremely exalted Him...that every tongue should confess that He is Lord.” This allusion to -note proves clearly that the reference there was not to the incarnation; for Jesus is called by the title of Lord, as the glorified, and not as the pre-existent Christ.—On the other hand, the special object of faith is Christ risen. The reason is clear: it is in the external fact of the resurrection that faith apprehends its essential object, the moral fact of justification; cp. -note.—Paul concludes this long sentence with a brief summary word: thou shalt be saved, as if he would say: After that all is done demonstrates in fact that these conditions once complied with, salvation was sure. ( Cause of Israel's Rejection)
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C H Spurgeon - Mouth Confession, Heart Belief: THERE must be confession with the mouth. Have I made it? Have I openly avowed my faith in Jesus as the Savior whom God has raised from the dead, and have I done it in God’s way? Let me honestly answer this question.
There must also be belief with the heart. Do I sincerely believe in the risen Lord Jesus? Do I trust in Him as my sole hope of salvation? Is this trust from my heart? Let me answer as before God.
If I can truly claim that I have both confessed Christ and believed in him, then I am saved. The text does not say it may be so, but it is plain as a pikestaff and clear as the sun in the heavens: “Thou shalt be saved.” As a believer and a confessor, I may lay my hand on this promise and plead it before the Lord God at this moment, and throughout life, and in the hour of death, and at the day of judgment.
I must be saved from the guilt of sin, the power of sin, the punishment of sin, and ultimately from the very being of sin. God hath said it: “Thou shalt be saved.” I believe it. I shall be saved: I am saved. Glory be to God for ever and ever! (Faith's Checkbook)
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In view of the fact that "Lord" (kurios) is used over 8,600x in the Septuagint to translate the name of Israel's God (Yahweh), it is clear that Paul, when using this word of Jesus, is ascribing Deity to Him.
We can never forget all that it meant to say that Jesus Christ is Lord. "If a man called Jesus kurios he was ranking him with the Emperor and with God; he was giving him the supreme place in his life; he was pledging him implicit obedience and reverent worship." (Barclay)
A T Robertson commenting on Jesus Christ is Lord writes that "No Jew would do this who had not really trusted Christ, for Kurios in the Septuagint (LXX) is used of God. No Gentile would do it who had not ceased worshipping the emperor as Kurios. The word Kurios was and is the touchstone of faith."
Lord is from kurios, which signifies sovereign power and authority. In the book of Acts, Jesus is twice referred to as Savior but ninety-two times as Lord. In the entire New Testament, He is referred to some ten times as Savior and some seven hundred times as Lord. When the two titles are mentioned together, Lord always precedes Savior. And even if, as some erroneously contend, Lord were simply a synonym for God, the very term God by definition includes the idea of sovereign authority, that is, of lordship.
Regarding belief, it is important to emphasize that mere intellectual agreement with the facts of the Cross and the Resurrection is not necessarily faith that saves. Faith alone saves but the faith that saves results in a changed heart obedience.
Robert Haldane explains genuine faith writing that "A person becomes righteous by believing God’s record concerning His Son. But the evidence that this faith is genuine is found in the open confession of the Lord with the mouth. Confession of Christ is as necessary as faith in Him, but necessary for a different purpose. Faith is necessary to obtain the gift of righteousness. Confession is necessary to prove that this gift is received. In saying, then, that confession is made unto salvation, the apostle does not mean that it is the cause of salvation, or that without it the title to salvation is incomplete. When a person believes in his heart, he is justified. But confession of Christ is in effect of faith, and will be evidence of it at the last day. Faith which interests the sinner in the righteousness of Christ is manifested by the confession of His name in the face of danger. ( Commentary)
Middletown Bible - If Jesus Christ is really MY Lord, then He demands and deserves my glad submission and wholehearted obedience. I humbly bow before His authority and I gladly do those things that please Him. How can I do anything less? Jesus said, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" ().
The following penetrating words were written on a tombstone in Germany...
Thus Speaketh Christ Our Lord to us:
You call me Master, and obey me not;
You call me Light, and see me not;
You call me Way, and walk me not;
You call me Wise, and follow me not;
You call me Fair, and love me not;
You call me Rich, and ask me not;
You call me Eternal, and seek me not;
You call me Gracious, and trust me not;
You call me Noble, and serve me not;
You call me Mighty, and honor me not;
You call me Just, and fear me not;
IF I CONDEMN YOU,
BLAME ME NOT!!!
THAT GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD YOU SHALL BE SAVED: hoti o theos auton egeiren (3SAAI) ek nekron sothese (2SFPI):
God has raised Him from the dead - The resurrection of Christ is the bedrock truth of Christian doctrine (, , ) and the central thrust of apostolic preaching (, , , , ). Christians believe not only that Jesus really lived, but that He really died on a Cross and really rose from the grave and that He still really lives.
Resurrection - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
Resurrection - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Holman Bible Dictionary
Resurrection of Christ - Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
Resurrection of Christ (2) - Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
Robert Haldane puts it this way - Why is so much stress laid on the resurrection? Was not the work of Christ in this world finished by His death? Most certainly it was. But His resurrection was the evidence that it was finished (cp , , , ); and therefore the belief of His resurrection is put for that of the whole of His work. (Romans Commentary)
To raise (1453) (egeiro) means literally to waken, rouse from sleep, and so to raise up from death.
From (ek) is more literally "out of" the dead!
Dead (3498) (nekros; English = necropsy, necrotic - cell death, etc) literally means to to have breathed one's last breath and to lack the vital principles of life. Christ's resurrection from the dead is unmistakable, irrefutable proof that He was the satisfactory sacrifice for sin and that He fulfilled God’s work of redemption.
Paul writes that Jesus "was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord” ( -note)
Scripture never approves, much less commends, a faith without content, a “faith in faith” as it is often described. Paul specifies two bedrock truths that must be believed in order to be saved. The first is that Jesus is Lord, the second that God raised Him from the dead.
John MacArthur - Christ’s resurrection was the supreme validation of His ministry (cf. , , , ). Belief in it is necessary for salvation because it proved that Christ is who He claimed to be and that the Father had accepted His sacrifice in the place of sinners (-note; cf. , ; , -note). Without the resurrection, there is no salvation (, , , ).
Following the order of , which quotes (where confession is also first), Paul speaks first of confession, which is with the mouth, and then of faith, which is in the heart. In , however, he mentions them in reverse order, which as noted earlier is the chronological order of redemption.
Shall be saved - A promise. The condition is calling on His Name with genuine faith.
Shall be saved (4982) (sozo [word study]) has the basic meaning of rescuing one from great peril. Additional nuances include to protect, keep alive, preserve life, deliver, heal, be made whole.
Sozo is sometimes used of physical deliverance from danger of perishing (see ; ; ; , ), physical healing from sickness (, ; , ), and deliverance from demonic possession ().
More often (and as used in this verse) sozo refers to salvation in a spiritual sense as illustrated in the following passages: Matthew recorded the angel's conversation with Joseph declaring "She (Mary) will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save (sozo) His people from their sins." ()
Steven Cole - To be saved, you must truly believe in Jesus as the crucified and risen Lord and Savior (). : “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” In verse 9, Paul follows the order of (cited in ), “in your mouth and in your heart.” In verse 10, he explains verse 9 (“for”) in the logical order: First we believe in the heart and then that heart belief finds outward expression in confession with our mouths and with our lives.
A. TRUE FAITH IS A MATTER OF YOUR HEART RELYING ON SPECIFIC CONTENT REGARDING JESUS AS THE CRUCIFIED AND RISEN LORD AND SAVIOR. Paul uses “faith” or “believe(s)” in , , ; , , , , , , (2x), , . Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Romans: Saving Faith [Zondervan], p. 90) argues that in Paul is giving us a definition of saving faith, showing us both its content and its character. There are not two requirements here for salvation, namely, believing and confessing. Rather, the repeated emphasis on faith shows that faith is the only requirement. As Paul told the Philippian jailer in response to his question, “What must I do to be saved?” (), “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Outward confession of Christ is the inevitable outcome or character of genuine saving faith.
True saving faith is a matter of the heart, or inner person. It is not just a matter of intellectual assent, although we must believe the facts of the gospel as God has revealed them in His Word. These facts include that we have sinned and thus stand guilty before God. He sent Jesus, His eternal Son, to take on human flesh and die as our substitute on the cross. God raised Jesus bodily from the dead, thus showing that He accepted Jesus’ death as a satisfactory offering. Since “Lord” is used hundreds of times in the Old Testament to refer to God, confessing Jesus as Lord means believing that He is the Sovereign God. You must understand and believe this content of the gospel in order to be saved.
As an aside, sometimes when I talk to people about their need for salvation, it becomes evident that they don’t have a clue about who Jesus is. To press such people to make a decision to trust in Christ would be premature, in that they wouldn’t know who they were trusting in. So I encourage such people to read the Gospel of John and ask God to show them who Jesus is and why He came. Otherwise, they would be believing in a Jesus of their own imagination. Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in a false, made-up “Jesus,” but such faith does not save. Saving faith is based on the truth about Jesus as revealed in God’s Word.
But saving faith is also a heart response to these facts. When you believe that the sinless Son of God bore God’s full wrath for your sins on the cross, it affects your heart. Just as you would be moved with gratitude if someone risked his life to save your life, so you are moved even more deeply to believe that Jesus died for you.
And faith includes committing your eternal destiny totally to Christ’s death on your behalf, not to any works of righteousness that you have done. Committing yourself to Christ includes repentance (turning from your sins), and submitting to Jesus as Lord of your life. If you don’t submit to and follow Christ as Lord, it shows that you really don’t believe in Him as He is revealed in the Bible. It would be like saying that you believe in a prescribed medicine, but you never take it. Thus Paul adds…
B. TRUE FAITH CONFESSES OPENLY THAT JESUS IS THE RISEN LORD AND SAVIOR. Faith is the root; confession is the fruit. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, but if our faith is genuine, it will always bear the fruit of salvation (). The demons believe in Jesus, but their faith is not saving faith because it does not result in repentance and good works ().
One of the first ways that a new believer should confess Christ is by being baptized. In our culture, baptism isn’t usually a costly commitment, but in many cultures that are hostile to Christ, to be baptized will result at best in being disowned by your family, or at worst by being murdered by them. We should take baptism seriously! After baptism, we go on confessing Christ by living in a manner pleasing to Him, by growing in love and obedience to Him, by trusting Him through our trials, and by telling others about His wonderful salvation as we have opportunity ().
Of course, all of us have failed numerous times to confess Christ, both through our sins and by not speaking out for Him when we should have. Thankfully, we have the example of Peter, who failed miserably and yet who later preached Christ boldly. The issue is not perfection, but direction. If our faith in Christ as Lord and Savior is genuine, the direction of our lives will be that of confessing Him before others. The outcome of such faith and confession of Christ on earth will be hearing Jesus confess us before the Father in heaven ().
Conclusion - Don’t make the fatal mistake of thinking that because you’re a pretty good person, you don’t need to be saved. Jesus didn’t give up the glory of heaven and suffer the agonies of the cross so that you could have your best life now. He didn’t die primarily so that you can have a happy family or succeed in business. He died to save you from your sins. He will save you if you recognize that you can’t save yourself and you truly believe in Him as your risen Lord and Savior. (How to Be saved)
Read the following devotional by F B Meyer entitled The Assurance of Salvation...
SALVATION IS a great word. It is conjugated in three tenses: The Past Tense. We saved at the moment when we first trusted Christ.
This salvation is a distinct and definite matter, which is ours at the moment we exercise simple faith in Jesus. "Being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (-note).
The Present Tense. "To us who are being saved, Christ is the power of God," such is the accurate rendering of . We are being saved perpetually from the love and power of sin. The disinfectant of Christ's Presence is ever warding off the germs of deadly temptation. The mighty arm of the Divine Keeper is always holding the door against the attempts of the adversary. The water is always flowing over the eye to remove the tiny grit or mote that may alight. "We are being saved by His life" (-note).
The Future Tense. We are being kept by the power of God unto a salvation which waits to be revealed in the last time (-note). Salvation is a great word. It includes the forgiveness that remembers our sin no more; deliverance from the curse and penalty of our evil ways; emancipation from the thrall of evil habit; the growing conformity of the soul to the image of Christ, and the final resurrection of the body in spiritual beauty and energy, to be for ever the companion and vehicle of the redeemed spirit.
PRAYER Oh blessed Spirit of God, we pray Thee to give us the assurance of being the children of God, the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty; and so prepare us for the glory to be revealed to us, and for that great hour when the whole creation, which now groans and travails in pain, shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. AMEN.
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The King's Message (Read 10:9-15) - On January 21, 1930, the name of Harold Vidian became synonymous with heroism. On that day, England's King George V was scheduled to give the opening address at the London Arms Conference. The king's message was to be sent by radio all around the world.
Donald McCullough, in his book The Trivialization of God (NavPress, 1995), tells us that a few minutes before the king was to speak, a member of the CBS staff tripped over an electrical wire and broke it, cutting off the whole American audience. With no hesitation, chief control operator Harold Vidian grasped one end of the broken wire in his right hand and the other in his left, thus restoring the circuit. Electricity surged through his body. Ignoring the pain, Vidian held on until the king had finished his address.
I see in this a challenge for Christians. The message of the King of kings must go to the whole world. But only as we allow God's power to pass through us can the Lord's saving gospel be transmitted. Paul wrote, "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" (). If we are willing to serve as conduits, regardless of the cost to us, the good news will be proclaimed around the world.
Will you be a conduit for the King's message? — Vernon C. Grounds
When I gave my life to Jesus,
He became my Lord and Friend;
Now His power is flowing through me,
As His message I extend. --Hess
The good news of Christ is the best news in the world.
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If I Tell The World - At the close of an evangelistic meeting held by D. L. Moody, a Norwegian youth stood up to testify of his faith in the Lord. He wanted the congregation to know that he had been saved, but he had difficulty speaking English. Haltingly he managed to say, "I'm up here because Jesus wants me to be a witness. He promised that if I tell the world about Him, He'll tell the Father about me!"
Moody later remarked, "That boy's testimony went straight to the heart of everyone present. 'If I tell the world'--yes, that's exactly what the Bible means when it says we must confess Christ!"
Our Lord does not want us to be silent disciples. He encourages us to witness boldly to others about His grace. Scripture provides eloquent proof that we are to be vocal about our standing in Christ. states, "Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus." And asks, "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?"
If you love the Lord, it's your duty to witness to others. Maybe all you need to say to someone is: "Jesus means so much to me. I wish you knew Him too!" You will be surprised what such a simple, straightforward testimony can accomplish. Determine today to "tell the world." --H G Bosch (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
I'll tell the world that I'm a Christian--
I'm not ashamed His name to bear;
I'll tell the world that I'm a Christian--
I'll take Him with me anywhere. --Fox
If your faith in Christ is worth having,
it's worth sharing
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The Highway To Heaven- Under the headline Car Lover Buried In Corvette, the newspaper column opened with: "If there is a highway to heaven, George Swanson may get to the Pearly Gates in style. He was buried in his white Corvette." His wife Carolyn said, "A lot of people say they want to take it with them. Well, he took it with him."
Yes, there's a highway to heaven, but you can't travel it in a Corvette after you die. You must get on this highway while you are alive, and you get on it by placing your trust in Jesus Christ.
In , Paul declared that the road to heaven is not difficult to find nor to access. It is right in front of us in the Word of God. Jesus Christ said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (). He died for our sins, broke the power of death by His resurrection, lives in heaven as our Advocate and Intercessor, and places on the highway to heaven all who trust Him as their Savior and Lord.
Whether or not you're buried in a Corvette makes no difference. The highway to heaven starts on this side of death, and the entrance is easy to find. The Bible says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (). Are you on the right road? (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
There aren't many ways into heaven;
God's Word says there is only one:
Confessing Christ Jesus as Savior,
Believing in God's only Son. --Sper
To get to heaven,
you must go by the way of the Cross.
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In his book Our Daily Homily, F B Meyer concludes that in ...
Salvation is evidently to be taken in its most extended meaning. It stands even more for the deliverance of the soul from the love and dominion of sin than for the removal of its justly incurred penalty. That we should be pure in heart, holy in thought, consecrated in life, with all the range of our nature controlled by his indwelling Spirit — such is the Divine intention with respect to us, as suggested by this deep, great word Salvation. But there are two conditions, on our compliance with which this saving power is realized.
We must confess Jesus as Lord. — Throughout Scripture there is a close connection between Christ’s Royalty and his Saviorship. “Behold, thy King cometh to thee, ... having salvation;” “Him hath God set forth to be a Prince and a Savior.” “Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, ... made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually.” We shall never know Christ as a Savior from inbred sin until we have definitely and absolutely enthroned Him in our hearts. A physician is not content with healing outbreaks of disease and fever when they occur; but claims leave to examine all the arrangements of the house, so as to deal with the sources of the mischief.
We must also steadfastly believe in the Resurrection. — The risen Lord, sitting at the right hand of God, in all the vigour of an indissoluble life: still working in the world, and energizing the hearts of his own entering to indwell, to fill, to unite with his own eternal life — such is the vision offered to our faith. Let us look away to Him with a persistent, unwavering gaze, until sin ceases to attract us, and Satan finds a Stronger in possession.
IF THOU SHALT CONFESS
by John R. Clements
O lost one in the wilds of sin,
So long from God away;
Before thee lies an open path,
Where thou canst walk today.
For if thou shalt confess the Lord,
And in thine heart believe;
His Word is sure, it stands secure,
“Thou shalt be saved,”
“Thou shalt be saved.”
So many roads across the marsh
But lead to vales of night;
This one, “the true and living way,”
Ends in the fadeless light. Refrain
How many paths at first seem fair,
That lead to loss and pain!
This one yields comfort all the way,
The end eternal gain. Refrain
(Play hymn)
for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Greek: kardia gar pisteuetai (3PPPI) eis dikaiosunen, stomati de homologeitai (3PPPI) eis soterian
Amplified: For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.
ESV: For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
ICB: We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we use our mouths to say that we believe, and so we are saved.
NIV: For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
NKJV: For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
NLT: For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
Phillips: For it is believing in the heart that makes a man righteous before God, and it is stating his belief by his own mouth that confirms his salvation.
Wuest: For with the heart faith is exercised resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.
Young's Literal: for with the heart doth one believe to righteousness, and with the mouth is confession made to salvation;
FOR WITH THE HEART MAN BELIEVES RESULTING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND WITH THE MOUTH HE CONFESSES RESULTING IN SALVATION : kardia gar pisteuetai (3PPPI) eis dikaiosunen stomati de homologeitai (3PPPI) eis soterian: (; ,; , , ; ; ) (; )(; ; )
For - Introduces the explanation of the preceding verse and gives the proper order or sequence of events: first belief and then confession. Always pause and ponder this strategic term of explanation.
Heart (2588) (kardia [word study]) does not refer to the physical organ but is always used figuratively in Scripture to refer to the seat and center of human life. The heart is the center of the personality, and it controls the intellect, emotions, and will. No outward obedience is of the slightest value unless the heart turns to God.
Jesus describes the importance of a "right" heart explaining that...
the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. (, contrast an "evil and unbelieving heart" -note)
Calvin remarks that "The seat of faith, it deserves to be observed, is not in the brain, but the heart; not that I wish to enter into any dispute concerning the part of the body which is the seat of faith, but since the word heart generally means a serious, sincere, ardent affection, I am desirous to show the confidence of faith to be a firm, efficacious, and operative principle in all the emotions and feelings of the soul, not a mere naked notion of the head."
Believes (4100) (pisteuo [word study] from pistis; pistos; related studies the faith, the obedience of faith) means to consider something to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust. To accept as true, genuine, or real. To have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something or someone. To consider to be true. To accept the word or evidence of.
Vincent notes that pisteuo...
means to persuade, to cause belief, to induce one to do something by persuading, and so runs into the meaning of to obey, properly as the result of persuasion
Note that the Greek verb pisteuo in the context of the NT uses does not signify mere intellectual assent but a genuine acceptance with one’s whole inward being. When a person does that, he is instantly justified or declared righteous (forever positionally righteous before God).
In summary, true faith that saves one's soul includes at least three main elements (1) firm persuasion or firm conviction, (2) a surrender to that truth and (3) a conduct emanating from that surrender. In sum, faith shows itself genuine by a changed life (and in this context includes the act of "confession" - see explanation below). (Click here for W E Vine's similar definition of faith)
Righteousness (1343) (dikaiosune [word study] from dikaios [word study] = being proper or right in the sense of being fully justified being or in accordance with what God requires) is the quality of being upright. In its simplest sense dikaiosune conveys the idea of conformity to a standard or norm. In this sense righteousness is the opposite of hamartia (sin), which is defined as missing of the mark set by God. In this sense righteousness is the opposite of hamartia (sin), which is defined as missing of the mark set by God.
Dikaiosune is rightness of character before God and rightness of actions before men. Righteousness of God could be succinctly stated as all that God is, all that He commands, all that He demands, all that He approves, all that He provides through faith in Christ (Click here to read Pastor Ray Pritchard's interesting analysis of righteousness in the Gospel of Matthew).
Righteousness in this passage refers to the righteousness of God which is judicially reckoned to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Justification = Declaration of righteousness [Christ's righteousness "credited" to the believer's account, once and for all time!] = past tense salvation = completed one time event in the past [when we believed on Christ] = positional righteousness)
MacArthur writes
Righteousness has to do with what we become, and salvation has to do with what we escape. The first has to do with the eternal life we receive but do not deserve, the second with the eternal punishment we deserve but do not receive. The first relates to entering into blessedness, the second relates to escaping cursedness.
Believes...righteousness...confesses...salvation - Paul's words have produced some degree of disagreement on what he meant and of what importance is belief and confession.
William MacDonald comments that...
Confession is not a condition of salvation but the inevitable outward expression of what has happened:
If on Jesus Christ you trust,
Speak for Him you surely must
When a person really believes something, he wants to share it with others. So when a person is genuinely born again, it is too good to keep secret. He confesses Christ.
The Scriptures assume that when a person is saved he will make a public confession of that salvation. The two go together. Thus Kelly said,
“If there be no confession of Christ the Lord with the mouth, we cannot speak of salvation; as our Lord said, ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.’”
And Denney comments,
A heart believing unto righteousness, and a mouth making confession unto salvation, are not really two things, but two sides of the same thing. (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson )
Robert Haldane offers a balanced view...
A man becomes righteous, perfectly righteous, through believing God’s record concerning His Son. But the evidence that this faith is genuine is found in the open confession of the Lord with the mouth in everything in which His will is known.
Confession of Christ is as necessary as faith in Him, but necessary for a different purpose. Faith is necessary to obtain the gift of righteousness. Confession is necessary to prove that this gift is received.
If a man does not confess Christ at the hazard of life, character, property, liberty, and everything dear to him, he has not the faith of Christ.
In saying, then, that confession is made unto salvation, the Apostle does not mean that it is the cause of salvation, or that without it the title to salvation is incomplete. When a man believes in his heart, he is justified. But confession of Christ is the effect of faith, and will be evidence of it at the last day. Faith which interests the sinner in the righteousness of Christ is manifested by the confession of His name in the midst of enemies, or in the face of danger. ( - Haldane's Exposition on the Epistle to the Romans)
Middletown Bible agrees adding that...
Believing is inward; confession is outward (just as the heart and the mouth—the heart is inward and not visible; the mouth is outward and visible).
CONFESSION IS FAITH MADE AUDIBLE! (just as good works are faith made visible--see -see notes).
How can I know whether you really are saved until you confess?
"Confession is made unto salvation." This does not mean that confession is a condition of salvation (you must confess Christ in order to be saved) but it means that confession is a result or evidence of salvation (you confess Christ to show that you are saved). Confession is not something that a person does to be saved; confession is something that a saved person does!
Faith must be expressed OUTWARDLY and PUBLICLY. Believing is the root; confession is the fruit. Everyone who truly believes will confess Christ (; and cf. ). However not everyone who confesses Christ is a true believer (see ; and ). In God’s army there is no place for "secret believers."
May we never be ashamed of our Commander-in-Chief (, )!
Just as a label on a can proclaims its contents, so it is that by confession the believer proclaims who lives within ( "Jesus Christ is in you").
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Highway to heaven - Under the headline Car Lover Buried In Corvette, the newspaper column opened with: "If there is a highway to heaven, George Swanson may get to the Pearly Gates in style. He was buried in his white Corvette." His wife Carolyn said, "A lot of people say they want to take it with them. Well, he took it with him."
Yes, there's a highway to heaven, but you can't travel it in a Corvette after you die. You must get on this highway while you are alive, and you get on it by placing your trust in Jesus Christ.
In , Paul declared that the road to heaven is not difficult to find nor to access. It is right in front of us in the Word of God. Jesus Christ said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (). He died for our sins, broke the power of death by His resurrection, lives in heaven as our Advocate and Intercessor, and places on the highway to heaven all who trust Him as their Savior and Lord.
Whether or not you're buried in a Corvette makes no difference. The highway to heaven starts on this side of death, and the entrance is easy to find. The Bible says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (). Are you on the right road? --H V Lugt (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
There aren't many ways into heaven;
God's Word says there is only one:
Confessing Christ Jesus as Savior,
Believing in God's only Son. --Sper
To get to heaven,
you must go by the way of the Cross.
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O BE SAVED
by Fanny Crosby
Sinner, how thy heart is troubled,
God is coming very near;
Do not hide thy deep emotion,
Do not check that falling tear.
Refrain
O be saved, His grace is free;
O be saved, He died for thee;
O be saved, He died for thee.
Jesus now is bending o’er thee,
Jesus lowly, meek and mild;
To the Friend Who died to save thee,
Canst thou not be reconciled? Refrain
Art thou waiting till the morrow?
Thou may’st never see its light;
Come at once—accept His mercy,
He is waiting—come tonight. Refrain
With a lowly, contrite spirit,
Kneeling at the Savior’s feet;
Thou canst feel this very moment,
Pardon—precious, pure and sweet. Refrain
Let the angels bear the tidings,
Upward to the courts of Heav’n;
Let them sing, with holy rapture,
O’er another soul forgiv’n. Refrain
(Play hymn)
For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
Greek: legei (3SPAI) gar e graphe, Pas o pisteuon (PAPMSN) ep' auto ou kataischunthesetai. (3SFPI)
Amplified: The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.
ESV: For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."
ICB: As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed."
NIV: As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
NKJV: For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
NLT: As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed."
Phillips: And the scripture says: 'Whoever believes on him will not be put to shame'.
Wuest: For the scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him shall not be put to shame.
Young's Literal: for the Writing saith, 'Every one who is believing on him shall not be ashamed,'
FOR THE SCRIPTURE SAYS WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED: legei (3SPAI) gar e graphe pas o pisteuon (PAPMSN) ep auto ou kataischunthesetai (3SFPI): (; ; )
For (gar) introduces an explanation. Always pause and ponder this strategic term of explanation.
The Scripture says - This phrase is a NT parallel of the repeated OT introduction "Thus saith the LORD". Here God's Word of truth is personified and makes a bedrock promise that cannot and will not be broken by the Omnipotent, Faithful God Who is not a man that He should lie. That assurance is why we must constantly seek to trust His Word, not our feelings which are often deceiving.
Haldane commenting on the Scripture says writes that
Here Paul shows that the Scriptures of the Prophets taught the same doctrine that he was teaching. This was not necessary in order to add authority to his own doctrine,—for he was equally inspired with the Prophets,—but in order to prove the perfect agreement of the Old and the New Testament, and to show that the Jews who denied that the Gentiles were to be fellow–heirs with them, were in error, even on their own principles.
By this reference to the Scriptures, too, the Apostle in the first place confirms the truth he had been so forcibly declaring concerning the language of the righteousness by faith, namely, that it was not necessary to make some impracticable attempts— such as to ascend into heaven, or to descend into the deep—to come to Christ, since He was brought nigh to all in the preaching of the Gospel, which proclaimed that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
And, in the next place, it afforded him an opportunity of recurring to the important truth, brought into view in the preceding chapter, of the Gentiles being fellow–heirs of that righteousness (cp ), such of them as believed the promises being part of the spiritual seed of Abraham (, , -note, ), and equally interested in those promises with the believing remnant of the Jews. ( Commentary Online)
Scriptures (1124)(graphe [word study] from grapho = to write; English = graphite - the lead in a pencil!) means first a writing or thing written, a document.
The majority of the NT uses refer to the Old Testament writings, in a general sense of the whole collection when the plural (= Scriptures - ; ; ; ; ; , , ; ; , ; , ; ; ) is used and other times of a particular passage when the singular is used (= the Scripture - ; ; ; ; , ; ; ; ; , ) and is used in such a way that quoting Scripture is understood to be the same as quoting God!
It is worth noting that the majority of the OT passages quoted in the NT Scriptures are not from the original Hebrew but are from the Greek translation of the Hebrew, the Septuagint (LXX). The full title, “the Holy Scriptures,” is found only in (see note).
Whoever - This all inclusive term extends the merciful invitation of the Gospel to the Gentiles...if they truly believed.
Believes (4100) (pisteuo [word study] from pistis = faith) means to trust or have faith in. Pisteuo denotes more than intellectual assent to a fact. The word conveys the idea of adherence to, committal to, reliance upon, trust in a person or an object, and this involves not only the consent of the mind, but an act of the heart and will of the subject. Notice that in this verse pisteuo is in the present tense.
Not (ou) signifies absolute negation. One could paraphrase Paul's promise that this person "will absolutely never be disappointed".
MacDonald - The thought of public confession of Christ might arouse fears of shame, but the opposite is true. Our confession of Him on earth leads to His confession of us in heaven. Ours is a hope that will never be disappointed. The word whoever forms a link with what is to follow—namely, that God’s glorious salvation is for all, Gentiles as well as Jews. (Ibid)
Haldane has an interesting discussion - Here it may be remarked, that the least degree of faith embraces Christ, and unites the soul to Him. Faith does not save us by being strong or weak. It is Jesus Christ by whom we are saved and not by our faith, which is only the instrument or hand by which we receive Him. It may be further remarked, that here, as in so many other parts of Scripture, we see a full warrant for every one of the human race to believe in Jesus Christ, with the certainty that in doing so he shall be saved. ( Commentary Online)
Disappointed (2617) (Kataischuno [word study] from kata = down but here intensifies meaning of verb aischuno = to shame) means primarily to put to shame, to humiliate, to disgrace (, ) and (as used in the present verse) to disappoint or to frustrate one's hope (-note, -note, -note). In the passive voice it can mean to blush with shame at one's predicament.
Paul personifies the Living Word again (Scripture says) quoting the Old Testament prophet Isaiah who records
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed (not make haste, not be in a hurry). ()
You may be asking how Paul got "not be disappointed" out of "not be disturbed" (or more literally not be in a hurry). The answer is that Paul does not quote the Hebrew but the Septuagint (LXX) which translates the Hebrew verb hasten with the Greek verb kataischuno. Most of the New Testament quotations from the Old Testament are taken from the Septuagint (LXX) which helps one understand why sometimes the Old Testament passage does not seem to "match" the New Testament quote.
McGee explains that "Paul is quoting Isaiah to enforce his previous statement that the “by faith righteousness” is taught in other passages of the Old Testament. This passage also shows the universal character of salvation in the word whosoever. (Mp3 -)
Salvation has always been by faith in the Stone, in Isaiah's "the tested Stone" representing a prophecy of the coming Messiah, Whom they should have recognized.
MacArthur - No one who believes in Him will ever be disappointed by the salvation that He so graciously and universally offers.
Wuest writes that "Paul quotes in substantiation of what he has just asserted. “Shall not be ashamed” should be “shall not be put to shame.” The verb is kataischuno. The word here is used by Paul in a Hebrew usage where a person is put to shame who suffers a repulse. Paul uses it in -note, “Hope does not put to shame in the sense of disappoint.” The idea of being ashamed of the Lord Jesus is not in the apostle’s mind. Rather, he says that the sinner who places his faith in the Lord Jesus will not be defeated, disappointed, suffer a repulse in his life. Paul, writing to the Romans says that when he brings the gospel to Rome he will not be ashamed. By that he means that he is not afraid that it will not work. He believes in its power to save. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans )
Peter also quotes the Septuagint (LXX) of writing...
For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." (-note)
In Jehovah repeats that
Those who hopefully wait for (look for) Me (Messiah) will not be put to shame.
Jesus, and Shall It Ever Be — (Play hymn)
Jesus, and shall it ever be,
A mortal man ashamed of Thee?
Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine through endless days?
Ashamed of Jesus! That dear Friend
On whom my hopes of heaven depend!
No, when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere His Name!
Ashamed of Jesus! Yes, I may,
When I’ve no guilt to wash away;
No tear to wipe, no good to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.
Till then, nor is my boasting vain,
Till then I boast a Saviour slain;
And O, may this my glory be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me!"
--Joseph Grigg
Steven Cole - The good news: you’ve just inherited $10 million from a distant relative that you haven’t seen in decades! The bad news: no one told you about it, so your life is the same as always. Good news is only good news for you when you hear it and act on it.
The gospel is the best news in the world, but it isn’t good news at this point for approximately two billion (28%) of the world’s population, who are presently cut off from access to the gospel (Mission to Unreached Peoples, www.mup.org). Viewed another way, out of 16,789 people groups in the world, 6,954 (41.4%) are still unreached. An unreached or least-reached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this group. Of these almost 7,000 groups, 2,087 are over 50,000 in population. Out of every $1.00 (U.S.) of Christian giving to all causes, less than one penny goes toward pioneer church planting among least-reached people groups. I encourage you to go to the Joshua Project web site (www.joshuaproject.net) and educate yourself with the most up to date statistics on where we’re at in the cause of world missions.
In our text, Paul makes a simple point that in some way will change the direction of your life when it grips you:
Since the gospel is good news for all, we must proclaim it to all.
Paul was trying to set the stage for his journey through Rome, where he could gain the support of the church there for his mission to the Gentiles in Spain (). To do that, he had to deal with two criticisms: First, that his message clashed with the Old Testament; second, that his ministry to the Gentiles erased what the Jews saw as a fundamental distinction between the two groups. So here Paul cites the Old Testament repeatedly (, , ; plus, , , , , ) to show that his message came right out of the Jewish Scriptures. And he shows that the same Lord is Lord of all people and has given one message for all to be saved. In Paul makes the point that the gospel is good news for all. In , he shows that we must proclaim it to all.
1. The gospel is good news for all (10:11-13).
: “For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
In , Paul cites from . In , he cited the same verse more fully, but here he only cites the last part of the verse, changing “he” into “whoever,” thus broadening the application. Then in , he explains why his broader application is valid, namely, because the same Lord is Lord of all people, Jew and Gentile alike (see ). Then (), to show that he isn’t making this up, but that it comes right out of the Jewish Scriptures, Paul cites , “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” His point is that the gospel is good news for all people, Jew and Gentile alike, if they will respond to it.
A. ALL PEOPLE HAVE ONE PRIMARY NEED: TO BE SAVED BEFORE THEY DIE AND FACE JUDGMENT.
“Whoever” occurs in Ro 1011, 13 and “no distinction” in . In Paul wrote, “for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That’s the bad news. But here his focus is on the good news, that there is no distinction when it comes to receiving the abundant riches that God pours out on all who call on Him. But before people will call out to God to save them, they must realize that they’re in deep trouble and need to be saved. All people are guilty before God and headed for death and judgment. Thus all people need to be saved.
It’s important to keep this in mind when you talk to educated people about Christ. It’s easy to be intimidated by their great learning. They will argue that evolution is true or that the Bible is full of contradictions or that a loving God could not allow all the suffering in the world. But these things are just smokescreens to keep you from getting too close to their real need: They are sinners who stand condemned before a holy God. They have past and current sins that have alienated them from God and have created problems in their lives. Their number one need is to be saved before they die and face judgment.
On one occasion, the great Welsh medical doctor turned preacher, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, preached to a congregation at an Anglican Church in Oxford made up largely of students. He preached to them as he would have preached anywhere else. After the service, it was announced that Dr. Lloyd-Jones would be available to answer questions in another room. He got there, expecting just a few people, but the room was packed.
The first question came from a bright young student, who got up and spoke with all the grace and polish of a university debater. After paying a few compliments to the preacher, he said that he had one great difficulty as a result of the sermon. He really could not see but that that sermon might not equally well have been delivered to a congregation of farm laborers or anyone else. As he sat down, the room erupted with laughter.
Dr. Lloyd-Jones replied that he was most interested in the question, but really could not see the questioner’s difficulty because he regarded both undergraduates and graduates of Oxford University as being just ordinary common human clay and miserable sinners like everybody else. Thus their needs were precisely the same as those of the farm laborer or anyone else. And so he had preached as he had quite deliberately. This also provoked a lot of laughter and even cheering. They got his point and they gave him a most attentive hearing from there on (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, by Iain Murray [Banner of Truth], 2:76-77).
Since every person is a sinner, his or her main need is to be reconciled to God before he dies. It’s also important to keep this in mind when you’re talking with a good person. You may be tempted to think, “He doesn’t need to be saved. Look at what a nice person he is. Look at how kind and loving he is. He puts most Christians I know to shame!” And, of course, the good person agrees with you, even though he might never say so. He compares himself with others and thinks, “Surely it will go well with me when I stand before God. I’m not like other people!” (See .) But he’s blind to his pride and self-righteousness. The good person is usually the most difficult type to reach with the gospel, because he doesn’t see his need for it. Show him God’s holy law, which is designed to expose his sin (). Because all people are sinners, they all have the same need to be saved before they die and face judgment.
B. ALL PEOPLE NEED ONE MESSAGE: THE GOOD NEWS THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN JESUS WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.
“Not be disappointed” () is literally, “not be put to shame.” This does not refer to psychological shame, but rather to not being put to shame with a guilty verdict at the judgment (Thomas Schreiner, Romans [Baker], p. 561). It means that at the judgment God will vindicate the one who believes in Jesus.
Let’s face it, we all have more than a closet full of secret reasons to be put to shame at the judgment. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if your every thought was automatically broadcast out loud without your being able to control it? Even if you had the thought in private, it automatically went on your Facebook page, which was open for everyone to see. We’d all die of embarrassment! But, of course, the God before whom all things are open and laid bare () knows our every thought!
But the good news is that on the cross, Jesus bore all of our guilt and shame so that the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame at the final judgment. Paul explains () that this good news applies equally to the religious Jew and to the pagan Gentile, because the same Lord is Lord of all. Some think that Lord refers to God the Father, and it may, but since Paul has just said that Jesus is Lord () and since the context of is all about believing in Jesus, it is more likely that Lord in both & 13 refers to Jesus. He is the Lord of all. The Lord Jesus abounds in riches for all who call on Him. If anyone calls on the name of Jesus, he will be saved.
Paul loves to talk about the spiritual riches that God delights to pour out on sinners who believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Note some of the references (see, also, ; ; ; ; ; ):
: “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads to repentance?”
: “And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.”
: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”
: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”
: “So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
: “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ.”
: “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.”
The point in our text is that no matter how sinful your past, if you will believe in the Lord Jesus and call upon Him to save you, He will do it out of the abundant riches of His grace. This good news applies to every person from every race and from every walk of life: Call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved.
Thus all people have one primary need: to be saved before they die and face judgment. All people need one message: the good news that whoever believes in Jesus will not be put to shame. (Good News for All )