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A Comparison of Romans 10:9

A Comparison of Romans 10:9 with Deuteronomy 30

Paul Baumeister, PhD September 21, 2019

A Comparison of Romans 10:9

A Comparison of Romans 10:9 with Deuteronomy 30 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord , and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9). Romans 10:9 has been oftentimes misunderstood, twisted, or mistranslated. Understanding a scripture in its context is vital for understanding the original meaning of the text. This paper delves into the true themes and teachings of the tenth chapter of the Book of Romans. It is most definitely not teaching that a simple confession of one’s belief in Jesus provides the sinner with salvation. This would be at odds with many scriptures that state that salvation is attained by being born of the water and born of the Spirit (Jn. 3:3-5; Acts 2:38; Titus 3:5). To understand the true meaning of the text, a look into the verses at the beginning of the chapter provides the theme and topic to which the Apostle Paul is addressing. The topic is ’s rejection of Jesus as its Messiah. Paul says, “Brethren, my heart's desire and to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” (vs. 1). He states that they have without knowledge tried to establish their own righteousness instead of taking on the righteousness that is found in Jesus Christ (Vs 2). They missed the whole point of the Old Covenant in that the Law was supposed to lead them to Christ. The Apostle states, “For Christ is the end (culmination/fulfillment) of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth [emphasis added]” (Vs.4). The Jews tried to attain righteousness by adhering to their 613 laws that were supposed to keep them from disobeying the Old Testament Law. The Apostle Paul introduces a concept that most Jews of his day understood, “For describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them” (Vs. 5). He is directly quoting Moses in :5 and referring to the observance of the Law will produce life, whereas the disobedience of the Law will produce death. Paul also cites this same Old Testament passage in Galatians, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (3:10). There are so many Old Testament scriptures which show how the Old Testament saints failed in their adherence to the Law (Deut 30:14; cf. Deut 5:29; 6:6-7; 10:16; 29:4; 30:6). Nehemiah states, And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets (9:29-30). This is the setting in which the Apostle Paul is writing Romans chapter 10. He is addressing the failure of the people to gain righteousness through the Mosaic Law. He is addressing the Jews that their next step is to look not unto the Old Covenant of the Law, but a New Covenant. The succeeding verses bring much light to the subject. He quotes Deut. 30:11-14. Take note that the subject is the difficulty of the Jews to A Comparison of Romans 10:9 adhering to the whole of the Law. Deuteronomy chapter 30 is a response to those Jews that said it was so difficult to obey all of these laws. Let’s read it as Moses wrote it: For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it (11-14). Moses is addressing those that have difficulty obeying the commandments. He is referring to the Law, when he says in essence, “The Law is not so far away from you such as in heaven that you cannot access it and obey it; the Law is not so far across the ocean, that you cannot access it and obey it.” He is saying it is not so far removed from the Old Testament believer that he cannot obey these laws. There is an easier way to obey the covenant: by the Law (word) in your mouth and in your heart or what he describes earlier in the same chapter, “the circumcision of the heart” (vs. 6). Now look at the Apostle’s commentary on this. He is not quoting it word for word; he is interpreting it in the purest sense of its fulfillment. 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:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) (Rom. 10:6-7). He interchanges the subject of the Law in Deuteronomy 30 for its fulfillment in Christ by giving the perspective of the “righteousness which is of faith” which is another name for the new covenant believer. He says the Law is not so far up in heaven that you cannot access it since Christ is not residing only in Heaven, but in the New Covenant believer’s heart. He interchanges the term “Law” for “Christ.” Why? Because Christ is the end (culmination or fulfillment) of the Law. In other words, what the Law could not do in that the people were weak, Christ, the Word living within them, became their governor and gave them the ability to obey his Word. His use of the word, “deep” addresses the same. He is not so far from you all that you cannot obey his Word. He finishes by quoting Deuteronomy 30:14, “But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” In other words, if you have Christ in you, the living Word resides in your heart. This phraseology is found in many places within the Old Testament when referring to the New Covenant which God had promised Israel. Ezekiel describes this covenant as the Law within the heart which is similar in thought to Moses referring to the circumcision of the heart (Deut. 30:6): And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God (Ezek. 11:19-20). Notice that Ezekiel equates the new heart with a new spirit living within the believer. He says that the Spirit of God living within the believer will help the believer to walk in his A Comparison of Romans 10:9 statutes and keep his ordinances. It sounds so familiar to the New Testament description of the Spirit in the Gospel of John, “But the Comforter (helper), which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (14:26). Notice that Jesus refers to his Spirit as the Comforter. The Greek word for comforter is παράκλητος (paracletos) which means a helper. How is the Spirit a helper? It helps us in teaching us all things and bringing all things to our remembrance. It’s referring to the Word in our hearts or the law written on the tables of our heart. The Prophet Jeremiah speaks further about this New Covenant promise. Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts (Jer. 31:31-33). It is quite evident that the covenant that he is describing is referencing the Spirit living within the believer. The Apostle Paul in Romans interchanged law with Christ in Deuteronomy 30. So, here in Jeremiah chapter 31, “my Law within them” refers to Ezekiel’s of the “New Spirit” residing within them (Ezek. 11:19). There are other Old Testament scriptures that refer to the Law written within the believer’s heart (Jer. 24:4-7; Ezek. 36:26-27; 2:28; Deut. 29:4; 30:6). So, when the Apostle quotes Deuteronomy 30 when stating, “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” (vs. 8), he is obviously referring to the New Covenant promise which Moses referenced. Notice he gives explicit words to describe the New Covenant such as the “Word…in thy mouth…in thy heart.” The key to understanding verse 9 is found in seeing it as a reference to the New Covenant promise of the Law within which is the promise of the Holy Spirit residing in the believer. 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. 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 [emphasis added] (Rom. 10:8-9). Notice that the same words “mouth” and “heart” in vs. 8 are found in vs. 9. That is intentional and is describing how the New Testament believer is saved by the New Covenant experience of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the believer. It is not referring to verbal confession from the recipient; it is referring to the New Covenant promise of the Spirit found in Deuteronomy 30 and Ezekiel 11. The original Greek says, “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth that Jesus is Lord…” Thus when the Apostle Paul says, “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Cor. 12:3), he is describing the Holy Spirit within the New Covenant believer and the believer allowing the Spirit or governor to be the Lord or Master in his life. A Comparison of Romans 10:9

The latter part of verse nine is another reference to the outpouring of the Spirit in the believer. Notice that portion repeats the same words from Deuteronomy 30 also, where it says, “in thy heart.” The apostle says, “and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead.” Does he mean that you must only believe within your mind that God raised him from the dead? No. He is referencing the Gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 6:1-4). “Belief” to the Jew was more than just cognitive—it showed action. So, while we already established that the word “heart” is referring to the New Covenant promise of the Spirit, the Apostle adds that we are saved by believing in our heart that God raised him from the dead. In Romans chapter 6, the Apostle Paul explains how we apply the gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection to the New Testament believer: God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: How does the New Testament believer apply the gospel to his life? Repentance which is depicted as the death of Christ is seen in verse one. Baptism which is depicted by his burial is seen in verses three and four and the receiving of the Holy Spirit is depicted by the resurrection in verse five. In conclusion, the Apostle Paul is stating in Romans chapter 10, in contrast to the Old Covenant Law found in Deuteronomy 30, there is a new covenant in which God is bringing a new way of fulfilling the Law which will be in your mouth and in your heart. It refers to the new Spirit that will be poured out on the Day of Pentecost (Ezek. 11; :28; Acts 2). The Old Covenant has culminated with the death of Jesus Christ and the believer must be part of the New Covenant to be saved, which includes the receiving of the Holy Spirit, which was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets.