Romans 10 Study Notes

10:9-10 Jesus is Lord is a confession of faith. “Lord” is the translation of the Greek word kurios. This is the regular way of translating the Hebrew name for God (Yahweh) in the Greek OT (the LXX). Jesus is not only the Messiah (Gk Christ = Hb Messiah), but he is also Lord (1Co 8:6). Not only do we believe that the man Jesus was raised . . . from the dead, but we also believe that he shares the same nature with God. This is the start of the understanding of Christ’s two natures, as articulated at the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451). Jesus is fully human and fully God. Christians by definition believe and confess this truth.

10:11-13 Paul cited biblical support for the universal offer of salvation. Salvation is for both Jew and Greek (i.e., Gentiles) since the same Lord (Gk kurios, v. 12) richly blesses all who call on him. The promise is for all who call on the name of the Lord (kurios, v. 13). As the prophet Joel said, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Jl 2:32). Jesus is the Lord.

10:14-15 What must occur for someone to call on the name of the Lord? Someone must first be sent to proclaim the gospel message, and then listeners must pay attention and believe. In the absence of any one of these factors, no one can call on the name of the Lord.

10:16-21 Paul quoted several OT passages to show that the conditions described in vv. 14-15 had been met for Israel. The gospel message was proclaimed throughout the Roman Empire. The Jews listened and simply did not believe. The Gentiles heard too, and many embraced it. Paul’s citations show that the Gentile conversion was predicted in the OT. Ultimately, all peoples are a disobedient and defiant people. Israel was singled out in this way due to their consistent rejection of God’s message and messengers (see Ac 7:51-60).

The Greek noun telos is related to the verbs teleo and teleioo, both meaning to complete, perfect, finish, and to the adjective teleion, meaning complete, perfect, whole. The term telos refers to the consummation, completion, or fulfillment of something. In the NT, telos is commonly used for the end of this life (Mt 10:22; 1Co 1:8; Php 3:19; Heb 3:14; 6:11; 7:3; Rv 2:26) or for events related to the end times (Mt 24:6,13-14; Mk 13:7,13; Lk 1:33; 21:9; 1Co 10:11; 15:24; 2Co 11:15; 1Pt 4:7,17). In Revelation telos occurs twice in the formula “the beginning and the end” as a title for deity (21:6; 22:13). In Rm 10:4 telos refers to Christ as “the end of the law,” which is similar to Paul’s statement that believers are no longer “under the law” (Rm 6:14). Christians do not relate to God through the old covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai through Moses, but through the new covenant he made at the cross through Christ’s blood (see Jr 31:31-34; Lk 22:20; Heb 8:8-12).