Whoever Calls on the Name of the Lord Shall Be Saved; Faith Comes by Hearing (Romans 10:10–14)

Rom. 10:10. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.

Faith and confession are two aspects of one and the same reality: faith, insofar as it is hidden, dwells in the depths of the heart; and insofar as it manifests itself outwardly before all, both in word and deed, it is confession. In essence, the two are inseparable. What kind of faith is it if it does not show itself when the occasion demands? And what kind of confession is it when it is only on the lips? True confession is that which, though witnessed by the mouth, issues from the heart; and true faith is that which, though hidden in the heart, straightway makes itself known whenever its cause is at stake. “There is a need for both—for true and steadfast faith, and for confession uttered with boldness, so that the heart may be adorned with the certainty of faith, and the tongue may shine, fearlessly proclaiming the truth” (Blessed Theodoret). “The heart needs the mouth: for what profit is there in believing in the soul and not confessing before men? Though faith justifies in the mind, yet perfect salvation depends upon confession; for then faith shines forth and is useful to many. But the mouth also needs the heart. Many confess Christ hypocritically, and their heart is far from Him” (Blessed Theophylact). Therefore, when the Apostle places faith in the heart and confession on the lips, he does this in keeping with the preceding prophecy. In like manner, the fruits of faith and confession that are indicated mean the same thing. Righteousness is built in the heart by faith—that is, by the whole economy of Christ’s faith—and accomplishes that wherein salvation consists; and he to whom salvation belongs has it in no other way than through the implanting in his heart of all righteousness—that is, all holiness, purity, and spotlessness—by faith, or by the whole economy of faith. Thus this text, like the preceding one, may be read as follows: with the heart one believes, and with the mouth one confesses, to righteousness and salvation.

Thus the Apostle has shown that faith gives what the Law only promised—that is, righteousness and salvation—and gives it easily and powerfully; therefore zeal according to the Law, in the face of faith, is meaningless; it is zeal without understanding. “When justification, which is of the utmost importance, is so easy and accessible (by faith), when without it there is no salvation possible; is it not the height of folly to abandon the easy way and take up the impossible? Now no one can say that he refused the work because of its difficulty. Do you see how the Apostle deprives the Jews of all excuse? For are not those worthy of condemnation who choose the most difficult and impractical course, and abandon the easy one, which could save them, which even the Law itself was not able to provide? All this proves nothing but stubborn will set against God. The Law is burdensome, but grace is light. The Law, with countless conditions, does not save; but grace gives justification, both as a matter of grace and as a matter of law. Therefore, what will those say in their defense who persist against grace, who hold to the Law without profit or purpose?” (Holy Chrysostom).

The Apostle presses the Jews and drives them toward faith, presenting one of the most powerful motives that determine our will toward action—reason, if they will heed his words and turn to faith—and unreason, if they will not heed and turn away from faith. This has been sufficiently explained already, and the discourse could be ended on the conclusion stated in this verse. “But since what the Apostle has said is of great importance, he confirms it again with Scripture” (Holy Chrysostom). His conclusion was this: believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, and you will be righteous before God and will be saved. It might seem to a Jew: this is only your conclusion. The Apostle adds: not mine; and the Word of God speaks directly of the salvific power of both faith and confession (verses 11–13). After reading these texts, Holy Chrysostom says: “Do you notice that the Apostle brings testimony concerning faith and confession? When he says: ‘Everyone who believes’ (verse 11), he points to faith; and when he says: ‘Whoever calls’ (verse 13), he means confession”.

Rom. 10:11. For the Scripture says: Everyone who believes on Him will not be ashamed.

And therefore the Apostle thought it necessary to bring forward particular testimonies concerning faith and confession, in order to show that the blessings of faith extend to all people without exception. For this reason in both texts he directs attention to: “everyone”, and moreover applies and explains this word specially: “there is no difference” (Rom. 10:12). In the preceding passages he had proven the foolishness of Jewish zeal for the Law from the fact that the same Scriptures that teach about the Law afterward declare that all power is in faith, and he who has it has the whole Law fulfilled. But there the attention was confined to the Jews alone, as the subject itself demanded. Upon hearing what was said, the Jews might say: very well; we see that it is foolish to turn away from faith because of the Law; we believe. But why are the Gentiles brought in too?! The Apostle answers: because the power of faith and confession is not restricted by fleshly descent: it extends to all and enriches all without distinction. Salvation’s power is not in race, but in faith. Whoever you may be, only believe—and you will be saved. See what Scripture says: “Everyone who believes on Him will not be ashamed”, and do not doubt the truth of my words.

But what faith is spoken of here? In whom are we to believe? In Christ the Lord. The words cited are taken from that place in the prophet Isaiah, where he speaks from the mouth of the Lord: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, precious, honored, and whoever believes on Him will not be ashamed” (Isa. 28:16). And under this stone, from the time the Prophet spoke these words until our day, all people—both Jews and Christians—understand none other than Christ the Lord. He alone lies as the foundation of the spiritual Zion—the holy Church of God, which, being established upon Him, stands firm and will stand unshaken until the end of the age. Whoever believes in Him will not be ashamed. In what will he not be ashamed? In his hopes; for he will surely obtain what he expects from this faith. And what does he expect? Salvation, both in this age and in the age to come. In this very age, from the very beginning, in baptism, everyone receives forgiveness of sins, a new life, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, which sanctifies and strengthens him, and which serves as a pledge that in the age to come it will go well with him who clings to the Lord by faith. Ambrosiaster writes: “When on the day of judgment the trial of all deeds done on earth begins, and all false dogmas and teachings are put to shame, then believers in Christ will rejoice, seeing how before all it will be openly revealed that what they believed in is true and that what was thought foolish is wise. For they will see that among all others, only they are glorious and wise, having been thought foolish and despised until then. For there is the decisive test of deeds, where reward or punishment is assigned”.

Rom. 10:12. For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: for He is Lord of all, rich toward all who call upon Him.

“By the words: ‘There is no difference between Jew and Greek’, ‘the Apostle explains the word everyone’ (Blessed Theodoret). “Proclaiming that in grace all can participate, and overthrowing the arrogance of the Jews, the Apostle repeats briefly what he had proven at length above—that there is no difference between Jew and uncircumcised” (Holy Chrysostom). And as he had proven this before by asking: ‘Is He the God of the Jews only, and not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also’ (Rom. 3:29), so here he lays down as a foundation: ‘He is Lord of all’. Ό γαρ αυτός Κύριος πάντων. Ό αυτός—one and the same. For He is Lord of all. There is not another Lord for the Gentiles, but the same one as for the Jews. All are His creation, and He providentially cares for all according to His hidden wise purposes. So do not begrudge God to others and do not imagine Him to be grudging, as though His hand were open only to you, but closed to all others. He has enough of every good for all, and He is ready to give generously to all. ‘Rich toward all’, that is, rich to all, who call upon Him” (Blessed Theophylact).

“Rich”, πλούτων εις πάντας, rich showing Himself toward all who call upon Him in that He pours out upon them and over them His riches because of their calling. Whoever you are, only call upon Him, and you will become a partaker of His riches. “He is Lord of all as Creator and Sustainer, but He is rich only to those who call upon Him. To the unbelieving He is not rich: for they cannot become partakers of His riches, seeing that they do not believe that He will give them thereof” (Ambrosiaster).

One could also understand it thus: rich being called upon by those who call upon Him in the sense that the Lord accounts those who call upon Him as His riches; therefore He will not distinguish whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, but only that one calls upon Him; and as soon as one calls, he will be immediately received into God’s treasury: for the Lord loves to enrich Himself with such goodness. “Do you see how earnestly God desires your salvation? For He accounts it even as His own riches. He who accounts our salvation as His own riches will not cease to be enriched, and to pour out gifts upon all is to Him also enrichment” (Holy Chrysostom).

Thus, if all depends upon calling, and not upon outward distinctions of any kind, then it is evident of itself that a Jew has no advantage over a Gentile in the matter of salvation. So it was foretold by the Prophets.

Rom. 10:13. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The force of the utterance lies here too in: “everyone”. “Since it was the Jews particularly who were troubled that they enjoyed a privilege over the whole human race, and now faith dethrones them from this throne and gives them no more rights than others; the Apostle makes repeated references to the Prophets, who foretell to them of such equality. ‘Everyone who believes on Him’, it is said, ‘will not be ashamed; and whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’. To remove all possible objections, in both places the word ‘everyone’ is placed” (Holy Chrysostom).

The Apostle does not mention that he takes this passage from Scripture; but since it is read word for word in the prophet Joel (Joel 2:32), there is no doubt that he brought it forth as taken from Scripture, and did not mention it, surely, because he understood it when he said above in verse 11: “For the Scripture says”.

The meaning of the passage taken from Saint Joel is clear in itself. In the prophet Joel it is applied to the prophecy concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all God’s servants and handmaids. “Upon My servants and upon My handmaids I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy” (Joel 2:29). And at the end: “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32). —Saved by what? By this, that calling on the Lord with faith, he receives the Holy Spirit, who will sanctify him and keep him holy to the end. This prophetic passage was already cited by the holy Apostle Peter on the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit. When the Jews, seeing the ecstasy of the Apostles at the moment of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them, thought they were drunk, he in refutation of this said: they are not drunk, but this is being fulfilled in us what the prophet Joel foretold concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Then he recited the whole passage (Acts 2:16–21), and also at the end applied: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). Finally, when thousands of Jews were pierced with contrition and asked what they should do, he, instructing them what to do, thereby also explained what it means to be saved and in what calling on the name of the Lord consists: calling is in repentance and faith in the Lord, and salvation is in baptism in His name for the forgiveness of sins and in the reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit. “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Recognize that you are wholly sinful, and believe that there is no salvation for you except in the Lord; then in these feelings and in the spirit of this faith be baptized, through which you will receive the remission of sins and will be born again into a new life. Having thus become a strong vessel, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who, poured out into you, will teach you how to be holy, and by His power will enable you so that you keep yourself in holiness all the days of your life. Behold, that is salvation! This is the apostolic explanation of how it comes to pass that he who calls on the name of the Lord is saved. And not merely calling out: Lord, Lord! For not everyone who says this will necessarily enter the Kingdom, as the Lord said in the Gospel (Matt. 7:21).

Rom. 10:14–15. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?

From verse 14 to the end of the chapter come new thoughts directed toward depriving the Jews of the last possible excuse for their unbelief (Holy Chrysostom). In this tenth chapter the Apostle explains how it came to pass that the greater part of the Jews does not partake of the inheritance of spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, promised to the fathers. What is the reason? The reason, he answered, lies in the Jews themselves, in that they do not believe in the Lord Jesus. They cover the wickedness of their unbelief by claiming to stand on the Law and to be zealous for it. But this does not excuse them, because the Law itself, or those Scriptures in which the Law is set forth and explained, guide them toward faith and indicate its necessity, showing that it is the direct and sole true and reliable means of salvation. From this it naturally follows the rebuke: so why do you not believe? For the completeness of the rebuke the Apostle now either devises himself, or introduces someone else devising, how the unbelief of the Jews might yet be justified, and then, proving that this last refuge for justification is inappropriate, sets forth in full force the inexcusability of Jewish unbelief. He speaks as if: one might yet excuse the unbelief of the Jews and their not calling upon the Lord Jesus, or not placing their hope of salvation in Him, if they had not heard of Him, and had not heard because there was no preaching, and there was no preaching because there were no sent preachers. This would have completely excused them. For it is natural not to call upon the Lord, or not to place hope of salvation in Him for one who has not believed; it is natural not to believe for one who has not heard what he should believe; it is natural not to hear of it when there is no preaching; and it is natural that there be no preaching when there are no sent preachers. But matters stand otherwise: and preachers have been sent (verse 15), and those to whom they were sent—the Jews—have heard their preaching (verse 18), and not only heard but understood (verse 19); and yet they remain in unbelief. Therefore, nothing remains after this by which they might be excused: they are wholly guilty. “Thus the Apostle, saying this as if in defense of the Jews, thereby increases the accusation pronounced upon them” (Blessed Theodoret).

The first question concerning calling to faith is proposed on the occasion of the preceding discourse, where it was concerned with them, and is proposed as a transition to that upon which the Apostle particularly wished to dwell and which he needed most for the purpose of rebuke, that is, to the hearing of preaching and the sending of preachers. For now in this lie the chief grounds of rebuke, while the first two have been spoken of above. In answering these three last questions, the Apostle begins with the last (Blessed Theodoret) and goes upward through the questions. Were not preachers sent? They were. Did not the Jews hear? They did. Did they not understand? They did.

It is remarkable that the Apostle takes his answers: they were sent, they heard, they understood—not from pointing to what was happening before all eyes, but from prophetic predictions concerning it. To the question: were preachers not sent?—he does not say: look, here am I, here are the twelve, here is a multitude of other helpers of ours; we all do not go of ourselves, but are sent. He does not say so, but puts forth the prophecy concerning it: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings!” To the question: did they not hear?—he does not say: how could they not hear? we go directly to the Jews and preach first in their synagogues, but the prophetic word concerning it he offers: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth”. To the question: did they not understand?—he does not say: how could they not understand? we explain to them in detail what the matter is; they understand, but, out of attachment to the Law, they will not believe and they persecute us; they are especially irritated when we, departing from them, offer the word of faith to the Gentiles and turn them to the Lord Jesus Christ. He does not speak so, but by the prophetic word depicts the same: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation”.

Why does the Apostle do this? To present the matter more strikingly. For if reality had answered all the questions, it would have been clear to all and speaking of it would have been but redundant multiplication of words. A Jew hearing such questions received the answer to them within himself, in his own conscience. It remained for the Apostle only to illuminate and sanctify these answers by that which the Jew treasured above all—the prophetic word. He speaks as if: you see what reality answers you; but you do not see how important is the significance of all that is happening before you. I help you in this. Return in thought to the depths of the prophetic predictions, and you will understand that all that now happens and what you do on account of it was long ago foretold: it was foretold that the Jews would hear their preaching, understand, and yet not believe. But if the sending of preachers is a matter of God’s direct will, then the non-acceptance of their preaching can be recognized as nothing other than resisting God’s will. But what sense is there in resisting God? From this understand what you should do. Acknowledge the foolishness of your opposition to faith, condemn yourself in it, and hasten to correct the deed worthy of God’s condemnation by a deed worthy of God’s approval, unbelief by faith.

As for the questions proposed in the present verse 14 and the beginning of verse 15, they are clear in themselves and are proposed only to mark beforehand the points for the rebuke of the Jews. The rebuke itself proceeds again by questions, but with the appending of answers to them, leading to an unanswerable rebuke. In this, note that, following the course of speech, after: “And how shall they preach unless they are sent?”—and before: “As it is written”—one must suppose a question: but were not preachers sent? They were, as it is written. The subsequent flow of speech compels us to suppose this. Below is given the question: “Have they not heard?”—and the answer is offered in the words of prophecy. Still further down is another question: “Did Israel not know?” And again the answer is offered in the words of prophecy. At the beginning of these question-and-answer exchanges, in verse 15, stands the prophetic word, but no question. Therefore there is a need here to mentally supplement the speech by inserting a question: were not preachers sent? And then read the answer: they were.