- Discussion:
-"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." (Romans 10:9-10)
Regarding Jesus Christ being referred to as Lord in this text, Don Stewart of the Blue Letter Bible notes the following:
"Whenever God's name, "Jehovah" or "Yahweh," is given in the New Testament, it is rendered by the Greek word kurios. Sometimes this refers to the name of God. In this instance, Paul calls Jesus "Lord" or "Yahweh." This is a reference to His Deity."
Now, this does not mean that the Greek term kurious always refers to deity. It can certainly be used as a formal way in speaking to somebody. Context determines the meaning of words. In the case of Romans 10:9-10, Jesus is being called God. Footnotes from the NET Bible are also insightful here:
"tn Or “the Lord.” The Greek construction, along with the quotation from Joel 2:32in v. 13 (in which the same “Lord” seems to be in view) suggests that κύριον(kurion) is to be taken as “the Lord,” that is, Yahweh. Cf. D. B. Wallace, “The Semantics and Exegetical Significance of the Object-Complement Construction in the New Testament,” GTJ 6 (1985): 91-112."
The reference to confession found in verse nine alludes to Deuteronomy 30:14. Confession with the mouth signifies openly acknowledging our allegiance to Jesus Christ. We submit to Him as our Lord and our Savior. The fullness of our being rightfully belongs to Him. Christ is the second Person of the triune God. The outward expression "Jesus is Lord" is a parallel to the Jewish Shema prayer (Deuteronomy 6:4).
Understanding the historical context in which Paul was writing sheds more light on how Romans 10:9 points to Jesus being God. Christians who resided in Rome were at higher risk of persecution as citizens were expected to confess Caesar as Lord. The divinity of Jesus was a direct challenge to the lordship of the Roman emperor. Why then does the text being studied state that God raised Him from the dead?
Jesus is God incarnate. He took on human flesh. He is both fully human and fully divine. He exercised both human and divine attributes throughout His earthly ministry. Christ was crucified for our transgressions. His divine essence is not what passed away. Rather, a divine Person in His human flesh died. God functions independently of a physical body. The Father raised Christ from the grave (Acts 2:32; Galatians 1:1). The Son raised Himself from the grave (John 2:19; 10:17-18). The Holy Spirit raised Him from the grave (Romans 8:11). All three Persons of the Trinity brought about the resurrection. This serves as even further biblical evidence for Jesus being God.
Understanding the historical context in which Paul was writing sheds more light on how Romans 10:9 points to Jesus being God. Christians who resided in Rome were at higher risk of persecution as citizens were expected to confess Caesar as Lord. The divinity of Jesus was a direct challenge to the lordship of the Roman emperor. Why then does the text being studied state that God raised Him from the dead?
Jesus is God incarnate. He took on human flesh. He is both fully human and fully divine. He exercised both human and divine attributes throughout His earthly ministry. Christ was crucified for our transgressions. His divine essence is not what passed away. Rather, a divine Person in His human flesh died. God functions independently of a physical body. The Father raised Christ from the grave (Acts 2:32; Galatians 1:1). The Son raised Himself from the grave (John 2:19; 10:17-18). The Holy Spirit raised Him from the grave (Romans 8:11). All three Persons of the Trinity brought about the resurrection. This serves as even further biblical evidence for Jesus being God.
