Romans 10:8
10:8
“word of faith”
“proclaiming”
The message or “word of faith” is proclaimed, believed and confessed.
10:9
This verse begins with “hoti” which is translated “that” or “because”
1) If the word is translated as “THAT” then this word identifies the content of “the word of faith” The “word of faith” is the same thing as “the creed of the faith” or the “accepted statement of faith.”
2) If the word is translated as “BECAUSE” then this word how the word is near you. The word would be near you because you confess it or say it.
The reason Paul distinguishes “confessing” and “believing” is:
1) The point here is the nearness of the word or the revelation. This continues the thought in 10:6-7.
2) The continuation of the thought from the verse he quoted in 10:8 out of Deuteronomy 30:14: “The word is near you; it is in you MOUTH and in your HEART.”
Belief is the key element even in the context:
9:30; 10:4; 10:11
Confession goes the same way as:
1) Baptism – Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized.”
2) Communion -
3) church membership -
4) good works –
5) manifestation of the Spirit
6) anything else
These are expressions of our faith.
“confess” is “ ‘omologew” /homologeo/ and means
a) “to say the same thing as” – “to agree, to confess, to proclaim.”
b) It is a judicial term andindicates a binding and public declaration that establishes a relationship with legal binding.
c) when used concerning “confess” sins it means to say the same thing about sin as God does
d) when used here concerning the “word of faith” or the accepted Christian creed it means to say the same thing as other orthodox believers.
Confession in
scripture:
Matthew 10:22
Luke 12:8
John 9:22
John 12:42
1 Timothy 6:12
1 John 2:23
1 John 4:15
2 John 7
“Jesus is Lord”
To say “Jesus is Lord” in the early church meant that Jesus had to have also been:
1) incarnated
2) died
3) resurrected
4) ascended on high as God
This is an ancient confession of the early church:
Phillippians 2:11
1 Corinthians 12:3
1 Corinthians 16:22 has the Aramaic maranaqa or “maranatha” meaning “our Lord, come”. The early Jewish Christians where the ones to speak Aramaic. The Gentile believers would have spoken Greek. This gives this “maranatha” phrase a place as a very early creed.
It is also a confession of the resurrection:
1 Corinthians 8:6
1 Corinthians 15:4
See similarity in 2 Corinthians 4:13-15
10:10
Notice the order is reversed from 10:9
1) 10:9 confess and believe
2) 10:10 believe and confess
“with heart you believe and are justified”
1) Justified means placed in right standing with God
2) John 3:16
3) John 8:12
4) John 20:31
“with your mouth. . . you confess and are saved”
1) with your mouth you “say the same thing and agree with the creed” and are saved
2) the mouth is a reflection of the heart
10:11
A sure confidence