Romans 10:13-14

Context

Chapters 9–11 of Romans address the problem of Israel's failure to receive the gospel. In chapter 10 the apostle Paul speaks of the righteousness that comes by faith rather than by the works of the law. Verse 9 states that whoever confesses "the Lord Jesus" and believes in the heart shall be saved, and verse 12 says that there is "no difference" between Jew and Greek. Verse 13 quotes Joel 2:32 as the basis for this statement. Verses 14–15 pose a succession of questions, tracing the sequence backward from calling to believing, hearing, preaching, and being sent. Verses 16–21 lead to the conclusion that Israel's problem was not that it had not heard but that it had not obeyed.

Interpretation

• Reading "Lord" as Jesus: The "name of the LORD" (Yahweh) in Joel was rendered as "Lord" (kyrios) in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint). Paul applies this term to the "Lord" Jesus of verse 9. Many commentators regard this as evidence that the early church confessed Jesus in the place of God, and the passage is frequently discussed in Christology.
• Readings emphasizing a universal invitation: The Arminian tradition, including Wesleyan theology, emphasizes "whosoever" as a genuine invitation extended to all people and as an indication of the responsibility of those who hear it to respond.
• Reformed reading: The Calvinist tradition holds that "whosoever" means only that the gospel is offered to all people and does not deny God's election. It also reads verses 14–15 as a text showing the importance of the means God has ordained for salvation, namely preaching, in which those who have been sent proclaim the Word.
• The meaning of "of whom they have not heard": Grammatically, this expression in the original can be read either as "have not heard about him" or as "have not heard him" (that is, his voice). Some commentators adopt the latter reading, interpreting it to mean that when the gospel is preached, Christ himself speaks.

Questions of Application

This passage is often cited in connection with the question of what becomes of those who have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel. Most evangelicals take it as grounds for holding that salvation comes through hearing and believing the gospel, and therefore regard the proclamation of the gospel as urgent. Some theologians, however, discuss the question more broadly, pointing, among other things, to verse 18's quotation of Psalm 19.

A further question concerns what it means to "call upon the name of the Lord." In verse 14 Paul says that one cannot call on him in whom one has not believed. Accordingly, most interpretations understand this calling not as the verbal recitation of a name but as prayer and confession that arise from faith.

In the Korean Church

Verses 14–15 are commonly used in sermons for mission dedication services, missionary commissioning services, and evangelistic meetings as a text that speaks of the necessity of evangelism and missions. Verse 13 is also cited in evangelism and new-believer instruction as a verse presenting the invitation to salvation.

Related Passages

• Joel 2:32: the original verse quoted in verse 13
• Acts 2:21: the passage in which Peter quotes the same verse from Joel in his Pentecost sermon
• Romans 10:9–10: salvation through confession and faith
• Isaiah 52:7: the verse about those who "bring glad tidings of good things," quoted in verse 15
• Isaiah 53:1: the verse quoted in verse 16