That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
What does Romans 10:9 mean?
The self-condemned sinner need not perplex himself how this righteousness may be found.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside Romans 10:6-10 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess - The word here rendered "confess" ομολογεω homologeo is often rendered "profess"; Matthew 7:23 , "Then will I profess to them, I never knew you;" Titus 1:16 ; Titus 3:14 ; Romans 1:22 ; 1 Timothy 2:10 ; 1 Timothy 6:12-13 , 1 Timothy 6:21 ; Hebrews 3:1 , etc. It properly means to "speak what agrees with something which others speak or maintain." Thus, confession or profession expresses our "agreement or concord with what God holds to be true, and what he declares to be true." It denotes a public declaration or assent to that, here expressed by the words "with thy mouth.
Key words
- shalt
-
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,.
- confess
-
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,.
- mouth
-
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,.
Context in Romans 10
Show chapter context
Romans 10 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as union with Christ and life in the Spirit. Romans is Paul’s fullest sustained exposition of sin, grace, righteousness, faith, Israel, the Spirit, and transformed life in Christ. Read this chapter with the wider themes of justification, grace, and faith in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
Central texts on sin, grace, faith, Christ’s saving work, and the Bible’s announcement that salvation is received rather than achieved.
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.
Key passages on God's unmerited favour, the grace of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and how grace transforms the way believers live.