Romans 10:11-21: "Lord of All"

Paul has just finished telling his readers what one must do in order to be saved, "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved". Paul has given us the prerequisites of faith contrary to the belief of his Jewish brethren. Paul was working to rid the Jews of the lie that they are all saved based on their heritage and "good" works. He continues to work on this lie as he continues in this section, again arguing from Scripture, "For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed". Paul again reaches back into the Old Testament (which was read and believed by his readers) to prove that God's way of salvation (including all races without distinction and by faith alone). Using Isa. 28:16, Paul points out that the prophets had made it clear that "whoever believe" may be saved. This is unconditional, not based on their being circumcised or their Jewish heritage, but rather, on their belief. MacArthur writes, "In other words, salvation through faith in him for anyone (whoever believes) has always been God's plan . . . from eternity past, God's Word invariably has accomplished His divine goal, which has always included His loving and gracious desire that no human being would perish but that 'all [would] come to repentance' (2Peter 3:9)". Whoever is to believe in Christ for salvation will not be disappointed, but rather, enjoy the wonderful blessing found in the riches of Christ. Paul is setting up the true dichotomy. Those who will "not be disappointed", but rather enjoy salvation is not based on race, culture, or good works, but rather, on rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord.

Paul continues to make his point that race was not a qualification for salvation, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek". God does not distinguish in who He saves, based on race. Paul had spent a significant portion of the first few chapters of this book to show that "if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God". Paul's reasoning is that "for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him". God is Lord over all mankind, not just Lord of the Jews. Only a false god is specific to certain races or cultures or cults. The one true God is "Lord of all", irrespective of race. MacArthur writes, "Not only is Christ the Savior and Lord of all who believe but He is also abounding in riches for all who call upon Him. Gentile believers have God's equal blessing as well as His equal salvation. And just as God sovereignly calls all believers to Himself, all must call upon Him in faith".

Paul reiterates his point again by quoting from the Old Testament prophet Joel, "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (cf Joel 2:32). Paul had just told us that "if we confess with our mouth" that Jesus is Lord we will be saved. Therefore, this is not a new idea, but rather, one that had been said hundreds of years before by the prophet Joel who testified that those who would "call upon the name of the Lord will be saved". MacArthur writes, "To call upon the name of Jesus as Lord is to recognize and submit to His deity, His authority, His sovereignty, His power, His majesty, His Word, and His grace. Everyone, Jew or Gentile, who does so will be saved".

Following up with the idea of calling upon the Lord, Paul continues, "How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" In other words, Paul is saying that in order to properly respond to God and call upon His name, a clear understanding of who Christ is must be presented to all men. It is the job and responsibility of those who know the name of Christ to properly speak it to those who do not know it, regardless of their race. MacArthur writes, "Viewed from the other direction, Paul is saying that if God did not send preachers no one could hear, if no one could hear no one could believe, if no one could believe no one could call on the Lord, and if no one could call on Him no one could be saved". Going back again to the Old Testament he quotes Isaiah (52:7), "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!" It is the wonderful gospel news of salvation that preachers bring, and blessed are those who have the opportunity to hear it and be saved. MacArthur explains, "That verse from Isaiah was written in celebration of Israel's deliverance from years of captivity and bondage, first in Assyria and then in Babylon. But for Paul's purpose, an even greater fitness of that verse is seen in Isaiah's subsequent declaration of a future day when 'The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nation, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God' (Isa 52:10, emphasis added)". However, Paul reminds us that the good news was rejected by some. "However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our report?' Unfortunately, not all men see the gospel as good news, and not all accept it. It is quite clear from the response of people today that they do not want to "call upon the Lord" for they do not feel the weight of their sins, and feel they have no need for a Savior. However, to those who understand their sin and their need for a Savior, this news is good indeed. MacArthur points out, "As do many other passages of Scripture, this verse makes clear that, even in His omnipotent sovereignty, God chooses not to exercise absolute control over human affairs. Contrary to the idea of a divine determinism, such as that as ultra-calvinism, God's glad tidings must be received in faith by those who hear it. Only lopsided and unbiblical theologies put everything on God's side or everything on man's side. In order to produce salvation, God's unmerited grace demands man's positive response. Inherent in God's eternal plan of salvation is man's obedient faith".

Paul summarizes what has previously been shown in this passage as he writes, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ". This is purely a reiteration of what had been previously said. He uses this to bring our attention back to the understanding that God is "Lord of all", by asking a rhetorical question, "But I say, surely they have never heard have they? Indeed they have; 'Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world". Paul is asking a question the Jews might be thinking as they would say that salvation was only for them and not the Gentiles. However, Paul quotes Ps. 19:4 which shows that God's revelation of who He is has already gone out (in the past) and has gone out into "all the earth". MacArthur writes, "In other words, even David understood the universal parameters of God's offer of salvation, which already has gone out (a past tense) into all the earth . . . their voice and their words refer to God's revelation of Himself that has gone out into all the earth and has been proclaimed to the ends of the world - to all men and women who have ever or will ever live". The point being that once again Paul has used his understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures to show salvation has always been the same throughout redemptive history: salvation to all who believe.

Paul will once again move to the Old Testament to show that Moses and the prophets had predicted that Gentiles would be offered salvation long before Paul's time. The first example is using Deut. 32:21 where "Moses says, 'I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, by a nation without understanding will I anger you'". Obviously this prediction has come true as the Jews have been arguing all this time that the Gentiles were not worthy of salvation. In fact, the whole premise of this book being written is to show the Jews that their heritage is not able to save them, and that God's way of salvation is open to all who would believe on the name of Christ in faith. This fact, obviously had made the Jews jealous and angry. Paul then moves to Isaiah who exclaimed boldly (Isa. 65:1), "I was found by those who sought Me not, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me". MacArthur writes, "Through Moses, who represented the law and through Isaiah, who represented the prophets, Paul firmly established that Israel's rejection of her Messiah came as no surprise to God. It was predicted that, because of that rejection, God would be found by Gentiles who had not sought Him and would manifest Himself to those Gentiles who did not ask for Him". The Gentiles, who had not sought God previously, were now made aware of the way salvation, just as Moses and the prophets had prophesied. The Jews who could honestly take God's word as divine truth, would have to concede this point. However, they had gotten so far away from the sciptures, and instead, relied on their man-made traditions for salvation. Paul continues "but as for Israel he says, 'All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people". God, who had been rich in patience and mercy with Israel, had dealt with a people that had mostly rejected his words and commands. MacArthur concludes, "What a monumental and tragic failure! Unbelieving Jews misunderstood and rejected God, Jesus Christ, and saving faith because of their self-righteousness, and they misunderstood the extent of salvation because of their proud prejudice. They therefore failed as God's witness nation".