Part 1 – Israel's Confession of faith Is Not Necessary for Gentile Salvation

In Romans chapters 9-11 Paul explains Israel’s current position before God, during today’s Gentile age of “the gospel of the grace of God” (Act 20:24). Many consider Romans 9-11 to be the most difficult part of Romans. ‘Context’ will be critical throughout the discussion in this paper, if we are to properly interpret what Paul is saying.

These three points below are seemingly troublesome issues seen in Rom. 9-11 for those who do not properly “rightly divide the word of truth” (2Tim. 2:15) as we are instructed to by Paul. They ignore dividing that which applies to Israel only and from that which applies to “the Church, body of Christ.” We must have this rule in minds as we read the words in context.

1. The Calvinists misuse Rom. 9:11 about Isaac’s election to teach their erroneous doctrine of unconditional election.’(For the children being not yet born (Jacob and Esau), neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)” (Romans 9:11) But this election is speaking of Israel, not the members of “the body of Christ.”

2. The ‘confession’ of Rom. 10:9-10 (below) is also misused by the ‘sinner’s prayer people.’

  • 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the

mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

The ‘sinner’s prayer people’ use this and make it harder for lost people to understand the simple truth ofsalvation by grace through faith (alone)” (Act 2:8-9, cf. Act 16:31). Some say one must audibly confess that Jesus is Lord? No! Are we to assume the Fundamentalists and Evangelicals correct in using this passage as a ‘profession of faith’ proof text? Should we Bible believers use Rom. 10:9-10 in our Gospel tracts and Gospel messages today? No!

Let’s search the Scriptures to prove our answers! Actually, these verses are saying Israeli salvation during Acts required faith plus works as proof of a profession of faith. This study may make denominational and religious people angry, but as Rom. 3:4 says, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” We’re not interested in advancing any denominational doctrine. The Bible is right, no matter whom it contradicts! Let’s not be angry with God’s Word, but with the religious systems that deceived us about Rom. 10:9-10!

The most basic principle of Bible hermeneutic (‘method for Bible interpretation’) is context.’ From time immemorial, people have been grabbing Bible verses without paying attention to their context. Cults and denominations are notorious for this. They also partially quote verses: all that is quoted is verses or phrases that fit their theological systems. Verses and Bible phrases that challenge their theological system are disregarded and (hopefully) no one will study the Bible for himself or herself, to find those ignored words, and thus learn how religious tradition cheated him or her!

  • is more tragic than misquoted Bible verses that complicate and thus hide Paul’s pure grace gospel message from an unsaved or immature audience. Many lost souls were ‘church-going people’ who never heard the genuine “gospel of the grace of God.” They heard a few verses here or there, some more than others. However, many of them heard a watered-down Gospel message. They heard salvation verses that belonging to other people (i.e., Israel), but those verses do not belong to “the dispensation of Grace of the grace of God. One case in point is our text, Rom. 10:9-10.

So, before we grab Romans 10:9-10 and apply it to ourselves, we had better first look at verse 1 to see the context of verses 9-10. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

So, what is Romans 10 about? Is it about Gentile salvation? No, certainly not, if words mean anything. While often used as a ‘Gospel invitation’ to publicly display your faith, Romans 10:9-10 is actually not speaking to us or about us today. According to Paul, he is discussing Israel’s salvation!

Will we believe the Apostle Paul who is writing by “inspiration of the Holy Spirit,” or will we believe some denominational bias? Romans 10 is actually the heart of a three-chapter passage, Romans 9-11. These three chapters are the Apostle Paul’s discussion of the nation Israel’s past, present, and future.

If you want to see Gentile salvation, Paul had already talked about it in the first five chapters of Romans. Romans 10 concerns Israeli salvation during the Acts period! Gentile salvation was already settled in the previous chapters.

3. Then there are Protestants who erroneously believe ‘the church today has replaced Israel have misused and confused the Grafted-In Olive Tree Branches of Romans 11, saying Israel was the branch cut off and we of the body of Christ were grafted in place of them. The Catholic Catechism #676 actually says the Roman church ‘is the new Israel.’ This of course is NOT true!

This all adds to the confusion people have with assumed contradictions when actually there are no contradictions in the Bible.