Goodboy
Won't Be Long Now!
The Real Meaning of Romans 10:9
(King James Version) 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.
While I love the King James Version of the bible and personally believe it is the most correct, sometimes it does not translate to words or statements where we can truly understand them today. I think Romans 10:9 is one of those.
When sharing with the unsaved I would often loosely quote Romans 10:9 as “To be saved you must believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord”. I know that I would end up leaving out “God raised him from the dead” in the belief statement. However I would always say you must confess that “Jesus is Lord”, when the King James says “the Lord Jesus”. I always wondered why I would keep quoting that verse wrong.
You may say that “Jesus is Lord” and “the Lord Jesus” are saying the same thing. I would agree, but “Jesus is Lord” is a stronger statement. Some could argue that “the Lord Jesus” is just a title and nothing more. However, “Jesus is Lord” is a clear statement of who he is, which is God. I believe the Holy Spirit corrected me to say “Jesus is Lord” as a requirement for salvation, so it would be clear to those I shared with.
So this made me wonder how some other bibles translated Romans 10:9. So here are a number of other bible translations of that verse.
(American Standard Version) because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:
(Bible in Basic English) Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation:
(Contemporary English Version) So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death.
(Darby Bible) that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from among the dead, thou shalt be saved.
(Easy to Read Version) If you openly say, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved.
(English Standard Version) because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Good News Bible) If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved.
(International Standard Version) If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Literal Translation of the Holy Bible) Because if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Literal Standard Version) that if you may confess with your mouth that Jesus [is] LORD, and may believe in your heart that God raised Him out of the dead, you will be saved,
(Modern King James Version) Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
Jehovah’s Witnesses own translation of the bible.
(New World Translation) For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved.
Notice that most all of the translations of the bible to English say “Jesus is Lord” in Romans 10:9. So here is my understanding of what Paul is really saying in Romans 10:9 in words such that we can truly understand it.
That to be saved you must make a decision yourself (confess with your mouth) that Jesus is God (Jesus is Lord) and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.
So this makes it clear that a decision must be made personally by you that Jesus is God and believe the Gospel that God raised him from the dead, for you to be saved. So anyone that does not believe that Jesus is God is not saved and any religion that teaches Jesus is not God is a false religion.
1 Corinthians 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted Him, and has given Him a name which is above every name,
Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly ones, and of earthly ones, and of ones under the earth;
Philippians 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Goodboy
(King James Version) 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.
While I love the King James Version of the bible and personally believe it is the most correct, sometimes it does not translate to words or statements where we can truly understand them today. I think Romans 10:9 is one of those.
When sharing with the unsaved I would often loosely quote Romans 10:9 as “To be saved you must believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord”. I know that I would end up leaving out “God raised him from the dead” in the belief statement. However I would always say you must confess that “Jesus is Lord”, when the King James says “the Lord Jesus”. I always wondered why I would keep quoting that verse wrong.
You may say that “Jesus is Lord” and “the Lord Jesus” are saying the same thing. I would agree, but “Jesus is Lord” is a stronger statement. Some could argue that “the Lord Jesus” is just a title and nothing more. However, “Jesus is Lord” is a clear statement of who he is, which is God. I believe the Holy Spirit corrected me to say “Jesus is Lord” as a requirement for salvation, so it would be clear to those I shared with.
So this made me wonder how some other bibles translated Romans 10:9. So here are a number of other bible translations of that verse.
(American Standard Version) because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:
(Bible in Basic English) Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation:
(Contemporary English Version) So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death.
(Darby Bible) that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from among the dead, thou shalt be saved.
(Easy to Read Version) If you openly say, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved.
(English Standard Version) because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Good News Bible) If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved.
(International Standard Version) If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Literal Translation of the Holy Bible) Because if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Literal Standard Version) that if you may confess with your mouth that Jesus [is] LORD, and may believe in your heart that God raised Him out of the dead, you will be saved,
(Modern King James Version) Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
Jehovah’s Witnesses own translation of the bible.
(New World Translation) For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved.
Notice that most all of the translations of the bible to English say “Jesus is Lord” in Romans 10:9. So here is my understanding of what Paul is really saying in Romans 10:9 in words such that we can truly understand it.
That to be saved you must make a decision yourself (confess with your mouth) that Jesus is God (Jesus is Lord) and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.
So this makes it clear that a decision must be made personally by you that Jesus is God and believe the Gospel that God raised him from the dead, for you to be saved. So anyone that does not believe that Jesus is God is not saved and any religion that teaches Jesus is not God is a false religion.
1 Corinthians 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted Him, and has given Him a name which is above every name,
Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly ones, and of earthly ones, and of ones under the earth;
Philippians 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Goodboy
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