Romans 10:13 and the Sinner's Prayer

It is perhaps fitting that this post be the first content post on this blog. This issue is one which has been thoroughly and repeatedly discussed by the group that is collaborating on this blog. It is an issue which we feel is of great importance. Also, this post will hopefully be an example to our readers of what we mean by a traditionally unbound interpretation of Scripture. In nearly all cases, this one included, the "tradition" that we address is really the modern interpretation, not a well-established 2000 year Christian understanding of the passage.

Scripture in question -- "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

Traditional Interpretation -- In order to be saved, someone must call on the Lord in prayer, asking Him for forgiveness and salvation. Most believe that if someone sincerely asks Jesus to be saved, He will definitely save them. This interpretation is commonly used in conjunction with the Roman's Road, or presentations of the gospel which end in a sinner's prayer. In these presentations, the sinner's prayer is often equated with "calling upon the name of the Lord" and upon such a profession, a person is given assurance of their salvation. The prevalence of this interpretation can be established by examining most gospel tracts and church websites which explain salvation.

Refuting Tradition -- Before getting into specifics, it's helpful to realize that there is no place in Scripture in which a person is told to respond to the gospel by calling on the name of the Lord, or by a prayer. When the gospel is presented, it is preached that men should repent and believe (Mark 1:15, Acts 20:21). This alone should give pause to anyone considering the traditional interpretation.

Let's dig deeper. The next step in understanding this passage is to recognize that it is a quote from Joel 2:32. At this point I would recommend reading all of the book of Joel. The really relevant parts are the first 2 chapters, but it's short so go ahead and read the whole thing. From Joel, it's clear that "calling upon the name of the Lord" includes deep sorrow and repentance, (Joel 1:8, 1:13-14, 2:12-13) much more than a simple prayer.

There is also one more place in the NT that this verse is quoted. Examine now Peter's sermon on Pentecost. Peter quotes this verse in the middle of his sermon (Acts 2:21). Now, if you glance down to the end of the sermon where the people were pricked in their hearts and said "what shall we do?" Notice Peter's response (v. 37-38). He tells them they need to "repent and be baptized (Hopefully the reader understands that baptism is irrelevant to salvation, but is commanded for everyone to do after repenting unto salvation.) The point here is that Peter quotes this passage and his response to the people at the end shows that he understands this "calling upon the name of the Lord" to be repentance.

Finally, a few miscellaneous points. Those who hold to the traditional interpretation should compare their understanding of the passage with Matthew 7:21-23, where some of those who call Jesus "Lord, Lord" are sent away into hell. Obviously, understanding that Jesus is Lord and calling Him so is not enough. Romans 10:14 should also be mentioned in this discussion. Immediately after saying that "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Paul continues by saying, "How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed?" This makes it clear that the issue is not a process of actually calling on the Lord in prayer, but the issue is true saving faith, which naturally includes repentance.

Traditionally Unbound Interpretation -- Now that the traditional interpretation has been thoroughly refuted, what is this passage really saying? If we look at the context, we see that Paul is talking about Israel and the Jews at the beginning of the chapter. You can expand the context a couple chapters back, but I think starting at the beginning of 10 is sufficient for understanding this passage. Again, Paul starts off talking about the Jews. Then, around verse 11 or 12, depending on how you look at it, Paul expands his discussion of salvation by saying that it's for everyone, not just Jews.

Verse 12 is a huge hint here. The first thing to notice is that Paul isn't writing a thesis on how someone gets saved. In actuality, in verse 13, he's basically just making the point that even the OT shows that salvation is for everyone, not just the Jews. This isn't to diminish the fact that "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" is a true statement. However, as we have seen in the description in Joel, as well as Paul's statement immediately following this verse, we can very plainly conclude that "calling on the name of the Lord" is essentially repentance and faith.

Concluding Remarks -- At this point I will plead with the reader to carefully consider his position on this issue. This is not a lofty theological position with no practical relevance. Twisting Romans 10:13 to teach a sinner's prayer for salvation is a corruption of the gospel. An evangelist or preacher who teaches this is making a large number of false converts who will show up on the day of judgment saying "Lord, Lord" and will hear "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Instead, please preach the gospel in simple terms, and call people to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.