Could you explain what Romans 10:9 means? Obviously we can’t interpreted it in isolation or literally.  There are many discussions and opinions on this verse.

Whether we take Paul “literally” here or not depends on your definition of literally.  Clearly, anyone–even a total heathen–can say the words “Jesus is Lord.” Simply mouthing the words does not produce salvation.  In that sense, we cannot take this literally, but then again, I doubt that anyone reading Romans 10:9 ever took it THAT literally.  But, I believe that anyone who confesses that Jesus is their Lord, and who truly means these words–in other words, anyone who has truly and in fact made Jesus to be their Lord and Master will be “literally” be saved. So, I believe that his passage is literally true, if we understand what Paul is trying to say.

One might say, “Well, what about repentance?”  or   “What about baptism?”  My response, is that we need to take this passage in its context, and in the context of the entire New Testament.  If a person has access to the gospel preached by the apostles, and if that person truly has made Jesus Lord, then repentance and baptism are 100% for sure implied.  So, this passage is not a way to do away with the biblical teaching on the need to repent and be baptized in order to be saved (Acts 2:38).  These other teachings are implied in the context of Romans 10:9, especially because, for example, the necessity of baptism had already been mentioned earlier by Paul in Romans 6:1-7.  This passage is about the centrality of lordship/discipleship in salvation, and it should be taken that way.

John Oakes