Q: What is meant by Romans 10:13?

A: Romans 10:13 tells us that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Are we to believe that this is an offer of eternal life to all the “whosoevers” of the world?
First, it is important to understand what type of salvation Paul is speaking of. The scripture speaks of many kinds of salvation: salvation from hell, from wicked men, from an untoward generation, from sorrow. What is he referring to in the Roman epistle?
Closer examination reveals that Paul is quoting Joel, the Old Testament prophet.

Joel 2:32 - And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

By looking at the verse Paul was quoting in its original context, we see that this salvation was not eternal; it is salvation “in mount Zion and in Jerusalem…and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” Joel is prophesying the deliverance found in the New Testament church for all that confess their Savior. This is a salvation to be enjoyed in this life; a deliverance from worldly lusts and evil.

It is also worth noting that Paul used the words salvation and deliverance interchangeably, and that alone ought to be enough to prove the concept of temporal salvation.

Let’s read further in Romans 10:13 – “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”
This verse makes evident the chain of events that must take place before a person can call upon the name of the Lord. First, the subject must believe. We know from many places in the scripture that belief is an evidence that a person is already an heir of heaven (Gal 5:22; Eph. 1:19, 1 John 5:1).

Romans 10:13 is not offering salvation for the world, but from the world.

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