But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
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.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
— Romans 10:6–13 (KJV)
This is a well-known passage. Many Christians use it to explain salvation. But it raises an important question: Did Paul get this right?
What you may not know is that Paul is quoting from the Old Testament. He uses words from Deuteronomy, Isaiah, and Joel. But does he use them the way the original writers intended? Or does he change their meaning?
To answer that question, we need to look at each source. We need to see what the words actually meant to the people who first heard them. Then we can decide whether Paul stayed true to the text or went his own way.
The Word in Deuteronomy
Paul writes: "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart." He took these words from Moses. In Deuteronomy 30:11–14, Moses told the people of Israel:
This commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
— Deuteronomy 30:11–14 (KJV)
What was Moses talking about? He was talking about God's law — God's instructions for how to live. The message was simple: you do not need to search for God's will. It is not in heaven. It is not across the sea. It is right here with you. You already know it. Your job is to do it.
Notice how the passage ends: "that thou mayest do it." Moses was talking about action — obeying the commandments. The word was near so that the people could follow it.
God had not left his people alone. He gave them clear guidance. They could find it in their mouths and in their hearts. They did not need a special messenger from heaven. They did not need to travel across the world. Everything they needed was already there.
The Word in Isaiah
Paul writes: "Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." He took these words from the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 28:16, God says:
Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
— Isaiah 28:16 (KJV)
What did Isaiah mean? He was talking about God's faithful presence. God himself was the strong foundation for his people. The "stone" was a picture of God's promise: he would not leave Israel. The people could trust him. If they believed in God, they would not be disappointed.
In the original context, the stone was not a person. It was a symbol of God's own faithfulness. The people of Isaiah's time understood this: God is our foundation. Trust him directly.
The Word in Joel
Paul writes: "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." He took these words from the prophet Joel. In Joel 2:32, God says:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.
— Joel 2:32 (KJV)
The Hebrew word behind "the Lord" here is YHWH — the personal name of the God of Israel. This is the same name God gave to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:15). It is the name at the heart of the Shema: "Hear, O Israel: YHWH our God, YHWH is one." Joel was not talking about a generic lord or a title. He was using the specific, personal name of Israel's God.
The promise was simple. Anyone who called out to YHWH for help would be saved. It did not matter who you were. If you called on the God of Israel by his name, he would answer.
This is a direct promise between God and the person calling. There is no mediator mentioned. No other name is suggested. The relationship is straight from the heart to God.
The Common Thread
These three passages share something important. In each one, the relationship between God and his people is direct:
- In Deuteronomy, God gives his law directly. The people hear it, know it, and do it.
- In Isaiah, God is the foundation. The people trust him directly.
- In Joel, the people call on Yahweh directly. He saves them directly.
There is no step between God and his people. No mediator. No required confession about anyone else. Just God and the person who trusts him.
Paul's New Project
Now let us see what Paul did with these passages.
In Romans 10, Paul used all three Old Testament texts to talk about Jesus:
- The "word" from Deuteronomy became "the word of faith, which we preach" — meaning the message about Jesus.
- The "stone" from Isaiah became Jesus himself.
- The "name of the Lord" from Joel became the name of Jesus.
On the surface, it looks the same. The same words appear. "The word is near you." "Believe and you will not be ashamed." "Call on the Lord and be saved."
But the meaning has changed.
Moses was talking about God's law. Paul was talking about Jesus. Isaiah was talking about God's faithful presence. Paul was talking about Jesus. Joel was talking about calling on Yahweh. Paul was talking about calling on Jesus.
Paul took promises that were for all of God's people and applied them to one person. He narrowed the meaning. He added a step. In the original passages, the word was near and you could obey it directly. In Paul's version, you need to go through Jesus first.
This is not the same message. It is a new message that uses old words.
The Shema — The Test Every Teaching Must Pass
Now we come to the heart of the matter. The most important confession in the Old Testament is called the Shema. In Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses says:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
— Deuteronomy 6:4 (KJV)
This is the foundation of everything. God is one. He alone is God. The relationship between God and his people is direct because there is only one God. No one stands between them.
Jesus himself affirmed the Shema. In Mark 12:28–34, a scribe asked Jesus which commandment was the most important. Jesus answered:
The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
— Mark 12:29–30 (KJV)
The scribe agreed and said:
Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he.
— Mark 12:32 (KJV)
Jesus saw that the scribe answered wisely and said to him, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." Jesus did not correct the scribe. He did not add "but you also need to believe in me." He affirmed that the scribe understood correctly. God is one. Love him directly.
Now consider this in light of Paul's revision of the Old Testament.
Paul took the "word" from Deuteronomy — which was God's instruction for direct obedience — and said it was really about faith in Jesus. He took the "stone" from Isaiah — which was God's own faithful presence — and said it was really about Jesus. He took the "name of the Lord" from Joel — which was the name Yahweh — and said it was really about Jesus.
In every case, Paul inserted a mediator between God and his people. The Shema says God is one — and you relate to him directly. Paul says you must go through Jesus.
This is not a small difference. It changes the entire structure of the relationship.
A Warning About God's Word
There is another passage we need to consider. In Deuteronomy 4:2, Moses gives a clear command:
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
— Deuteronomy 4:2 (KJV)
God commanded his people not to add to his word and not to take away from it. This is a serious warning. It appears again at the end of the Bible in Revelation 22:18–19. God does not want his words changed.
When Paul took the words of Moses, Isaiah, and Joel and gave them a new meaning about Jesus, he added something that was not in the original texts. The original passages were about a direct relationship with God. Paul turned them into passages about Jesus.
So did Paul get it right?
When we look at the original passages, the answer is clear. The words Paul used were about a direct relationship between God and his people. In Deuteronomy, the word was near so the people could obey. In Isaiah, God was the foundation they could trust. In Joel, they could call on Yahweh and be saved. No mediator. No extra step. No other name.
Read Deuteronomy 30 for yourself. Read Isaiah 28. Read Joel 2. The word is near you. God is your foundation. Call on his name — the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. These promises stand on their own. They did not need a new interpretation then. They do not need one now.
God's word is near. No addition is required.