Should the first word be “because” or “that”?

Explanation:

Paul opens Romans 10:9 with the term ὅτι. The term can be translated that or because. If the term is translated that, Paul is using it to articulate the content of the word of faith. If the term is translated because, it is being used in a causal sense to give the reason why the word of faith is near. Given the immediate context, Paul likely intends for us to translate the term in a causal sense, as "because".¹

In the immediately preceding verse, Paul explains that the word is near you, in your mouth and heart (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim) (Romans 10:8). Paul then writes, ὅτι 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 (Romans 10:9). Now, it might have been surprising for his audience to hear that the word of faith is near, so Paul explains why this is the case in Romans 10:9, which he signals with the causal ὅτι. The word of faith is near because it involves a simple confession of faith. There is no work to accomplish, or human effort to exert. The word of faith is near because by simply believing the gospel, one will be saved.²

Counterargument:

The immediate context does not help us decide between the that and because. In other words, it is just as, if not more likely, that Paul has the explicative sense in mind, which we translate that.

If Paul has the explicative sense in mind, then he is using Romans 10:9 to explain something about what precedes. Is there anything in what precedes that might need explaining? There is, namely, the content of the word of faith.³ For in Romans 10:8 Paul says that the word is near, that is, the word of faith that he proclaims. Of course, this raises the question, What is the content of the word of faith? It is all well and good to tell someone that the word of faith is near, but what is the word of faith? Paul reminds his audience that the word of faith is to believe and confess Jesus Christ. Thus, he writes in Romans 10:8 that the word of faith is near, and then explains that if you confess and believe in Jesus Christ you will be saved. So the immediate context actually favours that over because.

Response to counterargument:

According to this argument, it is more likely that Paul articulates the content of the word of faith than that he explains why it is near. The problem is that Paul explains the content of the word in Romans 10:8, and it is unlikely that he would explain the content of something twice in a row.⁴ In Romans 10:8 he says the word is near, and then he writes that is the word of faith which we preach, which is to explain the content of the word. It is unlikely that he would open Romans 10:9 with that and again explain the content of the word of faith, for it makes for awkward grammar. Then Paul would be saying something like the word is near, that is, the word of faith, that is, that if you confess with your mouth, and so on.

Explanation:

What Paul writes in Romans 10:9 likely reflects early confessional material. This is especially clear because the confession here is that Jesus is Lord. That the confession is Jesus is Lord instead of Jesus Christ is Lord suggests that the saying is early because it assigns lordship to the historical figure, Jesus. Of course, that Romans 10:9 is confessional material suggests that the first word of the verse is that. For Paul is explaining the content of the word of faith that he preaches. Paul says the word of faith is near, but what is the word of faith? That if you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe he was raised from the dead, you will be saved.

Counterargument:

While it is possible that Paul quotes from confessional material, this does not mean that the term is explicative. For Paul may be explaining why the word of faith is near by inserting confessional material that was familiar to his audience. That is, Paul says that the word of faith is near, and if his audience doubts this, Paul gives the reason why it is near by inserting familiar confessional material. It is near because, as they themselves confess, Jesus is Lord, which means they will be saved. In other words, the gospel is near because it is not difficult to believe.

Response to counterargument:

Paul does not need to explain how it could be that the word of faith is near, because he has just told them that the word is near in the sense that it is the word of faith that he proclaims. In other words, Paul has just explained that the reason the word is near is that it is the word that has been proclaimed to them. Of course, this raises the question, What is the content of the word of faith that Paul and others preach? Paul explains that the word of faith is none other than the gospel itself.