JOHN 9:22 WHO MUST CONFESS?

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John 9:22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

9:36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

9:37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

Jesus healed a blind man who was brought to the Pharisees. The Pharisees questioned his parents in regard to the healing. The parents feared the Jews and would not answer that Jesus had healed him.

To have eternal life the Jews had to believe on Jesus as the Son of God (John 9:35 John 20:31).

Many Jews believed on Jesus to eternal life but did not publicly confess him as Christ, the Son of God for fear (John 9:22 John 12:42).

Jesus elicited a response from the blind man in John 9:35 as to who he believed Jesus to be; the blind man confessed Jesus to be the Son of God in John 9:38.

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

1 John is written to Israel, not the body of Christ; Israel is to confess Jesus as the Son of God.

Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Jesus, in the above verses, is speaking to Israel. If Israel confessed Jesus as their Christ, the Son of God before men then Jesus would confess them before the Father, otherwise they would be denied before the Father.

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Revelation 3:5 conveys that Jesus will confess the name of those who overcome. Those who will overcome are the believing remnant of Israel who believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (1 John 5:5).

Romans 10:9 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.

10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

I am of the opinion that the above verses are directed to Jews. Salvation for Israel was not in the law but faith in the risen Jesus.

In the following verse the topic is Israel's salvation.

Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

While Romans 10:9-10 may be good verses to use for salvation, technically, in Romans 10:1 it is evident Paul is dealing with Israel in this chapter and in the subsequent verses.

The following verses below are from Romans; Paul is speaking of the righteousness of faith in Jesus Christ;

Romans 10:6 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: )

10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

10:8 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;

It can be seen that the verses above are related to the verses from Deuteronomy below. These following verses from Deuteronomy, incorporated in Paul's epistle, were spoken to Israel.

Deuteronomy 30:11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.

30:12 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?

30:13 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?

30:14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, and the Son of God for Israel followed faith and trust in him. This is similar to what we find in Romans 10:10