Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, Ambrosiaster, Origen on Romans 10:10

Notice the theological differences. Dr. Peter S. Ruckman views it as something that is asked privately of God; Ambrosiaster and Origen view it as a public profession.

"Verse 10: ‘For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness...’ Works are not a point at issue. ‘...and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’ You see how insane some men get when they’re trying to prove a lie? ‘This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.’ That’s God’s work, not yours. You see that business? You don’t classify that with getting baptized and holding out to the end and doing all this junk. Belief is a matter of the heart. Now it’s a work only in the sense that that’s what God wants you to do, in that sense. It’s the work of God. But it’s not like works. Good night, man! All right, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Out of the heart are the issues of life. Out of the heart of man proceeds all these things, Jesus says, and lists 13 evils. Then if you believe something in your heart, it should bear fruit in your mouth. Your heart should confess what your mouth-your mouth should confess what your heart believes. Notice the belief is in the heart, not in the head. And this reinforces the truth of Romans chapter 6, verse 17, that said you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine delivered unto you. It’s not enough to repent, confess, believe, and be baptized. That’s just one of the different ways you go to hell. There’s all kinds of ways. It’s a matter of something in the heart by faith. Notice the obedience is by faith. 16: ‘They have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?’ In plain words, to obey the gospel is to believe the gospel, and you believe from the heart. And we made comment on this earlier when we talked about believing in vain, and you might review those remarks we made, and we made them in connection with Romans chapter 6, verse 17. All right, believe, confess, that’s the long and short of it. ‘With the heart man believeth unto righteousness.’ You can talk all day about a man believing an elevator will take him up, but he needs to get into it. You speak of a man having nerve, or having guts, or having backbone, so you understand perfectly what God means when he says believe in your heart. A man told a friend of mine, he was a skeptic, this man, he told a friend of mine, he said, ‘Your heart’s just an organ. It can’t believe.’ And my friend said, ‘Well, it may be an organ, but every time it hears the name of Jesus, it plays Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.’ You understand what God means when he says heart. Don’t put on airs. ‘For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." - Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, Romans 10:10

Dr. Peter S. Ruckman views it as a petition to God.

"Because if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10:10 For one believes with the heart unto righteousness, but confession is made with the mouth unto salvation. Everything the apostle discussed above he has stated clearly here, namely, that this is the rule of faith: to believe that Jesus is Lord and not to be ashamed to profess that God raised him from the dead and led him in bodily form17 into heaven, from which he had come to be in an incarnate form.18 With this rule of faith one is preserved from the censure of the gospel: Many of the rulers believed in Jesus, but they did not profess this openly on account of the Jews; for they preferred the praise of people to the praise of God (John 12:42–43)." - Ambrosiaster

Ambrosiaster views it as a profession.

"But also observe what he says: “That 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.” For through this it will seem to some that even if a person lacks the advantages of good works, even if he fails to put forth effort for the virtues, nevertheless, by this, that he has believed, he would not perish but would be saved and would possess salvation, even though he would be unable to possess the glory of blessedness.

But consider whether instead it ought to be understood that whoever truly, and not falsely, confesses with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in the heart would equally confess himself to be subjected to the lordship of wisdom, righteousness, truth, and to everything that Christ is. He confesses mammon not to be his lord any longer, that is to say, he is no longer to be subject to worldly desires and worldly affections, nor to the lordship of sinning. For if he is declaring publicly that his lord is Christ, he is declaring publicly that he is free from the power of death and the devil. For if he is convinced that God raised him from the dead, it is certain that he believes that he has been raised up together with Christ from the dead; and he should not have been raised up together from the dead if he should not have first been raised within himself—if it should not have been within himself that the truth arose from the dead. For it should not have been raised within itself, if it should not have risen within itself, if it should not have arisen within him! So the words that follow agree with this as well:

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, but confession with the mouth is confession that leads to salvation. For the Scripture says: ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be ashamed.’” This is written in Isaiah. But everyone who believes in him will not be ashamed, but everyone who does not believe in him, and does not believe in his words, and hates himself, everyone who still sustains the shame of sins seems not to believe."

Origen also views it as a public profession, and not a prayer to God.