Romans Chapter 10
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved.
2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the fulfilment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, "The one who does them will live by them."
6 But the righteousness which is of faith says this, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down);
7 or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)"
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;" that is, the word of faith which we preach:
9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart, one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.
13 For, "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher?
15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"
16 But they didn't all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"
17 So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, didn't they hear? Yes, most certainly, "Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
19 But I ask, didn't Israel know? First Moses says, "I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation. I will make you angry with a nation void of understanding."
20 Isaiah is very bold and says, "I was found by those who didn't seek me. I was revealed to those who didn't ask for me."
21 But about Israel he says, "All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people."
Footnotes
- Verse 4 (fulfilment)
- or, completion, or end
- Verse 5
- Leviticus 18:5
- Verse 6
- Deuteronomy 30:12
- Verse 7
- Deuteronomy 30:13
- Verse 8
- Deuteronomy 30:14
- Verse 11
- Isaiah 28:16
- Verse 13
- Joel 2:32
- Verse 15
- Isaiah 52:7
- Verse 16
- Isaiah 53:1
- Verse 18
- Psalm 19:4
- Verse 19
- Deuteronomy 32:21
- Verse 20
- Isaiah 65:1
- Verse 21
- Isaiah 65:2
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Romans Chapter 10 Guide
The apostle ever had in mind the Master Himself when he spoke of the righteousness of God. The idea of that righteousness, held by Israel was due to their misunderstanding of the written law, their ignorance of its true meaning, because they had not known Christ. Paul knew perfectly well that nothing so soon compels a man to cease seeking to establish his own righteousness as a vision of the righteousness of God. On the way to Damascus he was going about establishing his own righteousness; but a vision of the righteousness of God at once brought him to the position of submission to it.
The apostle then discussed the way of righteousness according to the plan of God in contrast with the attempt that Israel was making to establish its own righteousness. The great statement is made in the words, "Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth."
A series of questions reveals the importance of the work of preaching the Gospel. There can be no calling on One not believed in; there can be no belief in One not heard of; there can be no hearing without a preacher.
From among the number of those who heard the glad tidings published by the missionary messengers, only some were elect. They were such as not only heard, but hearkened and believed. The last quotation from Isaiah defines exactly the divine attitude- hands spread out continuously toward a rebellious people. The will of God is the salvation of all such, and He has elected to salvation those who believe.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Romans Chapter 10 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The apostle's earnest desire for the salvation of the Jews. -- (1-4)
- The difference between the righteousness of the law, and the righteousness of faith. -- (5-11)
- The Gentiles stand on a level with the Jews, in justification and salvation. -- (12-17)
- The Jews might know this from Old Testament prophecies. -- (18-21)
Verses 1-4
The Jews built on a false foundation, and refused to come to Christ for free salvation by faith, and numbers in every age do the same in various ways. The strictness of the law showed men their need of salvation by grace, through faith. And the ceremonies shadowed forth Christ as fulfilling the righteousness, and bearing the curse of the law. So that even under the law, all who were justified before God, obtained that blessing by faith, whereby they were made partakers of the perfect righteousness of the promised Redeemer. The law is not destroyed, nor the intention of the Lawgiver disappointed; but full satisfaction being made by the death of Christ for our breach of the law, the end is gained. That is, Christ has fulfilled the whole law, therefore whoever believeth in him, is counted just before God, as much as though he had fulfilled the whole law himself. Sinners never could go on in vain fancies of their own righteousness, if they knew the justice of God as a Governor, or his righteousness as a Saviour.
Verses 5-11
The self-condemned sinner need not perplex himself how this righteousness may be found. When we speak of looking upon Christ, and receiving, and feeding upon him, it is not Christ in heaven, nor Christ in the deep, that we mean; but Christ in the promise, Christ offered in the word. Justification by faith in Christ is a plain doctrine. It is brought before the mind and heart of every one, thus leaving him without excuse for unbelief. If a man confessed faith in Jesus, as the Lord and Saviour of lost sinners, and really believed in his heart that God had raised him from the dead, thus showing that he had accepted the atonement, he should be saved by the righteousness of Christ, imputed to him through faith. But no faith is justifying which is not powerful in sanctifying the heart, and regulating all its affections by the love of Christ. We must devote and give up to God our souls and our bodies: our souls in believing with the heart, and our bodies in confessing with the mouth. The believer shall never have cause to repent his confident trust in the Lord Jesus. Of such faith no sinner shall be ashamed before God; and he ought to glory in it before men.
Verses 12-17
There is not one God to the Jews, more kind, and another to the Gentiles, who is less kind; the Lord is a Father to all men. The promise is the same to all, who call on the name of the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, as God manifest in the flesh. All believers thus call upon the Lord Jesus, and none else will do so humbly or sincerely. But how should any call on the Lord Jesus, the Divine Saviour, who had not heard of him? And what is the life of a Christian but a life of prayer? It shows that we feel our dependence on him, and are ready to give up ourselves to him, and have a believing expectation of our all from him. It was necessary that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles. Somebody must show them what they are to believe. How welcome the gospel ought to be to those to whom it was preached! The gospel is given, not only to be known and believed, but to be obeyed. It is not a system of notions, but a rule of practice. The beginning, progress, and strength of faith is by hearing. But it is only hearing the word, as the word of God that will strengthen faith.
Verses 18-21
Did not the Jews know that the Gentiles were to be called in? They might have known it from Moses and Isaiah. Isaiah speaks plainly of the grace and favour of God, as going before in the receiving of the Gentiles. Was not this our own case? Did not God begin in love, and make himself known to us when we did not ask after him? The patience of God towards provoking sinners is wonderful. The time of God's patience is called a day, light as day, and fit for work and business; but limited as a day, and there is a night at the end of it. God's patience makes man's disobedience worse, and renders that the more sinful. We may wonder at the mercy of God, that his goodness is not overcome by man's badness; we may wonder at the wickedness of man, that his badness is not overcome by God's goodness. And it is a matter of joy to think that God has sent the message of grace to so many millions, by the wide spread of his gospel.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.