Bible Commentaries

Romans 9:30 to Romans 10:4. Paul has discussed the Jewish situation as from God's side; he proceeds to point out, from man's side, the Cause of Israel's Stumbling. This chs. 3-5 have prepared us to understand.

Romans 9:30-32 a. The paradox is that "Gentiles, who were out of the way of righteousness, have obtained it; while Israel, intent upon a law of righteousness, missed the mark, because it rejected the way of faith (which Gentiles took), preferring that of works." In other words (Romans 10:3), Israel wanted "to set up its own righteousness" (cf. Philippians 3:6; Philippians 3:9) and "did not recognise" nor "submit to God's righteousness."

Romans 9:32 b, Romans 9:33. They stumbled at the" old "stumbling-block" marked in Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 28:16—the demand for "trust" in God as the basis of salvation.

Romans 10:1 f. So Paul's "good-will and prayers" (cf. Romans 9:16), and Israel's unquestioned "zeal for God," are unavailing. Their zeal "lacks knowledge"—though the Jew prides himself on this (Romans 2:18 f.)!

Romans 10:3. This ignorance is bound up with self-conceit and insubordination (cf. Romans 2:4; also John 8:19; John 8:55, etc.).—On "the righteousness of God," see Romans 1:17*, Romans 3:22; Romans 3:26*.

Romans 10:4. The Jews deem the Mosaic system eternal; they fail to discern "the end of the law (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:13-16, Hebrews 7:18 f., etc.) in Christ," who, revealing God's righteousness, imparts "righteousness to every believer."—end: i.e. terminus and goal; see Galatians 2:19; Galatians 3:24, Matthew 5:17, Luke 16:16.

Romans 10:5-15. The New Way of Righteousness.

Romans 10:5. The legal plan was "Do, and thou shalt live" (Leviticus 18:5).

Romans 10:6-10. But there is a deeper secret: behind the deed the heart, voiced by the mouth; and "with the heart man believes, with the mouth confesses" (Romans 10:10). To "believe unto righteousness" is to believe so as to gain righteousness (Romans 4:4 f.). In the oracle of Deuteronomy 30:12 f., "the righteousness that comes of faith" spoke from the inmost of man (Romans 10:6; Romans 10:8). "The heaven" it pointed to is that "from which Christ came down"; "the abyss," the region of "the dead whence He was brought up" (Romans 10:7). "The word" then so "nigh" has become "the word of faith which we proclaim," running to this effect: "If thou confessest with thy mouth that Jesus is Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 12:3, etc.), and believest in thy heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou wilt be saved" (Romans 10:8 f.). The mouth-confession, regularly made in baptism, declared and sealed the heart-faith (Romans 6:3*). His resurrection established Christ's Lordship (Romans 1:4, Acts 2:36, etc.).—Paul quotes Dt. as disclosing heart-religion beneath the legal economy, in language appropriate to Christian faith.

Romans 10:11-13. Once more it appears, as the prophets teach us, that "there is no distinction of Jew and Greek"—in point of salvation as of transgression (see Romans 3:22, etc.); "that the same Lord is Lord of all (cf. Romans 3:29 f.), since He is rich in bounty to all that call upon Him"—the all is borne out by Joel's oracle, which Peter cited at Pentecost inviting all the world "to call on the name of the Lord" (Acts 2:21).

Romans 10:14 f. Such "invocation" presumes "faith"; faith, "hearing"; hearing, "preaching"; and preaching, "a" Divine "commission." Through the apostolate Christ linked the nations to Himself (Acts 18, etc.). How welcome the bearers of such a message! (Romans 10:15 b).

Romans 10:16-21. The Rejectors of God's Message.

Romans 10:16-18. "Hearing the glad tidings" is the opportunity of salvation: "can it be that they did not hear? Nay, surely, the sound has reached every land." Not hearing, but obedience was to seek.

Romans 10:19-21. "Or" should we put it that "Israel did not know"?—the double "I say" (Romans 10:18 f.) marks the repetition of the same question in another form: "to know" is "to hear" understandingly (see Romans 10:2; cf. Matthew 13:14 f.). Israel should have known (cf. Luke 24:44, John 1:10 f., etc.). Yet Law and Prophets both foretold that despised, senseless heathen would win God's favour, to Israel's provocation; "Isaiah daringly speaks of" God as "found by men who had not sought Him," after "stretching out His hands all day to a disobedient, contradictious people"; cf. Acts 7:51; Acts 13:46 f., etc. The words borrowed from Isaiah 65, like those drawn from Hosea in Romans 9:25 f., referred to apostate Israelites; in principle, they apply equally to Gentiles.