Bible Study Romans 10: 1-21

 

Commentary of the Book of the Romans

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible

Bible Study Romans 10: 1-21

Text:

10 Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For not knowing about the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the [a]end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Faith Comes by Hearing

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of law: “The man who does these things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will go down 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 are preaching, 9 [b]that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, [c]leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, [d]leading to salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him, 13 for “Whoever calls 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? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!”

16 However, they did not all heed the [e]good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word [f]of Christ.

18 But I say, have they never heard? On the contrary, they have;

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the [g]world.”

19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation,
By a nation without understanding will I anger you.”

20 And Isaiah is very bold and says,

“I was found by those who did not seek Me,
I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”

21 But as for Israel He says, “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Verse by verse commentary

Verse 1: “Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.”

Paul's emotional use of the term "brothers" serves as a moving appeal to the empathy of his Christian peers, intensifying his recent discussion of his own kin. In chapter 9, Paul's preoccupation was the salvation of the Jewish people, not simply their place in the overarching narrative of redemption.

Verse 2: “For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”

Speaking from personal experience, Paul addresses the reality of the zeal while simultaneously highlighting its fundamentally misguided nature, both in thought and intention.

Verse 3: “For not knowing about the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”

Paul highlights the contrast between the righteousness established by God and the self-righteousness people attempt to establish. The term "establish" itself has covenant implications. Although God had established a covenant with them, they corrupted His grace by believing that their justification depended on their adherence to the Law.

Verse 4: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Christ is not the abolition of the Law but its fulfillment and ultimate purpose. As the Lord Himself stated, His coming was not to mend the old system but to offer something entirely new—the gift of His righteousness (see Matt. 9:16). The Mosaic Law served as a guide, not a means of salvation. Paul explains to the Galatians that the "...law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Gal. 3:24). Its function was to demonstrate our need for a Savior, leading us directly to the cross of Christ.

Verse 5: “For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of law: ‘The man who does these things shall live by them.’”

Righteousness based on the Law is achieved only through perfect, lifelong obedience, which, according to Leviticus 18:5 ("The man who does these things shall live by them"), would grant a person a righteous standing before God. However, perfect conformity to every detail of the Law is ultimately an impossibility.

Verse 6: “But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),” 

Paul discusses the futility of seeking righteousness by "ascending up to heaven to bring it down, or going down to hell and bringing it up." Instead, the righteousness he describes—quoting from Deuteronomy 30:11–14 is readily available through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 7: “or ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

Salvation, as shown in Deuteronomy, is not the result of intense human works but is brought near through divine grace. Christ represents the end, or goal, of the Mosaic Law. Attempting to establish one's own righteousness now is comparable to trying to accomplish what only God has already achieved through Christ's incarnation and resurrection. In stark contrast to all human efforts, God has made both the word of salvation and salvation itself readily available to all who will believe.

Verse 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 are preaching,”

Salvation's path is plainly revealed by God as being through faith, making the journeys mentioned in verses 6 and 7 unnecessary. This is based on the quote from Deuteronomy 30:14. The "word of faith" is simply the message about faith that leads to God.

Verse 9: “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

Confession is more than a mere acknowledgement of Jesus' divinity—even demons do that. It is a deep, personal, and unreserved conviction that Jesus is one's master and sovereign. This volitional aspect of faith includes repenting from sin, trusting in Jesus for salvation, and submitting to His lordship. Belief in Christ's resurrection—that "God raised Him from the dead"—is essential for salvation because it is the supreme validation of His ministry. The resurrection proved that Christ is who He claimed to be and confirmed that the Father accepted His sacrifice on behalf of sinners. Without the resurrection, salvation is impossible.

Verse 10: “for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation.”

Paul emphasizes the necessity of aligning one's verbal confession with one's genuine belief—the mouth and the heart must speak in harmony. Biblical "heart" refers to the entire personality or total being, and it is with this core self that one believes. Some individuals offer mere "lip service" to God; their words make a public confession while their heart remains distant. Therefore, when making a public declaration, one must ensure the heart is fully engaged, that the words are not empty or meaningless. Confession without underlying faith indicates either self-deception or hypocrisy, while faith without public confession may be a sign of cowardice.

Verse 11: “For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.”

This quote, taken from Isaiah 28:16 and 49:23, establishes that God's plan for salvation has always been achieved through grace by faith alone. Furthermore, it confirms that this path to salvation is universally available, excluding no one, including the Gentiles.

Verse 12: “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him,”

Salvation through Christ is offered on the same basis of mercy—by faith—to everyone, regardless of whether they are Jew or Greek (Gentile). All people have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, and as the Lord Jesus stated, "no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Therefore, you cannot reach God through Old Testament rituals or adherence to the Mosaic Law. The path to Christ is the same for all: hear and believe the gospel.

Verse 13: “for “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Paul strengthens his argument that salvation comes through faith by referencing a powerful Old Testament passage. This scripture clearly shows that all people, both Jews and Gentiles, must call upon the Lord. Therefore, to "call upon the name of the Lord" is understood as believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 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? And how will they hear without a preacher?”

Paul asserts the necessity of God-sent messengers to preach the gospel. He establishes this by recalling his own claim at the start of the epistle that he was a called apostle of Jesus Christ. The logical progression is: preachers must be sent so people can hear; hearing allows people to believe; believing is required to call upon God. Since belief is central to this process, Paul's ministry—as a sent preacher—was essential.

Verse 15: “And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!”

The welcoming nature of this good news is conveyed by the feet that carry it, as described in this quote from Isaiah 52:7.

Verse 16: “However, they did not all heed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”

The substitutionary death of Christ, which is the good news of the gospel, was the report Isaiah described. This good news is more than a gracious offer; it is a command to both believe and repent.

Verse 17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Salvation is not attained through the rhetoric of philosophy, psychology, or political solutions. Faith comes solely through the proclamation of the Word of God. Hearing the Word of God is a prerequisite for salvation.

Verse 18: “ But I say, have they never heard? On the contrary, they have;

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.”

Paul's use of the citation from Psalm 19:4, which speaks of God's general revelation, suggests a broader interpretation that includes the entire psalm's teaching on both general revelation (in nature) and special revelation (in His word). By applying this scripture to Israel, Paul is arguing that they have indeed "heard" God's message. The underlying logic is this: If those who only have general revelation have "heard" God's glory through creation, then those who have received special revelation—God's word—must have heard that message even more clearly. This special revelation is understood to occur within the context of the former (general revelation).

Verse 19: “ But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation,
By a nation without understanding will I anger you.”

Paul refers to Deuteronomy 32: 21 here. Currently, God is calling out people from the Gentiles. Paul intends to elaborate on this concept in the subsequent chapter.

Verse 20: “And Isaiah is very bold and says,

“I was found by those who did not seek Me,
I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”

Paul quotes from Isaiah 65:1. Even Isaiah predicted gentile salvation. The Gentiles in darkness were finding Christ. What excuse could Israel who had the Old Testament Scriptures offer? They are entirely without excuse.

Verse 21: “But as for Israel He says, “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

The term "disobedient" is literally "to speak against" or "to contradict." Consistent with its past, Israel was once again contradicting the Word of God, specifically by rejecting the truth of the gospel.