Righteousness by Faith Alone
1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation. 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, b but not according to knowledge. 3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God c and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness d to everyone who believes, e 5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. ,f 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith g speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven? ” ,h that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss? ” ,i that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. j 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. ,k This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” l and believe in your heart m that God raised him from the dead, n you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, ,o 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, p because the same Lord q of all r richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ,s
Israel’s Rejection of the Message
14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? t And how can they hear without a preacher? u 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. ,v 16 But not all obeyed the gospel. w For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? ,x 17 So faith comes from what is heard, y and what is heard comes through the message about Christ. ,z 18 But I ask, “Did they not hear? ” Yes, they did:
Their voice has gone out to the whole earth,
and their words to the ends of the world. ,a
19 But I ask, “Did Israel not understand? ” First, Moses said,
I will make you jealous
of those who are not a nation; b
I will make you angry by a nation
that lacks understanding. ,c
20 And Isaiah says boldly,
I was found
by those who were not looking for me;
I revealed myself
to those who were not asking for me. ,d
21 But to Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and defiant people. ,e
10:1–4. Paul asserts again that he desires and prays for the salvation of his fellow Jews (10:1; cf. 9:1–3). They are zealous for God (10:2), passionately determined to do God’s will and defend God’s honor (cf. Elijah in 1 Kg 19:10, 14). But their zeal is “not according to knowledge” since they do not recognize that God revealed his righteousness in Jesus the Messiah (10:3). They continue to pursue the law, and their own righteousness through the law, but they have failed to understand its ultimate purpose. Since God grants righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, the law, which is ineffective for redemption because of human flesh (cf. 7:1–8:8), is insufficient. Since Christ is the “end,” or “goal” (Gk telos; see the CSB footnote), of the law (10:4), to pursue obedience to the law apart from Christ is to miss its fundamental purpose. Righteousness is granted to “everyone who believes,” whether they are Jew or Gentile (cf. 9:14–24).
10:5–13. Paul confirms this truth through scriptural quotations. Moses said that Israelites who do the things required by the law will live (10:5; cf. Lv 18:5). Now, however, the Messiah has come, and he is present in the gospel that is being preached, as promised by the Scriptures (Dt 30:11–14; cf. Dt 9:4; Ps 107:26). The episode Paul references in Dt 30 is the promise of restoration to Israel after exile, an exile brought on by their idolatry. Their returning to God through the circumcision of their hearts would result in their receipt of life. This “message” in Dt 30 is not in heaven or beyond the sea but rather in their hearts (10:6–8). The word of God that brings God’s saving righteousness is the confession of allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord.
10:14–17. Paul proceeds to survey possible explanations for Israel’s widespread unbelief in Jesus as Lord. First he surveys the process of the proclamation of the gospel. The Christian confession presupposes faith in Jesus Christ; faith in Jesus Christ presupposes hearing the message about Jesus Christ; hearing about Jesus Christ presupposes preaching; preaching presupposes preachers who have been sent by God, which according to Is 52:7 and Nah 2:1 is a necessity (10:14–15). Ultimately Paul argues that the Jewish people who have rejected Jesus have no excuses (10:18). They have not believed the gospel, despite the fact that God’s message has been proclaimed to the Israelites (10:16). This disbelief was prophesied by Isaiah, who lamented the fact that Israel had not believed the message of the suffering and the exaltation of the servant of the Lord (Is 53:1). Paul’s summary in 10:17 asserts that saving faith comes from the apostolic message, a message specifically about the Messiah and his death and resurrection. [Evangelism]
10:18–21. Paul then asks questions that may exonerate Israel. Perhaps Israel has never had a chance to hear the word of God (10:18). Paul dismisses this explanation. Israel has indeed heard, because the words of God’s messengers have been heard in the entire world (Ps 19:5). Another explanation may be that Israel did not comprehend the message they heard (10:19a). Paul dismisses this explanation as well. The Jews have not only heard the message about the messianic Savior but have also indeed understood the message. Paul confirms this with two witnesses, Moses (10:19b; quotation of Dt 32:21) and Isaiah (10:20–21; quotation of Is 65:1–2).