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Romans 10Romans 9:30–10:13In this section, Paul revisits concepts he broached much earlier in the letter—statements that seem oxymoronic. In Romans 2:13–16 Paul notes that it is not those who hear the law but those who do it—even if they do not possess the law—who are righteous before God. Let’s pause and work through that idea. Paul is not claiming that the Gentiles have somehow achieved God’s righteousness by fulfilling the law written on their hearts. Rather, he is saying that obedience to the law—not possession—is what counts, even obedience without possession.

Later, in 2:25–29, Paul makes a similar point regarding circumcision. Circumcision of the heart is far more important to God than external circumcision since a change of heart is what leads to external obedience. In such a scenario, it’s possible for an uncircumcised Gentile to fulfill the requirements of the law whereas a circumcised Jew might not. We can imagine Paul’s audience going mad trying to keep up with these inflammatory and seemingly contradictory statements, but Paul is simply doing all he can to make them see what matters most to God: the internal (faith and obedience) even without the external (the law and circumcision).

Paul presents inverse scenarios in 3:28–30: An uncircumcised Gentile can be justified by faith, even without works of the law, while a circumcised Jew who pursued works of the law without faith in Christ would not be justified.

All of these arguments turn conventional wisdom on its head, and each demonstrates that faith is what brings about justification and righteous standing before God, not law-keeping or circumcision. These findings have pointed Paul’s Jewish audience toward an unsettling conclusion: Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it by faith, whereas the nation of Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, did not obtain that righteousness apart from those like Paul and others who pursued it by faith.

Paul addresses these hypothetical questions from 9:30–32 by once again quoting from the Old Testament in order to explain that this idea is nothing new (9:33). Israel’s problem was not their adherence to the law, but their rejection of the anticipated messiah, who fulfills the righteous requirements of the law on their (and our) behalf. Rejecting God’s free gift of righteousness by faith means they have gained nothing from their law-keeping. Paul uses the Old Testament quotations to recast God’s stone/rock that was tested, precious, and worthy of trust ( Isa 28:16) as a person who causes some to stumble and thus be put to shame (Isa 8:14). Paul’s citations from Isaiah demonstrate that the crux of the matter is not having or keeping the law, but rather accepting and having faith in the One whom God has sent, regardless of one’s relationship to the law.

Runge, S. E. (2014). High Definition Commentary: Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:59 AM January 26, 2016.

The division at Romans 10:1 gives the impression that Paul has begun a new section; however, Paul’s statement in verse 1 is better understood as an emotional plea to let his readers know how passionately he is committed to Israel’s salvation. It provides a transition between the thematic questions and Old Testament support for this section (9:30–33) and his specific explanation of how the nation of Israel has failed where Gentiles without the law seem to have succeeded. Paul declares his desire for Israel’s salvation in 10:2 by affirming their zeal for God, but he then concedes that this desire is not in accordance with knowledge. Their heart was in the right place, but they let their head rule.

Recall from 1:16–17 how Paul introduced the idea of the gospel: the power of God for salvation to all who believe. The power of salvation stems from the righteousness of God, which is revealed in it, from faith to faith. In 3:21–22 Paul reaffirms the revelation of this righteousness of God, stating that it is apart from the law and attested by the Old Testament. He then recasts righteousness as the result of faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. These two statements make clear that the “righteousness of God” has been the long-expected solution to sin in God’s bigger plan, not some new shift in direction. The foretelling by the Law and Prophets should have been sufficient for Israel to have accepted God’s Messiah.


How Do You Walk? Paul paints contrasting portraits of how people seek to obtain righteousness in 9:30–10:3. Israel had zeal for God, but chose to pursue a righteousness of their own through the law. This contrasts with God’s intention that righteousness would be obtained by faith, apart from the law or works.

So we can see where two actions led to a third. First, instead of accepting the gospel’s message of salvation by faith in Christ, the nation of Israel ignored it. Second, they sought to establish a righteousness of their own instead of accepting the righteousness of God (10:3). That is, they focused on the law as the source of righteousness rather than on the gospel. And third, Israel did not subject themselves to God’s righteousness—the language here is the same used to describe the mindset of the flesh in 8:7. This mindset does not and cannot subject itself to the law of God. In 8:20 the same term describes how God subjected creation to futility.

Returning to the discussion of submission in 10:3, Paul portrays Israel’s failure to submit themselves to the righteousness of God as a natural consequence of acting apart from the knowledge given to them, ignoring the righteousness that God had provided them. The decision to pursue a righteousness of their own consequently led to their unwillingness to submit to God’s righteousness. Note that Paul does not cast their action as willful disobedience as much as a misguided decision based on the information that was available to them.

Paul ties all the pieces together in verse 4—one of the most dramatic (and cryptic) statements of Romans. We have already connected the “righteousness of God” back to what is revealed in the gospel through Christ (1:17). This righteousness is apart from the law, though attested to by the law and prophets (3:21). But now Paul needs to recall his claims about the law’s purpose from 7:7–11. Holy and righteous, the law serves to promote the knowledge of sin, not provide a path toward righteousness (3:19–21). Just as the law magnifies the problem of sin, it also anticipates the revelation of a God-pleasing righteousness through the good news of the Messiah. The Messiah did not abolish the law, since there is still an ongoing need for conviction of sin through the law’s testimony.

These foundational ideas drawn from Paul’s argument thus far guide our understanding of his claim in 10:4. The Greek word generally translated “end” or “culmination” has the same kind of ambiguity in Greek as it does in English; “end” can have the meaning terminus or it can indicate an end result or culmination. Our understanding of Paul’s claim here must take into account the foundation he has laid so far. He has consistently affirmed the law and its ongoing role, so there is no notion of the law being set aside. Thus Paul is claiming that Christ is the solution anticipated by the law. There is room for debate here, but any proposal must take into account Paul’s claims about the law so far in Romans.

Paul provides a lengthy aside in verses 5–13 to strengthen these claims. The last big idea of this section was his plea in 10:1; the rest has provided a rationale and background for his statement. The supporting material that follows draws once again from the Old Testament. Paul paints contrasting portraits of righteousness, one from Leviticus 18:5 and the other mostly from Deuteronomy 30:12–14. The Leviticus passage describes the law as necessarily dependent on one’s obedience to the law.

Paul describes the contrasting, multifaceted portrait of righteousness by faith by what it is not (10:6–7). It is not inaccessible, and it does not require Christ to go and retrieve it from some remote location.


Instead it is quite near (10:8a), and it is the very same message of faith that Paul has already proclaimed (10:8b). Paul declares that the message has two parts: confessing with one’s mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believing in one’s heart that God raised Him from the dead.


Gospel Importance: Paul highlights two key aspects of a person’s response to the gospel. There is an inward response of believing in one’s heart, and then an outward reflection of this belief by confessing with one’s mouth. This two-fold response provides the background for believers to proclaim the gospel to those who have never heard it (10:14).

Paul details the rationale for these two steps in verses 10–13, suggesting that he is doing more than providing “how to” steps for those unfamiliar with confession or belief. The internal and external each play a role in the process, but Paul conspicuously leaves out works and law-keeping. Faith is the defining consideration for obtaining salvation, leading to the claim of unity in verse 12: There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Paul declares that this distinction was not removed, but that there was never a distinction to begin with. By including the quotation from Joel 2:32—“all” who call upon Him—Paul reinforces the inclusivity of the gospel.

In this section, Paul has drawn heavily on ideas he developed earlier in the letter. He has declared that the only righteousness that can change our standing before God is offered by faith through Christ ( Rom 1:17; 3:21–22). He states that Israel has ignored and refused to submit to God’s righteousness in their effort to establish their own. Since the law had always anticipated some other righteousness apart from itself, Christ may be called the end of the law because He is God’s provision through the gospel. Israel’s ill-informed decision brought about the situation described in 9:30–32. But rather than harshly criticizing the nation, as he did in 2:17–24, Paul takes a much more compassionate tone here.

Romans 10:14–21Paul resumes his main theme for this section in 10:14, following his aside of supporting material in 10:2–13. Paul’s detailed description of responding to the gospel sets the stage for him to make a very practical case for the Romans to support his ministry. Certain things must happen for someone to accept the gospel. Paul runs through these needs using a series of rhetorical questions in 10:14–15.

Paul presents a domino trail of necessary actions that highlight the need for ministry to areas like Spain, where Christ had not yet been preached. The entire process presupposes that the gospel will be heard—which means someone must go to preach. If messengers aren’t sent, there can be no positive response. In verse 15, to underscore the importance of those who will go and share the message, Paul quotes from Isaiah 52:7, which declares how beautiful and timely are the feet of those who bring the good news. Proclamation of the gospel is paramount for the church to expand.

From this encouraging thought of the gospel going forth, Paul abruptly shifts in verse 16 to the negative reality he is confronting. Not everyone who hears the gospel chooses to respond in obedience. His quotation at the end of verse 16, about the prophet’s message not being heard, suggests a natural consequence. Responding in faith requires hearing, and hearing requires a messenger. Paul thus reinforces the critical role played by those who carry forth the gospel.


Gospel Importance: Paul has mentioned key aspects involved in responding to the gospel: hearing, believing, and confessing. By reiterating these steps, he emphasizes the necessary role that proclamation plays in evangelism through a series of rhetorical questions in 10:14–15. Israel has indeed heard, but in 15:20 Paul makes known his desire to proclaim the gospel where it has not yet been heard.

There is yet another abrupt change in verse 18, where Paul builds on the last rhetorical question in verse 16. Although some can claim ignorance of the gospel, he makes the case in verses 18–21 that the nation of Israel cannot. This is a different side of the same coin Paul mentioned in 10:2–3: Israel as a nation had access to the knowledge of God’s righteousness available through the gospel, but they chose to pursue their own righteousness.

Paul presents Israel’s rejection of God’s righteousness as the first in a long chain of decisions. He begins with God’s declaration that He would use another nation to provoke Israel to jealousy so that they might return to Him (10:19). Paul then cites Isaiah 65:1 to make much the same point he did in 9:30 regarding the Gentiles who found God even though they weren’t seeking Him (10:20). The Gentiles’ actions contrast starkly with Israel’s zealous seeking—in the wrong direction (9:31). To address the latter point, Paul cites Isaiah 65:2 as proof that God has continually extended His hand to Israel, but as a nation they have been disobedient and obstinate in regard to the gospel.


Responding to the Call: Having described the steps involved in responding to the gospel, Paul moves on to describe the results. From a national standpoint, Israel has indeed heard the message, but the Gentiles are the ones who responded. In Romans 11:2–5 Paul makes clear that there is a remnant who believe, including Paul himself.

Paul states that Israel had a chance—there was no lack of messengers, and they did receive the message. But as a nation, Israel chose to turn away. In 9:14–18 Paul presents the idea that God may sovereignly harden whomever He wishes; he will discuss this concept in greater detail in the next section.

Paul makes something of a backward case to accomplish two goals. First, he proves that all of the requirements are in place for the nation of Israel to hear and respond to the gospel. Israel is not some unreached people group; they have simply not recognized the Old Testament prophecies anticipating the Messiah. Second, there is a practical need for missionaries to proclaim the gospel. Although Israel may have had an opportunity to hear and respond, plenty of others haven’t. Paul has not yet mentioned his intention to continue on to Spain, but this section provides important justification for why the Roman church should support his trip.


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