Bible Commentaries
Romans 10

Verse 1

Romans 10:1

Romans 10:1

Brethren, my heart’s desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved.—In the beginning of the preceding chapter Paul avers his strong love for his brethren in the flesh, and here he repeats it as the. desire of his heart that they might be saved.

Verse 2

Romans 10:2

Romans 10:2

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God,— He testifies in their behalf that they have a zeal for God. The Jews at this time had not gone into idolatry as they had done in the days of the kings. They were zealously and devotedly religious toward God, and their religious zeal hindered their obedience to the divine law. A religion that shuts out or obstructs the knowledge of God’s will and hinders obedience to the law of God stands between that man and God and hinders his salvation. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21). To do the will of God is the only road to union with him.

but not according to knowledge.—[This means knowing what God has taught on the subject of justification. Had they read the law of Moses and the prophets correctly, they would at once have recognized in Jesus their long-expected Messiah and would have hailed him with great joy. Their lack of knowledge, being due to their own stubborn refusal to either see or hear, was inexcusable.]

Verse 3

Romans 10:3

Romans 10:3

For being ignorant of God’s righteousness,—“Righteous­ness” is here used for the plan of making men righteous. The Jews were not ignorant that God was a righteous and holy being, but in the blindness of their hearts they were ignorant of the provisions that God had made for justifying men, or making them righteous through Jesus Christ.

and seeking to establish their own,—[They sought a right­eousness of their own, of works, secured by keeping the law and obeying the traditions of men. (Matthew 15:3-8; Mark 7:7-8). Their theory they not only sought to make good, but they shut their eyes and ears against every fact having in any measure the effect to prove them wrong. They assumed their theory to be infallible, and, as a consequence, grew impenetra­ble to argument against it.]

they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.—In depending upon and following their own ways of making men righteous, they had rejected God and been re­jected of him. It has always been a popular idea in the world that so a man worshiped according to his convictions of right, his worship would be acceptable to God. But these Jews were exceedingly zealous of God; but in ignorance of God’s way of making men righteous, they were rejected of God.

Verse 4

Romans 10:4

Romans 10:4

For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.—Since Christ is the end to which the law brings every one that believeth for righteousness, if one is not brought by the law to accept Christ, it shows that he has mistaken the end and purpose of the law. The same thought is expressed in these words: “So that the law is be­come our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be jus­tified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor.” (Galatians 3:24-25). Those who claim to follow the law, yet reject Christ, are ignorant of the end and teaching of the law. Christ in his life fulfilled perfectly the righteous­ness required by the law. [Had the Jews only used the law instead of abusing it, it would have been their best prepara­tion for the Savior’s advent; for by reason of man’s weakness it was powerless to justify. It was intended to impart to man a knowledge of his sinfulness and awaken in his heart earnest longings for some powerful deliverer. Thus used, it would have insured the reception of the Messiah by the Jews. Striv­ing to attain to real holiness, and increasingly conscious of the impossibility of attaining it by the imperfect obedience to the law’s requirements, they would gladly have recognized Jesus Christ as the end of the law for righteousness.]

Verse 5

Romans 10:5

Romans 10:5

For Moses writeth that the man that doeth the righteous­ness which is of the law—“The righteousness of the law,” as Moses defined it, was, “Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and mine ordinances; which if a man do, he shall live in them” (Leviticus 18:5)—that is, so there was outward compliance they could live and be blessed temporarily.

shall live thereby.—It is the clear doctrine of the Scriptures that the obedience to the law, to secure justification, must be perfect, for it is said: “Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them” (Deuteronomy 27:26; Galatians 3:10) ; and, “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all” (James 2:10). The legal system, then, which demands obedience, requires perfect obedience. [But in this world it has never been rendered, except in the case of our Lord. There is, therefore, no law which simply as law can give life, and no such thing as a “righteousness which is of the law.”]

Verses 6-7

Romans 10:6-7

Romans 10:6-7

But the righteousness which is of faith saith thus,— [Paul here personifies the righteousness by faith, and in that character is represented as doing what the living teacher of righteousness by faith does. Moses describes the righteous­ness which is of the law, and in so doing shows it to be im­possible.]

Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down:) or, Who shall descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).—Do not demand ocular demonstration of Christ’s coming down from heaven or coming up from the grave. These things are not to be seen, save by those who were his chosen witnesses, who have borne their testimony in such manner that all can hear and believe. Nothing wonderful or difficult is required. [The Jews expected a Savior, reigning upon the earth, a visible king of an earthly kingdom; hence, they said: “Bring Christ down from heaven, where you say he is, and we will believe on him.” Another thing that caused the Jews to stumble was the death and burial of Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, they held it to be positive proof that he was not the Christ. They still demanded that they should see the risen Christ with their own eyes, or that he should be brought up from the dead.]

Verse 8

Romans 10:8

Romans 10:8

But what saith it?—But what saith the righteousness that comes of faith ?

The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart:—The word of God which comes to faith is nigh thee; it com­mends itself to the heart and finds a home in the heart, so that by the word the heart is changed, and the service that springs from faith is not a formal conformity to the law, but a hearty, loving service rendered to God because we love and honor him.

that is, the word of faith, which we preach:—This word of faith received into the heart was preached by the apostles and must be received through their preaching. See the following verse.

Verse 9

Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9

because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord,—The words preached by the apostles caused those who heard to believe with the heart that Jesus is the Christ, and that God raised him from the dead and had taken him up into heaven. This implies and embodies a belief of all that is told concerning him after his ascension. His resurrection and as­cension stand as the conclusion and crowning testimony of his claims as the Son of God. He was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:4). The confession with the mouth is the declaration to the world of faith in the heart. It is needful that a man should have courage to declare his faith in Christ Jesus’ to the world. “Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33).

I do not understand this as referring to a formal confession of faith before baptism, for the following reasons: In the commission, in its fulfillment on the day of Pentecost, and in the examples of conversion recorded in Acts of Apostles, there is no example of a formal confession being required as a prece­dent to baptism, unless the case of the eunuch be regarded as such. In reference to this, it is claimed by the textual critics generally that the confession there recorded is an interpolation. The context and circumstances would indicate that such a confession was made. It is also clear that Philip was not seeking a formal confession, but evidence of faith. What­ever confession was made came in response to this seeking. The natural evidence of faith in the heart is the confession with the mouth. When Philip said, “If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest,” the natural response would be: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” But it was made to manifest the presence of faith, not to make a formal confession. But if this does not require the confession, the singular fact is presented that in the Scriptures a condition of salvation is left out of all the precepts and examples concern­ing remission, and is to be found only in a reference in a letter to Christians as to what had been required. Then it is neces­sary that at every step of the religious life, even after one has grown old in the service of the Lord, with the mouth confes­sion must be made unto salvation, and with the heart he must believe unto righteousness. He must live by and walk through faith unto the end. It is just as necessary that confession of Christ should be made at all times or Christ will not own us.

But that any formal confession was required before baptism, more than at any other step of his religious life, is not clear. Confession of Christ in our words is necessary. It is neces­sary in coming to Christ and in all the Christian life. I am sure that the questions and obedience on the day of Pentecost were an acceptable confession. So at the house of Cornelius and in all other instances.

and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:—The confession here precedes the belief in the heart, but this is no indication of the order of development of these in the Christian character. The next verse shows that the belief in the heart must precede the con­fession with the mouth and is essential to the life that leads to salvation.

Verse 10

Romans 10:10

Romans 10:10

for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;—Righteousness cannot exist unless it has its root in the heart. It must begin with and first change the heart. Then the faith that is in the heart leads on to the righteousness of the life in Christ Jesus. If faith in the heart does not find growth in the life, it will die. “Faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.” (James 2:17). A living faith will produce works. If the works are not good, the faith is faulty.

and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.—The open confession of Jesus as the Son of God leads on to the life of devotion to Christ Jesus that fits for salvation before God. Faith in God and courage to confess Christ is just as essen­tial to salvation at every step through life down to death itself as they are at the beginning.

Verse 11

Romans 10:11

Romans 10:11

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame.—This brings up the question as to whether it was a living, working, active faith, or simply be­lieving without completing itself. Paul’s own explanation should settle this. In the preceding verse he shows that he meant a belief that led to obedience. There he explains that the confession with the mouth must accompany the belief in the heart. Then in verse 16 he says, “They did not all hearken to the glad tidings,” showing plainly that the belief spoken of embraced the obedience to the gospel. Faith in the heart gives courage to speak and act up to the faith. Consequently, being uncondemned, he will have no cause for shame.

Verse 12

Romans 10:12

Romans 10:12

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek:— [As the Jews were for several centuries under the dominion of the Greeks, and as the cultured of the Romans, their later masters, also spoke Greek, the term “Greek” became to them a synonym for “Gentile,” for they had more dealings with the Greeks than with any other people.] The conclusion of the argument is that there is no difference in the sight of God between the Jew and the Greek. All have sinned, and all will now be accepted on the same terms.

for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him:—The same Lord is over all, whether Jews or Greeks, and he is rich toward all that seek him. [Now, as there is but one Lord, the Jews and Greeks were compelled to receive blessings from the same Lord; and as all stood in equal need of salvation, the Lord offers the same salvation to each upon the same conditions. (Ephesians 2:11-22). Thus God showed the riches of his grace to all, and so rich is he in his mercy and provisions of salvation that no multitude can exhaust them; therefore, the Jew has no reason to envy the Gentiles their call, since it in no way impoverishes him.]

Verse 13

Romans 10:13

Romans 10:13

for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.—This does not mean a formal calling upon the Lord, but a committing of themselves unto him as their Lord and Master. [The calling here is of the kind enjoined upon Saul by Ananias: “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:16). From the moment we believe on him we are thenceforward never to ignore his name. He is to be recognized in every act and his guidance and blessing constantly invoked.]

Verse 14

Romans 10:14

Romans 10:14

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?—Since it is needful that they should thus commit themselves to the rule of God in order to salvation, how can they call on him to be their God unless they have believed in him? No service can be acceptable to him unless it comes from the heart. The heart can render homage to God only as it is led by faith in him.

and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard?—They cannot. [The preaching of Christ’s messen­gers is identical with the preaching of Christ himself. (Ephesians 2:17; Ephesians 4:21).]

and how shall they hear without a preacher?—Paul is here showing the absolute necessity of preaching to the Gentiles, who had not known God as the means of salvation.

Verse 15

Romans 10:15

Romans 10:15

and how shall they preach, except they be sent?—Here he shows the necessity of him who went forth to preach being sent of God. He must have the credentials from God. This refers, of course, to the original proclamation of the gospel. Before and in anticipation of leaving them, Jesus told his apos­tles, chosen to bear witness of what he should speak to the world, that he would send them the Holy Spirit, who would call to their remembrance all things he had commanded them and would guide them into all the truth. (John 16:13-14). After his death and resurrection, by which he was declared to be the Son of God with power, and just before his ascension to his Father’s throne, he gave to them the commission. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-49). He then ascended, and the apostles tarried in Jerusalem; the Holy Spirit came upon them, “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:4). On that day the apos­tles, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, made known the conditions of remission of sins and entrance into the church of God. This glad message was preached by them throughout the world. And the Lord Jesus appeared unto Saul when on his way to Damascus to make him “a minister and a witness” (Acts 26:16), and Paul said of the gospel which he preached: “For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12).

No one preaches now in the same sense that those who went forth as heralds to proclaim a new revelation from God; those since repeat it. One is a preacher in the true sense of the word; the other, a teacher of what has been preached or pro­claimed by the heralds sent forth from God, endowed with the Holy Spirit, to guide them into all the truth.

This passage is sometimes used to prove that the churches ought to send forth preachers to preach now. Such an appli­cation of it is a perversion of it, and destroys the force of the grand truth that those who proclaimed the gospel in the apos­tolic period were supernaturally endowed and sent of God to make known the terms of salvation to both Jews and Gentiles.

even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!—Isaiah 52:7 declares the preciousness of the message, and that the gladness of the joy it gave to those who received it would invest the feet of those who brought the glad tidings of good things with a halo of beauty. It is right for churches and individual Christians to help those who go forth to teach the word of truth, but these original teachers were sent of God.

Verse 16

Romans 10:16

Romans 10:16

But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings.—Those who heard the gospel had not believed and obeyed it.

For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?—It was in Paul’s time as it had been in the days of Isaiah, who, after preaching and prophesying much, viewing the meager results, asks: “Lord, who hath believed our report,” or preach­ing? He felt that his work had been in vain.

Verse 17

Romans 10:17

Romans 10:17

So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.—Notwithstanding this failure of man to believe, he affirms that belief comes of hearing the word of Christ. “The seed is the word of God.” (Luke 8:11). There is no belief or knowledge of God, of Christ, or of the Holy Spirit, save as it comes through the word of God and is received in faith. From the word of God as the seed first appears the bud, or blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear, these being degrees of growth, or development of faith—faith through successive stages. From the first assent of the mind to the probable truth of a historic proposition, to a fully de­veloped confidence or trust in God through Jesus Christ as his Son. [The faith thus produced is belief that leads to all acceptable obedience, and consequently to remission of sins. Hence, the need of preaching. If God by a direct operation of the Spirit wrought faith in the heart, he could dispense with the preacher. But the divine arrangement is that it should result from hearing the word of God preached.]

Verse 18

Romans 10:18

Romans 10:18

But I say, Did they not hear?—If faith comes by hear­ing, the responsibility to some extent rested on those who had the word to proclaim—that is, on those sent of God to preach.

Yea, verily, their sound went out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.—On the day of Pentecost there were in Jerusalem men out of every nation under heaven. They lived in the provinces of Asia, Africa, and Europe—all the known world—and the gospel was soon preached among all nations. Yet they had not believed in Christ. This seems to apply to the Jews especially, scattered among all nations.

Verse 19

Romans 10:19

Romans 10:19

But I say, Did Israel not know?—To what does this question refer? The answer seems to indicate: Did they not know that the gospel would be preached to the Gentiles? If they did not, it was because they had closed their eyes and refused to see the plain teaching of the Jewish Scriptures.

First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation, with a nation void of understanding will I anger you.—[If any Israelite had carefully and in a believ­ing spirit considered the words of Moses thus quoted, he would have assuredly gathered from them that God would withdraw his favor from those who had hitherto been his peo­ple, on account of their unbelief and rejection of the Messiah, and give it to those who had hitherto been not his people. Now, this exactly described the state of things then existing. The fulfillment of this prophecy is thus described by Luke: “And the next sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contra­dicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. . . . And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God.” (Acts 13:44-48). So that the Jews had then before their eyes the fulfillment of one of their most ancient proph­ecies—the Jews shutting their ears to the message of salva­tion ; the Gentiles, till then no people, listening and believing; and the Jews, full of envy and jealousy, enraged at the recep­tion on the Gentiles’ part of the very gospel which they re­jected.]

Verse 20

Romans 10:20

Romans 10:20

And Isaiah is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I became manifest unto them that asked not of me.—After the manner of prophecy, Isaiah speaks of things future as though they had already taken place. [The idolatrous Gentiles, who, being wholly occupied with the worship of their idols, never once thought of inquiring after or worshiping the true God. Nevertheless, to them, while in this state, God, by the preaching of the gospel, made himself known and offered himself as the object of their worship, and they gladly responded. They broke their idols, burned their books, surrendered to the authority of Christ, and began to walk in newness of life.]

Verse 21

Romans 10:21

Romans 10:21

But as to Israel he saith, All the day long did I spread out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.— While these prophecies of the Gentiles accepting Christ had been made, he says of the Jews: “All the day long [all the days of the existence of the Jewish people] did I spread out my hands” to call, to warn, and entreat a disobedient and fault-finding people. This was in the face of the repeated cove­nants they had made to obey him and be his people. Thus he shows that they had warning that the Gentiles would come in, while they, despite all their advantages, would be rejected through unbelief.