Bible Commentaries
Romans 10

Verse 1

0:1 Rom 10:1. Paul's personal interest in his Jewish kinsmen is still one of his main concerns. (See the comments at chapter 9:3.) His wish that they might be saved proves they were in an unsaved state at that time.

Verse 2

0:2 Rom 10:2. The apostle freely gave them credit for what was commendable, but also disapproved of all that was wrong about them. A prominent phrase in Thayer's definition of the original word for zeal is, "ardor in embracing." Israel was not sluggish in religious activities on behalf of God. Knowledge is from EPIGNOSIS, and Thayer defines it at this place, "Precise and correct knowledge." The Jews displayed a heated interest in their form of righteousness, without bothering to learn if it was the correct one.

Verse 3

0:3 Rom 10:3. God's righteousness is that performed "through the faith of Christ," and own righteousness is that "which is of the law" (Php 3:9). Their lack of knowledge mentioned in the preceding verse, is here specified to consist of their being ignorant of God's righteousness.

Verse 4

0:4 Rom 10:4. Righteousness is from DI-KAIOSUNE, and the part of Thayer's definition that is needed here is, "The state acceptable to God which becomes a sinner's possession." This definition shows the word to have a religious sense, meaning the kind of life necessary to salvation. Christ put an end to the law for that purpose, but He did not intend to interfere with the observance of its institutions as national customs. That is why Paul, though a Christian, did the things recorded in Act 16:3 Act 18:21. See also the comments at Act 21:20-26. But none except Jews have the right to any of these things, even as customs (Gal 2:21 Gal 5:1-4).

Verse 5

0:5 Rom 10:5. All who served God acceptably, from Abel onward, were required to do their performances with faith. But the New Testament system is the only one that is designated as one of faith. In contrast with this, the Mosaic system was one of works, the predominating idea being that the "doing" of the works was what was acceptable to God.

Verse 6

0:6 Rom 10:6. Righteousness which is of faith still means the Gospel system. Paul quotes from Deu 30:11-13, but adds some words to make it apply to the law of Christ, whose active principle is faith; "take God at his word," without demanding why or how the divine truths and facts were accomplished. On this basis, one should not be concerned about "who" or "how" it was that Christ came down from above.

Verse 7

0:7 Rom 10:7. And by the same rule as the preceding verse, we need not be concerned about the "hows" of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Deep is from A BUSSOS, and Thayer's definition of it is, "Bottomless, unbounded, the abyss." He then explains it to mean, "the common receptacle of the dead."

Verse 8

0:8 Rom 10:8. Our concern is not so far away as the foregoing inquiries would indicate, for all necessary information is nigh at hand in the divine Word.

Verse 9

0:9 Rom 10:9. The simple belief that the resurrection took place, and the confession on our part of such a belief, is sufficient to bring salvation within reach as far as what we must believe is concerned.

Verse 10

:10 Rom 10:10. The heart is the mind and it must accept the divine testimony that Christ arose from the dead, then the believer must make a confession of this belief. Paul does not say that this belief and confession alone will bring one into a saved state. But they are a part of the terms that pertain to the "righteousness" discussed above, which leads one unto or in the direction of salvation. Other items will logically follow if this belief is "from the heart" (chapter 6:17).

Verse 11

:11 Rom 10:11. Not be ashamed means "not be disappointed." The emphasis should be on the word whosoever, in view of the self-importance felt by the Jews.

Verse 12

:12 Rom 10:12. This verse shows why "whosoever" in the preceding one is emphasized. The Jews thought they occupied a place of superiority in the Lord's sight.

Verse 13

:13 Rom 10:13. See Act 22:16 for the practical meaning of "calling on the name of the Lord." It denotes more than merely pronouncing the holy name.

Verse 14

:14 Rom 10:14. If believing in the Lord is necessary to calling on him, it explains the comments in the preceding verse. Even unbelievers can say "Lord, Lord," but to no avail. Faith is not an emotion miraculously produced, but is the effect of something heard. Also, before the New Testament was written, someone had to preach the word so that the sinner could hear it. (See 1Co 1:21 and Tit 1:3.)

Verse 15

:15 Rom 10:15. Except they be sent also pertains especially to the time before the New Testament was written. The original for the last italicized word is APOSTELLO, and Thayer's first definition is, "To order one to go to a place appointed." That is why Christ "ordered" his apostles to "go" as recorded in Mat 28:19-20, but told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were "endued with power from on high" (Luk 24:49). That was because they would not know what to preach without this "power," since the New Testament had not been written. This great work of the apostles was predicted in Isa 52:7. Beautiful are the feet means their footsteps are beautiful because they bring the promise of peace and other good things.

Verse 16

:16 Rom 10:16. This is similar in thought to chapter 3:3.

Verse 17

:17 Rom 10:17. This verse clearly shows that faith does not come to a sinner as a direct gift from God. It can be produced only by hearing the word of God. That accounts for the items set forth in verse 14, 15.

Verse 18

:18 Rom 10:18. The pronoun their refers to the preachers of verses 14, 15, who were the inspired apostles. Paul affirms that their word had at that time gone unto the ends of the world. This same fact is declared in Col 1:23. Therefore, when a man applies the "Great Commission" to preachers of today he is perverting the scripture.

Verse 19

:19 Rom 10:19. Did not Israel know that the Gospel was to be preached throughout the world, to both Gentile and Jew? They did not, but they should have known had they "considered" (Isa 1:3), for their own lawgiver Moses prophesied it in Deu 32:21. Had the Jews "considered" it, they would have realized that no people and foolish nation meant the Gentiles.

Verse 20

:20 Rom 10:20. Very bold means his language is very strong, sounding almost like a disagreement, such as a man finding something that he was not looking for. This, of course, has the same meaning as chapter 9:30.

Verse 21

:21 Rom 10:21. Here is a contrast to the foregoing. The Gentiles were not seeking God through any system of religion, yet they were offered one which they gladly accepted. Israel was constantly exhorted to hear and obey, yet they stubbornly disobeyed and were a gainsaying (calling in question) people.