Lesson 13: Witnessing 145
Interpreting the Scriptures
The verses that we are studying in the lesson from Romans appear in
the midst of a passage where Paul is contrasting the “righteousness that
comes from the law” on the one hand and the “righteousness that comes
from faith” on the other (10:5–6; note also 9:30–31). Taken together,
the apostle indicates that Israel has zealously pursued the former and
the Gentiles have recently embraced the latter (see 9:30–31; 10:2–3).
With Christ, Paul maintains, the law has reached its telos (“end” and/or
“aim”). What is more, through Christ, all who believe, whether Jew or
Greek, are rendered righteous before God (10:4; cf. 1:16–17).
Calling Upon Jesus as Lord in Faith (Romans 10:8–13)
10:8 –10. If the righteousness that comes from the law emphasized doing
(note 10:5 citing Leviticus 18:5), that is patently not the case Paul pro-
claims, with the righteousness comes from faith. Paraphrasing and
applying Deuteronomy 30:12–14, the apostle declares that even if one
were able there would be no need to ascend to heaven nor to descend
to the abyss in order to find Christ. Christ does not need to be brought
down from heaven or raised from the dead, for the “word of faith” (that
is, the message of righteousness from God based upon faith in Christ
and his faithfulness), as stated in Scripture, “is near you, on your lips
and in your heart.”
The gospel that Paul and his coworkers proclaimed was (in no small
part) that “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (10:9).
It was the desire of Paul’s heart that all people, both Jew and Greek, be
reconciled to God through Christ and thus be saved from the coming
wrath of God (10:1).
Having moved from confessing lips to a believing heart in 10:9 (cf.
10:8), Paul speaks of a believing heart prior to a confessing mouth in
10:10. For Paul, believing and confessing were either side of the same
coin, two aspects of one act. Entrusting oneself to Christ and declaring
him to be Lord results, Paul instructs, in being justified (that is, vindi-
cated or acquitted) from sin’s guilt and saved from God’s judgment.