Romans 10: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary

Romans 10: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary May 26, 2016

Here is a Bible study, with commentary and summary for Romans chapter ten.

Romans 10:3-4 “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

The Apostle Paul had just been writing about the Jews who focused on keeping the law and establishing their own righteousness by keeping it, but the problem was, “they did not submit to God’s righteousness,” meaning they didn’t realize that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness” for all who believe. Paul wrote, “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them” (Rom 10:5).

Was the law the problem?

How is Christ “the end of the law for righteousness?”

How is it that the Jews didn’t submit to God’s righteousness?

Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Paul, by placing the law as the measure of God’s righteousness, he shows the Jews (and us) that no one can be saved by keeping the law. It is only by a public profession of faith in Christ, and believing in one’s heart that God raised Him from the dead, that a person is saved. Jesus kept the law perfectly where we couldn’t, so when we believe, we are justified by our mouth when we confess our faith in Christ and all who do so are saved. Believing in the law doesn’t save a person…it is only by believing in Jesus Christ that we can be saved and “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Rom 10:11).

What does Paul mean “if you believe in your heart?”

Is it important to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead?

Why is that so vital?

How are we justified?

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Romans 10:12-13 “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

God is no respecter of a person’s national origin, skin color, or sex. He makes no distinction between the Jew or the Gentile (or Greek), because He is Lord of everyone, but this is why the gospel is such good news. It is for “everyone,” no matter who they are, that “calls on the name of the Lord” which saves them. Even with this, it still doesn’t depend on the will of man, as the Apostle John wrote that “all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).

Why does Paul mention God “bestowing his riches on all who call on him?”

What are these riches?

What does it mean to “call on the name of the Lord” so that a person can be saved?

Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

Even though our salvation doesn’t depend on us but upon Christ, a person still needs to hear the gospel and how else can they believe unless they first hear it? Paul clarifies his point by writing that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). The fact that faith comes by hearing the “word of Christ,” which means the Word of God, Paul is asking us, “how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news” (Rom 10:15). This is why the gospel, contained in the Word of God, must be heard so that a person might trust in Christ.

What essentials are needed for a person to be saved?

Is it enough to just believe (James 2:19)?

What is the source of the power of the gospel?

Romans 10:16 “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”

Paul, in quoting Isaiah, writes an interesting line by asking a question; “who has believed what he has heard from us?” In Isaiah’s day, very few believed, even though many heard. That is still true today. Many believe but few are saved. In fact, all the demons believe but that doesn’t save them. Jesus said many will cry out to Him on the day of His return, “Lord, Lord” but He tells them to depart, because He never knew them at all (Matt 7:21-23). Many are called but few are chosen. Why? To hear the gospel and believe it, is not enough…it must be obeyed. Paul saw the same problem that Isaiah identified with in ancient Israel and that’s the fact that “not all obeyed the gospel.” It takes a person of God with the Word of God and the Spirit of God to make the children of God for the glory of God. There is real power in the gospel, as Paul wrote, “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). If it depended upon our power, then none would be saved.

What does Paul write “who has believed what he heard from us?”

Is believing in Jesus enough to save us?

What does Paul mean by writing “they have not all obeyed the gospel?”

Summary

The Jews just didn’t get it. They thought that by their law-keeping, they would be accepted by God but that’s legalism and salvation by works, and God will not accept that (Eph 2:8-9) because it’s nothing more than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). It is “Christ [Who] is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” In other words, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Rom 10:9-10).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.


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