Romans Chapter 10
(Romans 10:1)Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
- This was Paul's prayer, was always God's heart, should be our prayer
(Romans 10:2)
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
- If "unto them were committed the oracles of God" (chapter 3), why do they lack knowledge?
- Because they never wanted to understand the Old Testament, have now rejected their Messiah and the entire New Testament, so God has allowed them to be blinded, as they wished
- But take heart. Because of that blindness, the Gentiles were grafted in and the Church age is upon us, for now.
(Romans 3:2)
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
(Romans 10:3)
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
- This is Judaism in a nutshell, last 6,000 years, most of the time, most of Israel, and even today
- Because they do not want grace through faith, they choose works, religion, self-righteousness
- This is outward appearance only, and does nothing to save, nothing for the heart, gets no person closer to God
(Isaiah 64:6)
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
(Matthew 23:25-28)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
(Romans 10:4)
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
- With Christ there no need for keeping the Law, as the Law is abolished, and God the Holy Spirit makes us clean
- Once declared righteous through Christ, we decide to follow Him, which is both outward and inward appearance
- This new man is loved by God and His people (fellow Christians), hated by the lost world
(Romans 10:5)
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
- There is life in obedience, as evidence from the Garden, throughout all of history, until today
- Even though keeping the law does not save us, in the fleshly realm, keeping God's commandments is beneficial to all of mankind, Jew and Gentile, always was, is and will be
- This is a quote from or used in three other place in Scripture
(Leviticus 18:5)
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
(Ezekiel 20:11)
And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
(Galatians 3:12)
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
(Romans 10:6)
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
- You cannot bring God Himself down to your level, as much as you might want to.
(Romans 10:7)
Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
- God is above you, not you above God, sitting in judgment, so you cannot bring God up to your level, either
- You need to go nowhere to get righteous...believe where you are, wherever you are
(Romans 10:8)
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
- The heart of the matter, the Word is always near, not lofty, not too low and buried, but in front of our eyes, plainly visible and available
- This is an Old Testament quote from Deuteronomy 30:14
(Deuteronomy 30:14)
But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
(Psalms 85:9)
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
(Psalms 145:18)
The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
(Romans 10:9)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
- The Gospel, so quickly and simply given
- No works to be seen here towards salvation at all...
(Romans 10:10)
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
- It must always be remembered that the context of any verse determines the meaning, (Isaiah 28:10, 13)
- Since this cannot imply that a mute person cannot be saved (impossible), it must mean that a saved person will not be ashamed of Christ and proclaim their salvation
- Not being ashamed means LIVING it, BEING it, not just saying it, not dissimulation
- This does not mean to 'come forward" to get saved in some altar call, which is not Scriptural
- This means simply that the man's heart, mouth and behaviour must agree, your entire being. No lip service wanted!
- "Before you flap your mouth, make sure it is real salvation"
- It means real salvation, not self-deception, hypocrisy, like James says, "faith without works is dead"
- Too many people "come forward" or kneel or raise their hands when they hear "with every head bowed and every eye closed"......and that is it. They do not get saved because, as the verse say, "with the heart" (100% sincerity), which must be in concert and coordinated with "with the mouth" (combined with the heart's sincerity)
(James 2:18-20)
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
DISSIMULATION, n. [L., to make like; like.] The act of dissembling; a hiding under a false appearance; a feigning; false pretension; hypocrisy. Dissimulation may be simply concealment of the opinions, sentiments or purpose; but it includes also the assuming of a false or counterfeit appearance which conceals the real opinions or purpose. Dissimulation among statesmen is sometimes regarded as a necessary vice, or as no vice at all. Let love be without dissimulation. Rom 12.
(Romans 10:11)For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
- This is the speaking out, the reality of BEING saved, not APPEARING saved, while not actually BEING saved
- This is only for true belief, not feigned belief
- Again, this is from Isaiah 28, only verse 16
- Paul had quoted this in chapter 9, verse 33
(Isaiah 28:16)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
(Romans 9:33)
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
(Romans 10:12)
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
- Universal application for anyone who believes, Jew or Gentile (Greek)
- In the church there are spiritual blessings, no matter who or what one is
- This is the only promise in this life we have outside of persecution, spiritual blessings now and forever
(Romans 10:13)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
- "Whosoever" says it all-Jew, Gentile, all the same in God's eyes for salvation
- The Name of the LORD is the LORD Jesus Christ only, no other "lord" need apply
(Romans 10:14)
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
- Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (v.17)
- The implied answer to all four questions is, "They will not"!
- Some have never heard the Gospel, but understand there is a God who is the Creator (chapter 1)
(Romans 10:15-16)
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
- Some (pagan Gentiles) have never heard the Gospel, and not believed
- Some (Gentiles) have heard the Gospel, and still not believed
- Some have heard the Gospel, recorded the Gospel (Jews) for thousands of years for us to have and still not believed
- This is precisely because, as Paul says, it is not combined with faith
- Few have ever believed the report...
(Hebrews 4:2)
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
- Not much to add here, except to say that the hearers must act on it, not just let it go in one ear and out the other
- This also means that the written variants in Scripture, such as different spellings, punctuation, do not change the "HEARD WORD"
- In other words, faith cometh by hearing, not by spelling; faith cometh by hearing, not by punctuation
(James 1:22)
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
(Romans 2:13)
(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (Romans 10:18)
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
- This could mean the Roman empire being "the whole world" to those in it, which it was
- It certainly in our day, with technology, the internet and satellites and in the future with angels, will go forth to every creature
- This certainly also is applied in every man seeing God the Creator in His creation all around them, every place they go and look.
(Revelation 14:6)
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
- This is us, as prophesied in Deuteronomy 32:21
- This is fulfilled to this day, the Jews absolutely HATING/LOATHING/DETESTING/ABHORRING Christians worldwide, the second they talk of the New Testament, Jesus Christ, the suffering Messiah of Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Zechariah, Daniel 9:24-27, etc.
- We were aliens, pilgrims, strangers, not children of any promises given to Israel
- We were outcasts with different plans by God for us
- We did nothing to provoke this except believe, but it was what God said would happen and it has
(Romans 10:20)
But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
- Until the church age, very few Gentiles are recorded in Scripture, individually, nationally or corporately, as coming to Israel to know their God
- Rahab was one, the Samaritan woman who was half Jew, half Gentile, the city of Nineveh that Jonah was brought to by a whale, Nebuchadnezzar, etc.
- To top that off, God was after Israel, not the Gentiles. God was calling Israel to Himself, the Gentiles to Israel
(Romans 10:21)
But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
- But........nevertheless, HE says, "I am looking for you, come to me", as though they were Adam and Eve in the Garden after the Fall
(Genesis 3:9)
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
