3 For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own , they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God . 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes . 5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness . 6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows : " DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART , 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN ?' (that is, to bring Christ down ), 7 or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS ?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead )." 8 But what does it say ? " THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart "-that is, the word of faith which we are preaching , 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord , and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead , you will be saved ; 10 for with the heart a person believes , resulting in righteousness , and with the mouth he confesses , resulting in salvation . 11 For the Scripture says , " WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED ."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek ; for the same Lord is Lord of all , abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for " WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE Lord WILL BE SAVED ." 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed ? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard ? And how will they hear without a preacher ? 15 How will they preach unless e they are sent ? Just as it is written , " HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS !" 16 However , they did not all heed the good news ; for Isaiah says , " Lord , WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT ?" 17 So faith comes from hearing , and hearing by the word of Christ . 18 But I say , surely they have never e heard , have they? Indeed they have; " THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH , AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Romans 10:3-18
Commentary on Romans 10:1-4
(Read Romans 10:1-4)
The Jews built on a false foundation, and refused to come to Christ for free salvation by faith, and numbers in every age do the same in various ways. The strictness of the law showed men their need of salvation by grace, through faith. And the ceremonies shadowed forth Christ as fulfilling the righteousness, and bearing the curse of the law. So that even under the law, all who were justified before God, obtained that blessing by faith, whereby they were made partakers of the perfect righteousness of the promised Redeemer. The law is not destroyed, nor the intention of the Lawgiver disappointed; but full satisfaction being made by the death of Christ for our breach of the law, the end is gained. That is, Christ has fulfilled the whole law, therefore whoever believeth in him, is counted just before God, as much as though he had fulfilled the whole law himself. Sinners never could go on in vain fancies of their own righteousness, if they knew the justice of God as a Governor, or his righteousness as a Saviour.
Commentary on Romans 10:5-11
(Read Romans 10:5-11)
The self-condemned sinner need not perplex himself how this righteousness may be found. When we speak of looking upon Christ, and receiving, and feeding upon him, it is not Christ in heaven, nor Christ in the deep, that we mean; but Christ in the promise, Christ offered in the word. Justification by faith in Christ is a plain doctrine. It is brought before the mind and heart of every one, thus leaving him without excuse for unbelief. If a man confessed faith in Jesus, as the Lord and Saviour of lost sinners, and really believed in his heart that God had raised him from the dead, thus showing that he had accepted the atonement, he should be saved by the righteousness of Christ, imputed to him through faith. But no faith is justifying which is not powerful in sanctifying the heart, and regulating all its affections by the love of Christ. We must devote and give up to God our souls and our bodies: our souls in believing with the heart, and our bodies in confessing with the mouth. The believer shall never have cause to repent his confident trust in the Lord Jesus. Of such faith no sinner shall be ashamed before God; and he ought to glory in it before men.
Commentary on Romans 10:12-17
(Read Romans 10:12-17)
There is not one God to the Jews, more kind, and another to the Gentiles, who is less kind; the Lord is a Father to all men. The promise is the same to all, who call on the name of the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, as God manifest in the flesh. All believers thus call upon the Lord Jesus, and none else will do so humbly or sincerely. But how should any call on the Lord Jesus, the Divine Saviour, who had not heard of him? And what is the life of a Christian but a life of prayer? It shows that we feel our dependence on him, and are ready to give up ourselves to him, and have a believing expectation of our all from him. It was necessary that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles. Somebody must show them what they are to believe. How welcome the gospel ought to be to those to whom it was preached! The gospel is given, not only to be known and believed, but to be obeyed. It is not a system of notions, but a rule of practice. The beginning, progress, and strength of faith is by hearing. But it is only hearing the word, as the word of God that will strengthen faith.
Commentary on Romans 10:18-21
(Read Romans 10:18-21)
Did not the Jews know that the Gentiles were to be called in? They might have known it from Moses and Isaiah. Isaiah speaks plainly of the grace and favour of God, as going before in the receiving of the Gentiles. Was not this our own case? Did not God begin in love, and make himself known to us when we did not ask after him? The patience of God towards provoking sinners is wonderful. The time of God's patience is called a day, light as day, and fit for work and business; but limited as a day, and there is a night at the end of it. God's patience makes man's disobedience worse, and renders that the more sinful. We may wonder at the mercy of God, that his goodness is not overcome by man's badness; we may wonder at the wickedness of man, that his badness is not overcome by God's goodness. And it is a matter of joy to think that God has sent the message of grace to so many millions, by the wide spread of his gospel.