Romans 10
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Israel’s Zeal Is Not In Accordance With Knowledge
10 Brothers, my heart’s desire and petition to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify concerning them that they have a zeal for God— but not in-accordance-with knowledge.
For They Are Ignorant of The Source of True Righteousness
3 For being-ignorant-of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For[a] Christ is the end[b] of the Law for[c] righteousness for everyone believing.
The Law Requires Performance; True Righteousness Comes By Faith In Christ
5 For Moses writes [in Lev 18:5] as to the righteousness of the Law that “The person having done them will live by them”. 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks[d] as follows: “Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up into heaven?”, that is, to bring[e] Christ down, 7 or “who will go down into the abyss?”, that is, to bring[f] 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 [g] faith which we are proclaiming, 9 that[h] if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is believed with the heart resulting-in righteousness, and it is confessed with the mouth resulting in salvation.
The Scripture Says Faith Leads To Salvation For Both Jew And Greek
11 For the Scripture says [in Isa 28:16] “everyone putting-faith upon Him will not be put-to-shame”. 12 For there is no distinction between both Jew and Greek— for the same Lord is Lord of all, being rich toward all the ones calling-upon Him. 13 For “everyone who calls-upon the name of the Lord will be saved” [Joel 2:32].
This Is Why God Sent Forth His Messengers With The Report About Christ
14 How then[i] may they[j] call-upon the One in Whom they did not believe? And how may they believe the One Whom[k] they did not hear? And how may they hear without one proclaiming? 15 And how may they proclaim if they are not sent-forth?— just as it has been written[l] [in Isa 52:7]: “How beautiful are the feet of the ones announcing-good-news-of good things!” 16 But[m] they did not all obey the good-news, for Isaiah says [in Isa 53:1], “Lord, who put-faith-in our report?” 17 So[n] the faith[o] comes from a report-hearing[p], and the report-hearing through a word[q] about[r] Christ.
But It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Hear
18 But I say[s]— it is not that they did not hear[t], is it ? On the contrary: “Their voice went-out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” [Ps 19:4].
And It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Know
19 But I say— it is not that Israel did not know[u], is it ? First, Moses says [in Deut 32:21] “I will provoke you to jealousy over what is not a nation. I will provoke you to anger over a nation without-understanding[v]”. 20 And Isaiah is very-bold and says [in Isa 65:1] “I was found by the ones not seeking Me. I became visible[w] to the ones not asking-for Me”. 21 But with-regard-to Israel He says [in Isa 65:2], “I held-out[x] My hands the whole day toward a disobeying[y] and contradicting[z] people”.
Footnotes
- Romans 10:4 This sentence summarizes the heart of their ignorance, the relationship between Christ, Law, righteousness, faith, and works.
- Romans 10:4 Or, fulfillment, completion, termination, goal.
- Romans 10:4 Paul may mean ‘for purposes of righteousness’; or, ‘so that there may be righteousness’.
- Romans 10:6 In what follows, Paul uses phrases from Deut 30:11-14 to help describe God’s saving process, explaining his current application of each.
- Romans 10:6 The righteousness by faith does not ask who will bring the Messiah down from heaven, because He has already come.
- Romans 10:7 Nor does it ask who will bring Him back from the dead, because He has already been raised.
- Romans 10:8 That is, about, producing, calling for.
- Romans 10:9 This gives the content of the word of faith. Or, because, explaining why the righteousness of faith says this word is near.
- Romans 10:14 Paul now traces out the logical implications of the Scriptures just quoted. They imply that the response of faith is made to a message proclaimed to everyone by ones sent forth from God.
- Romans 10:14 That is, everyone (v 13), Jew and Greek (v 12). Paul carries out his argument in the universal terms of the prophets, which he is here applying to the case of Israel itself.
- Romans 10:14 Or, the One of Whom.
- Romans 10:15 Paul quotes Isaiah to prove that God has done His part. He sent forth messengers and they have proclaimed the message.
- Romans 10:16 Isaiah predicted this rejection by Israel as well, further proof of Israel’s ignorance.
- Romans 10:17 Paul summarizes the process he has deduced from Scripture. Faith in the hearer comes in response to a report about Christ, and this report comes through a message proclaimed by one sent.
- Romans 10:17 That is, the faith to call upon the Lord and be saved.
- Romans 10:17 This word means both hearing (the act of hearing) and report (the message heard). It is the same word as ‘report’ in v 16, and is related to ‘hear’ in v 18, and is rendered this way to show the connection to both. An obedient-hearing is in view here.
- Romans 10:17 Or, message. That is, the word of faith (v 8); the report (v 16); the proclamation (v 15).
- Romans 10:17 Or, from, through the word of His messengers.
- Romans 10:18 Paul moves on from describing the content of Israel’s ignorance (v 3-17) to their culpability for it.
- Romans 10:18 Israel cannot claim to have not heard the message, for the message was taken from Israel to the whole world.
- Romans 10:19 Or, understand. The prophets do not leave them this excuse. God told them from the beginning that He would go to the Gentiles and Israel would not believe.
- Romans 10:19 Or, a senseless nation, a foolish nation. The nation that knows God and has His word and is trained in spiritual matters will be angered by ones with no such expertise.
- Romans 10:20 Or, known.
- Romans 10:21 That is, in an imploring, pleading gesture.
- Romans 10:21 This word means ‘refusing to believe’.
- Romans 10:21 Or, speaking-against, opposing.
Romans 10
New English Translation
10 Brothers and sisters,[a] my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites[b] is for their salvation. 2 For I can testify that they are zealous for God,[c] but their zeal is not in line with the truth.[d] 3 For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law, with the result that there is righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is by the law: “The one who does these things will live by them.”[e] 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart,[f] ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[g] (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 or “Who will descend into the abyss?”[h] (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”[i] (that is, the word of faith that we preach), 9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord[j] and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness[k] and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.[l] 11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”[m] 12 For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.[n]
14 How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them?[o] 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely[p] is the arrival[q] of those who proclaim the good news.”[r] 16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”[s] 17 Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word[t] of Christ.[u]
18 But I ask, have they[v] not heard?[w] Yes, they have:[x] Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.[y] 19 But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand?[z] First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger.”[aa] 20 And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me.”[ab] 21 But about Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!”[ac]
Footnotes
- Romans 10:1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
- Romans 10:1 tn Grk “on behalf of them”; the referent (Paul’s fellow Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Romans 10:2 tn Grk “they have a zeal for God.”
- Romans 10:2 tn Grk “in accord with knowledge.” sn Their zeal is not in line with the truth means that the Jews’ passion for God was strong, but it ignored the true righteousness of God (v. 3; cf. also 3:21).
- Romans 10:5 sn A quotation from Lev 18:5.
- Romans 10:6 sn A quotation from Deut 9:4.
- Romans 10:6 sn A quotation from Deut 30:12.
- Romans 10:7 sn A quotation from Deut 30:13.
- Romans 10:8 sn A quotation from Deut 30:14.
- Romans 10:9 tn Or “the Lord.” The Greek construction, along with the quotation from Joel 2:32 in v. 13 (in which the same “Lord” seems to be in view) suggests that κύριον (kurion) is to be taken as “the Lord,” that is, Yahweh. Cf. D. B. Wallace, “The Semantics and Exegetical Significance of the Object-Complement Construction in the New Testament,” GTJ 6 (1985): 91-112.
- Romans 10:10 tn Grk “believes to righteousness.”
- Romans 10:10 tn Grk “confesses to salvation.”
- Romans 10:11 sn A quotation from Isa 28:16.
- Romans 10:13 sn A quotation from Joel 2:32.
- Romans 10:14 tn Grk “preaching”; the words “to them” are supplied for clarification.
- Romans 10:15 tn The word in this context seems to mean “coming at the right or opportune time” (see BDAG 1103 s.v. ὡραῖος 1); it may also mean “beautiful, attractive, welcome.”
- Romans 10:15 tn Grk “the feet.” The metaphorical nuance of “beautiful feet” is that such represent timely news.
- Romans 10:15 sn A quotation from Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15.
- Romans 10:16 sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.
- Romans 10:17 tn The Greek term here is ῥῆμα (rhēma), which often (but not exclusively) focuses on the spoken word.
- Romans 10:17 tc Most mss (א1 A D1 Ψ 33 1175 1241 1505 1881 2464 M sy) have θεοῦ (theou) here rather than Χριστοῦ (Christou; found in א* B C D* 6 81 629 1506 1739 lat co). Although the Nestle-Aland apparatus includes P46vid for this reading, more recent photographs by CSNTM reveal it to be κυρίου (“Lord”), a singular reading. External evidence strongly favors the reading “Christ” here. Internal evidence is also on its side, for the expression ῥῆμα Χριστοῦ (rhēma Christou) occurs nowhere else in the NT; thus scribes would be prone to change it to a known expression.tn The genitive could be understood as either subjective (“Christ does the speaking”) or objective (“Christ is spoken about”), but the latter is more likely here.
- Romans 10:18 tn That is, Israel (see the following verse).
- Romans 10:18 tn Grk “they have not ‘not heard,’ have they?” This question is difficult to render in English. The basic question is a negative sentence (“Have they not heard?”), but it is preceded by the particle μή (mē) which expects a negative response. The end result in English is a double negative (“They have not ‘not heard,’ have they?”). This has been changed to a positive question in the translation for clarity. See BDAG 646 s.v. μή 3.a.; D. Moo, Romans (NICNT), 666, fn. 32; and C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans (ICC), 537, for discussion.
- Romans 10:18 tn Here the particle μενοῦνγε (menounge) is correcting the negative response expected by the particle μή (mē) in the preceding question. Since the question has been translated positively, the translation was changed here to reflect that rendering.
- Romans 10:18 sn A quotation from Ps 19:4.
- Romans 10:19 tn Grk “Israel did not ‘not know,’ did he?” The double negative in Greek has been translated as a positive affirmation for clarity (see v. 18 above for a similar situation).
- Romans 10:19 sn A quotation from Deut 32:21.
- Romans 10:20 sn A quotation from Isa 65:1.
- Romans 10:21 sn A quotation from Isa 65:2.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
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