3 for not knowing the righteousness of God, and their own righteousness seeking to establish, to the righteousness of God they did not submit. 4 For Christ is an end of law for righteousness to every one who is believing, 5 for Moses doth describe the righteousness that 'is' of the law, that, 'The man who did them shall live in them,' 6 and the righteousness of faith doth thus speak: 'Thou mayest not say in thine heart, Who shall go up to the heaven,' that is, Christ to bring down? 7 or, 'Who shall go down to the abyss,' that is, Christ out of the dead to bring up. 8 But what doth it say? 'Nigh thee is the saying—in thy mouth, and in thy heart:' that is, the saying of the faith, that we preach; 9 that if thou mayest confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and mayest believe in thy heart that God did raise him out of the dead, thou shalt be saved, 10 for with the heart doth 'one' believe to righteousness, and with the mouth is confession made to salvation; 11 for the Writing saith, 'Every one who is believing on him shall not be ashamed,'
12 for there is no difference between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord of all 'is' rich to all those calling upon Him, 13 for every one—whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, he shall be saved.' 14 How then shall they call upon 'him' in whom they did not believe? and how shall they believe 'on him' of whom they did not hear? and how shall they hear apart from one preaching? 15 and how shall they preach, if they may not be sent? according as it hath been written, 'How beautiful the feet of those proclaiming good tidings of peace, of those proclaiming good tidings of the good things!' 16 But they were not all obedient to the good tidings, for Isaiah saith, 'Lord, who did give credence to our report?' 17 so then the faith 'is' by a report, and the report through a saying of God, 18 but I say, Did they not hear? yes, indeed—'to all the earth their voice went forth, and to the ends of the habitable world their sayings.'
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.