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BOOK 45 OF 66 · PAULINE EPISTLES · KING JAMES BIBLE

Romans 10

Romans book home•Chapter 10 of 16•21 verses
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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Romans 10 Overview

Paul’s heart’s desire and prayer is that Israel might be saved. He acknowledges their zeal but says it is not according to knowledge because they seek to establish their own righteousness instead of submitting to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. The righteousness of faith centers on the risen Lord and the word of faith; believing in the heart is unto righteousness, and Scripture promises that whoever believes on Him will not be ashamed. Paul then explains the necessity of preaching so people may hear and believe.

RomansBook
10Chapter
21Verses
Pauline EpistlesDivision

Before you read Romans 10

Coming from

Paul expresses deep sorrow for unbelieving Israelites despite their extraordinary covenant privileges. He argues that God’s word has not failed, because the line of promise has always been governed by God’s sovereign choice—Isaac rather than Ishmael, Jacob rather than Esau. He defends God’s freedom to show mercy and harden within His redemptive purpose, uses potter-and-clay imagery, and closes by explaining Israel’s stumbling: Gentiles attained righteousness by faith, while Israel pursued a law of righteousness as though it were by works and stumbled at Christ.

In this chapter

Romans 9 ended by identifying Israel’s stumbling as pursuit of righteousness by works rather than faith in Christ. Romans 10 explains that contrast directly.

Leads into

Romans 11 asks whether God has cast away Israel and answers with a remnant, Gentile grafting, warnings against pride, and a future mercy that displays God’s faithfulness.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Romans 10:9–13 must be read as part of Paul’s faith-centered argument, not used to make mouth-prayer a separate saving work. Verse 10 explicitly says ‘with the heart man believeth unto righteousness,’ and verse 11 again promises whoever believes on Him will not be ashamed.

Calling on the Lord flows from belief: verse 14 asks, ‘how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?’ This sequence supports the distinction between believing as the saving condition and calling as faith’s expression.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Religious zeal cannot replace God’s righteousness

Sincerity does not justify when it rejects the righteousness God provides in Christ.

Christ answers the law-righteousness quest

He is the end/goal of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Righteousness is connected with heart-belief

Paul states the receiving response directly.

The gospel is universally available

There is no Jew-Gentile distinction in the Lord’s riches toward those who call from faith.

Preaching matters because hearing serves belief

The missionary chain moves sending to preaching to hearing to believing/calling.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Deuteronomy 30:11–14

Paul adapts Moses’ “word near thee” language to the word of faith centered on Christ.

Isaiah 28:16

The promise that the believer will not be ashamed is repeated from the stumbling-stone context.

Joel 2:32

Paul quotes “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Acts 16:30–31

The jailer’s direct question receives the concise answer “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

John 3:16–18

Jesus likewise connects eternal life and escape from condemnation with belief in Him.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not make saying a prayer or verbal formula an additional condition for eternal life

Paul explicitly locates righteousness in heart-belief and says calling presupposes belief.

Do not interpret “confess with thy mouth” in isolation from persecution, public allegiance, and the surrounding faith-language

The passage joins inward belief and outward identification with the risen Lord.

Do not teach that zeal or law-keeping can establish saving righteousness

Paul says this was Israel’s error.

Do not use “faith cometh by hearing” to deny that people can read the gospel and believe

The point is reception of Christ’s word, with preaching as the normal missionary means.

Read Romans 10 watching for…

Paul’s prayer for Israel’s salvation.

The contrast between God’s righteousness and self-established righteousness.

The phrase ‘to every one that believeth.’

Heart belief and mouth confession.

The order in verse 14: belief before calling.

The chain from sending to preaching to hearing to faith.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline3 sections
1-4Paul desires Israel’s salvation and says Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes5-13The righteousness of faith centers on confessing Jesus as Lord and believing God raised him from the dead14-21Faith comes by hearing the word of God, and Israel has heard but resisted God’s outstretched hands
1

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

2

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

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.

4

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

5

For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

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:)

7

Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

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;

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.

10

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

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.

13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

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?

15

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!

16

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

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.

19

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.

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.

21

But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.