Romans 10:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

NIV: Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

NASB: For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

CSB: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes,

NLT: For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

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

NKJV: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Paul has shown throughout Romans that the law cannot save anyone. Nobody can keep the law. He wrote in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory, even those who try to follow the law.

Now Paul shows that the law was not meant to stand on its own forever. It always pointed forward to Jesus Christ. As Paul puts it, Christ was always intended to be "the end of the law." He kept it perfectly and fulfilled its righteous requirements once and for all.

Now Christ's righteousness is available to everyone who believes in Him. This is an idea explored in greater detail in the book of Hebrews. There, the writer—possibly Paul himself—explains exactly how God had always intended to bring a new covenant. That covenant was established by Christ, and in Christ, and was meant to end man's dependence on rituals and animal sacrifices (Hebrews 8).

Romans 10:1–4 describes Paul's honest desire and prayer for the people of Israel to be saved through faith in Christ. He acknowledges their enthusiasm for God, but that cannot overcome their ignorance about how to reach God's righteousness. It is not through keeping the law; that's impossible. It is through Christ alone that anyone can receive the righteousness of God.

Paul's heart is broken for his people, Israel. He prays they will be saved through faith in Christ. Their enthusiasm for God is made useless by their attempt to be made righteous by their own law-keeping instead of by faith in Christ. What, then, is required to be saved? One must confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead. The same is true for both Jews and Gentiles. God waits patiently for Israel to turn and believe.

Romans 9 concluded with Paul's declaration that Israel has stumbled over the stumbling stone of Christ. Romans 10 describes Paul's heartfelt prayer that Israel would be saved, despite her commitment to saving herself through works. Why have the Israelites not confessed the Lordship of Jesus and believed in the resurrection? It's not for lack of hearing and understanding; they are disobeying the gospel. Paul will insist, though, in the following chapter, that God has not rejected Israel. He still holds out His hands to her, offering salvation through faith in Christ.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

Accessed 5/7/2024 6:56:05 AM