Romans 10:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);

NIV: But what does it say? 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:

NASB: 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,

CSB: On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim:

NLT: In fact, it says, 'The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.' And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:

KJV: 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;

NKJV: 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 preach):

Paul concludes his quote of Deuteronomy 30:11–14 with this verse. That passage describes God saying to Israel that they should not deceive themselves into believing that God's commands are hard to understand or obey. They shouldn't ask who will go up to heaven or down to the abyss to get the command for them. They already have God's command in their mouths and hearts. It is near them.

Paul has applied that idea to faith in Christ. The Israel of his day should also not keep looking for the Messiah or expecting knowledge of Christ to suddenly come down or come up to them. The Messiah has already come in the person and body of Jesus. He has already been near to them. Faith in Christ is still right next to the people of Israel, ready to be believed in their hearts and spoken with their mouths. They don't have to wait. They can believe right now and be declared righteous by God, given credit for Jesus' righteous life and forgiven for their sin by the payment of Jesus' death on the cross.

Romans 10:5–13 explores how Israel's people have, for the most part, rejected God by refusing to trust in Christ. Instead of waiting for some new truth to fall from heaven, or float up from the abyss, they ought to recognize that truth has already been given. All who confess Christ as Lord, and believe in His resurrection, will be saved. This is true for both Jews and Gentiles.

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 4/29/2024 9:35:14 AM