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Romans

About this book
Chapter 10

1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites is for their salvation. 2 For I can testify that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not in line with the truth. 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.”⁠ 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”⁠ (that is, to bring Christ down)⁠ 7 or “Who will descend into the abyss?”⁠ (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” (that is, the word of faith that we preach), 9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord 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 and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. 11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 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.⁠ 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? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.” 16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ. 18 But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. 19 But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? 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.” 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.” 21 But about Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!”⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Deuteronomy 30:12 and Romans 10:6

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

Romans reshapes Deuteronomy’s language that the Torah is not far away or out of reach. In Deuteronomy, this means the people can already obey it, and Paul uses it to say that the messiah is already revealed and close to everyone who hears the message.

Passages

Deuteronomy 30:12

Hebrew Bible
10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this scroll of the law. But you must turn to him with your whole mind and being. 11 “This commandment I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it too remote. 12 It is not in heaven, as though one must say, ‘Who will go up to heaven to get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ 13 And it is not across the sea, as though one must say, ‘Who will cross over to the other side of the sea and get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ 14 For the thing is very near you—it is in your mouth and in your mind so that you can do it.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Deuteronomy

Romans 10:6

New Testament
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.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 or “Who will descend into the abyss?” (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” (that is, the word of faith that we preach),
55–58 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Romans

References

"... It is in the exposition of Psalm 68:18 that a horizontal barrier is possibly implied. This is the barrier between “the lower parts of the earth” and the upper world, “far above all the heavens”, which Christ broke when he ascended. But if it is implied, no particular stress is laid on it. On the verb “ascended” in the Psalm the comment is made ... In this exposition the crucial question is whether by “the lower parts of the earth” the earth itself is indicated (as being “lower” in relation to the world above), or the underworld (as being “lower” in relation to the earth). It is not possible to reach complete certainty. Comparison with Romans 10:6, where (in a pesher exegesis of Deuteronomy 30:12–14) ascending into heaven is contrasted with descending into the abyss, suggests the latter interpretation; comparison with John 3:13 (and the Gospel of John has special affinities with the Epistle to the Ephesians) suggests the former, for in John 3:13 the Son of Man’s ascent into heaven is paralleled by his coming down from heaven (that is, to earth) ..."
F. F. Bruce, Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Paternoster, 1977), 493–494.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Deuteronomy 30:12 and Romans 10:6

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