Today’s study will be a right dissection of Romans 10.

Romans 10:1-3

This part is talking to very zealous people who are yet to be saved, they are a people whose zeal is even recognized, yet the apostle Paul prays that they should be saved.

In the modern world, this kind of people will pay all tight, will be serving in church, they'll be a prayerful kind of people, and will always go for evangelism. These people will be the standard that the world calls a good Christian. They might even be teaching the word of God to others.
As Paul just said, they have a recognizable zeal for God. Yet they do all these things without knowledge of the righteousness of God. So despite being the standard of a religious kind of people, they're not enlightened, and so they're not saved.

Israel of this time when Paul wrote was like the pinnacle state for godliness; it's exemplary for religious states. Yet Paul says that they're not a saved people. Why did Paul say this:

It’s because they do not know God's righteousness, so while being ignorant, they establish their own righteousness. When they do this, they won't submit to God's righteousness.

Learning:

To truly understand these people, we need to ask the right question first.

Why was it that they didn't know God's righteousness? They didn't know God's righteousness because they didn't study God's word to know him & his character which is his righteousness. They are a very religious kind of people, which means they obviously read the scriptures a lot yet they are totally blind. Israel is a very traditional state with a rich history so these people who Paul was talking to are blinded the by traditions of their fathers, & their rich history.

In today's world, this kind of people will definitely be called Christians, but they'll be Christians who preach without preaching the righteousness of God. They'll be Christians whose teachings contradict the righteousness of God. These Christians will be part of a very religious state that has a rich history. This means they'll be part of a big church system and will be quick to reference words of dead fathers of that church system when discussing, in fact, they'll be like the Israelites who are quick to reference Abraham and Moses. This kind of Christians will quickly reference past fathers of their church system and ask you if you know better than them when confronted with the truth.

Though they'll be called Christians but are not saved because they're blinded by the traditions and history of their church-state. They’re a people who do not know the righteousness of God and will be rebellious to the righteousness of God because of their church's righteousness.

Romans 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Here's where the whole thing starts to get delicate. This part starts to explain the righteousness of God that was mentioned in Romans 10:3. We can see this because it starts the verse with the word "for" which is a word used to indicate that the statement explains the preceding statement.

This verse is saying that Christ is the end of the law, meaning Christ completes the law. This means the law was incomplete and Christ is what completes it. The law is the beginning, Christ is the end, and the law leads to Christ so the aim of the law was to lead people to the aim of it, which is Christ Jesus.

Therefore, no one should still say "thou shall not kill" when they have seen Christ because "thou shall not kill" is incomplete. It doesn't come with why should we not kill? Looking at Christ gives us the reason for "thou shall not kill". A person who looks at Christ will not just hold on to "thou shall not kill", they'll also understand that they should not attack a person who tries to kill them, they should pray for & forgive those who tried to kill them, etc.

Romans 10:5
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

This part like Romans 10:4 explains the righteousness of God mentioned in Romans 10:3. This part says that the law is for those who do these things. For example, thou shall not kill is a law unto a person who kills. It’s not to someone who does not kill. The law was given to them to stop them from doing what they did, it doesn't mean that they're saved. A person who does not kill is still unsaved just like the one who kills, there's no difference between both of them. The law only prepares a people for Christ. So he who does not kill still needs the righteousness of God in Christ to be saved.

A person who does the things the law talks against should live by the law, but a person who doesn't do these things has no business looking at the law.

Romans 10:6-7
This part like Romans 4 & 5, also further explains the righteousness of God mentioned in Romans 3. it explains what the righteousness of God entails; it's of Faith.

This means we need to first understand the concept of faith to properly understand the righteousness of God. For the righteous will live by faith and the faithful is righteous to God. Faith and righteousness of God are intertwined. It also tells us what faith says, which leads us to the next verse.

Romans 10:8
This part is the continuation of Romans 10:7. it tells us what faith says: the word of God is in your mouth and in your heart.

This means a person who has faith is a person who has the word of God in their mouth and in their heart. Therefore, a person who has the word of God only in their mouth is faithless. To have the word of God in the mouth is to speak the word of God but to have it in the heart is to obey it. Therefore a person who does not obey the word of God is a faithless person. it also ends the verse by telling us that they (the apostles) preach faith, which as explained is to be having the word of God in the mouth and in the heart.

Romans 10:9
This part is Paul explaining what they preached, which is that if anyone confesses Jesus with his mouth and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead, such a person will be saved.

The mysterious thing here is that Paul was explaining why God raised Jesus from the dead. So Romans 10:9 is explaining the whole concept of the righteousness of God and faith which we've been discussing from Romans 3; it’s showing us the link between faith and righteousness, which things we see in Christ.

What do we see in Christ? What was special about him? Why did God raise him from the dead?
The exemplary thing about Jesus was his obedience to the word of God and allowing the plan of God to be made manifest through him. Jesus was a man who since his birth took the word of God seriously and studied hard so he might know the mind of God through his word, and he
obeyed everything that he studied even unto death. This before God is righteous and God raised him from the dead because of this.

Therefore, if anyone believes that God raised Jesus from the dead just by studying and obeying the word of God, they shall be saved. Jesus never gave sacrifice, he never paid any tithe, and he never took anything as an offering to God. All he did was study and obey the word of God. This one reason was why God raised him from the dead. Anyone who believes this shall be saved.

Romans 10:10
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

This part further explains also the whole concept of the righteousness of God mentioned in Romans 10:2 and the Faith mentioned in Romans 10:8, and sheds more light on the link between faith and righteousness.

To better understand this verse, we’ll have to divide it into its component parts.

Part 1
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness

Recall, to believe in the heart means to obey the word of God. Therefore, obedience to the word of is the righteousness of God. This righteousness is a person’s access into the kingdom of God, for the kingdom of God is the kingdom of righteousness.

Part 2
; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

This part is linked to the first part. As pointed out, this whole verse explains the link between the righteousness of God and faith. This part makes it even clearer.

Its starts with a semicolon, which is used to indicate a close link between different parts of a statement. It says confession is made with the mouth unto salvation. This means that whoever confesses with their mouth shall be saved.

The question here is this: what shall they confess? What is confessed unto salvation?
A person must also confess Jesus i.e. admit and acknowledge his way, that it’s the right way. Confession is to make known Christ Jesus by speaking about him and the life he lived. It’s to admit that your way of life was corrupt and that this way that’s seen in Christ Jesus is the right way to live.

The lesson here is that obeying the word of God is righteousness, and speaking about Jesus and his life is faithfulness. A person who obeys the word of God finds it very easy to speak publicly about this Christ Jesus whose way they follow. Such a person is counted righteous and is saved through the testimony of their mouth (Revelation 12:11); which is speaking out about Jesus; to make him known in the world.

Romans 10:11
For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

This part is where Paul starts to explain the meaning of “believe” that he first mentioned in Romans 10:9. He says whoever believes shall not be ashamed. The word “ashamed” is to be guilty as a result of one’s action(s). This part makes a reference to every other part of the scriptures which are all making reference to the beginning when they disobeyed God and were ashamed. Disobedience to the word of God led them to be ashamed but whoever believes shall not be ashamed. This means to believe is to obey the word of God and as many who obey the word of God shall not be ashamed, but as many who disobey shall be ashamed (Psalm 25:3)

Romans 10:12
This part is talking about the universality of the reward for obedience to the word of God and the ability of God to save. Anyone who obeys the word of God shall be saved irrespective of their race or gender. As many who call on him shall be saved

Romans 10:14
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?

This part is explaining Romans 10: 12 – 13; it’s giving step by step explanation of how a person can call on the name of the lord as mentioned in these verses and be saved.

To properly understand this verse, we need to break it into its component parts.

Part 1
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

This part is a question Paul asks. He puts the question in such a way for a person to understand that believing is what gives us the right to call on the Lord. Therefore, a person who doesn’t believe in Christ has no right to call on him. Since we know that believing means obeying the word of God, therefore obedience to the word of God is what gives us the right to call on Jesus. For even Jesus made it clear that obedience is the yardstick for anyone to call him Lord (Luke 6:46-49), and anyone who calls him lord without obeying him is on a futile mission for attention.

In fact, it’s well written in the scriptures that God says he won’t hear those who disobey him, and he won’t recognize them when they call him. Proverbs 1:28, Zechariah 7:13, Isaiah 1:15.

Part 2
and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

This part is another important question Paul asks. It’s the last step in a step-by-step analysis of the cause of believe. It says a person must hear the word of God before they can believe it.

What is the word of God that needs to be heard and believed to give a person have the right to call on Jesus?
The word of God is the totality of his commandments created for a righteous life. The word of God is the commandments that Jesus taught us how to fulfill and instructed us to teach others to observe.

The commandments of Jesus are carried in his gospel. It’s the commandment to live like God and seek the righteousness of God at all costs. Some of these commandments include:

That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. The rest of which are contained in the four gospels. Anyone who hears these commandments of Jesus and obeys them has the right to call on the name of Jesus.

Part 3
and how shall they hear without a preacher?

This is the last question in the verse. Paul indicates here that no one can hear the word of God on their own because all men are originally spiritually deaf and blind. It takes a spiritually enlightened person to teach an unbeliever to obey the word of God and know his righteousness. Paul indicates that the word of a preacher is to make people hear the word of God which are his commandment. The function of a preacher is to show people the righteousness of God that we inherit by living like Christ; for we preach not just by only our mouth, our lives showcases the righteousness of God for others to see and glorify Christ.

Romans 10:15
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!

This part is very important because it’s where Paul starts to describe the character of preachers of the gospel and the nature of the message they carry. This part helps us understand what’s happening in our present world and how we can spot preachers of the gospel of Christ in a world full of false prophets.

To fully understand this verse, we’ll need to break it into its component parts

Part 1
And how shall they preach, except they be sent?

This part is a continuation of the questions Paul had been asking. Paul tells us that the first attribute of the preacher is that he’s a messenger. He’s a person sent by God to teach people his commandment and to show them his righteousness.

Recall, Paul said no one will believe i.e. obey the commandments of Christ unless they hear from a preacher, then he says a preacher must be sent. Therefore, if a person is sent, their preaching will be effective. But if a person is not sent, their preaching will be ineffective and will cause the unbeliever to be more rebellious to the word of God. In fact, Jesus says their preaching will worsen a soul and make the person twice the person of death and destruction than they were before they preached to (Matthew 23:15).

This explains the state of the present world, a world where people are out rightly not Christ-like, and this is because the profanity in the world comes from the mouth of preachers who are not sent (Jeremiah 23:15). Their words create a resistance to the word of God in those who hear them. The level of disbelief in the present world is only a testament to the number of false preachers in the world. At best a false preacher will make false believers, i.e. those who believe in Jesus only with their mouth, yet are disobedient to the commandment of Christ; they’ll make people who have a zeal for God but are ignorant of the righteousness of God as Paul explains at the beginning of this chapter. The false preachers' teaching cannot lead anyone to obey the word of God because they do not preach the righteousness of God. Only preachers sent by God will teach the mind of God. It’s in preaching that believers will replenish the depleted world as ordained the Genesis.

Part 2
as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace

This part explains the nature of the message carried by preachers who are sent by God. Paul says the message preached by these people is peaceful. It’s a message that brings peace to a turbulent heart. It’s a message that brings peace to a warring society. Everything about this message is peace; it brings inward peace to the hearer and makes them act in peace with others, and it’s delivered through peaceful measures.

The implication of this message is that any gospel that doesn’t give peace to the hearer and cause them to act in peace or delivered through peaceful measures is not a message from those sent by God. Most of the religions present in the world propagated their message through war and violence and some still apply violence as a measure to exercise their faith, all these messages are not preached by those sent by God. The implication of this is a very violent society.

The present world is a very violent one. Almost every sphere of the world is deeply rooted in violence. Even the internet space which is supposed to be a safe haven has now become as violent as other spheres of the world. This indicates the shortage of preachers of the gospel of peace. Many ears have not heard the gospel of peace, and this is why many do not even know what the righteousness of God is.

Part 3
, and bring glad tidings of good things!

This part is also talking about the nature of the message which these preach who are sent will carry. It’s a good tiding. It’s going to be good news. It’s going to give step by step process towards a better life for every listening. It’s not a message that brings fear into the minds of listeners, instead, it’s going to bring confidence to every listener and give them a reason to obey the commandment of Christ. People will naturally be repulsive to a message that is not of peace or preaches condemnation instead of good tidings.

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