But the righteousness that is by faith says:
This phrase introduces the concept of righteousness that comes through faith, contrasting it with righteousness based on the law. This righteousness is a key theme in Paul's letters, emphasizing that it is not achieved by human effort but is a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ. This aligns with the teachings in Genesis 15:6, where Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness, setting a precedent for faith-based righteousness.

“Do not say in your heart,
This phrase echoes Deuteronomy 9:4, where Moses warns the Israelites not to attribute their success to their own righteousness. It highlights the internal nature of faith, which is a matter of the heart rather than external actions. The heart, in biblical terms, is the center of one's being, encompassing thoughts, emotions, and will. This internalization of faith is crucial in understanding the personal relationship believers have with God.

‘Who will ascend into heaven?’
This rhetorical question draws from Deuteronomy 30:12, where Moses speaks about the accessibility of God's commandments. In the context of Romans, it underscores the futility of human efforts to reach God through their own means. The imagery of ascending into heaven suggests an impossible task for humans, emphasizing that salvation and righteousness are not achieved by human striving but are gifts from God.

(that is, to bring Christ down)
This parenthetical explanation clarifies the previous phrase, indicating that attempting to ascend to heaven would imply bringing Christ down, which is unnecessary because Christ has already come down to earth. This reflects the incarnation, where Jesus, the Son of God, descended from heaven to become human, fulfilling God's plan of salvation. It underscores the completed work of Christ, making any human effort to reach God redundant. This ties into John 3:13, where Jesus speaks of His heavenly origin and mission.

1. Paul the Apostle
The author of the Book of Romans, Paul is addressing the believers in Rome, explaining the righteousness that comes from faith.

2. Christ
Central to the message of salvation and righteousness by faith, Christ's work is complete and does not require human effort to bring Him down from heaven.

3. Moses
While not directly mentioned in this verse, Paul references Deuteronomy 30:12, where Moses speaks about the law and the word being near, emphasizing faith over works.

4. Heaven
Represents the dwelling place of God, from which Christ descended to accomplish salvation.

5. Israel
The nation to whom the law was given, and whom Paul often addresses in Romans regarding the transition from law to faith.Righteousness by Faith
True righteousness is not achieved by human effort or adherence to the law but through faith in Christ.

The Completeness of Christ's Work
Christ's descent and ascent are complete; believers do not need to perform extraordinary acts to bring Him down or up again.

The Accessibility of Salvation
Salvation is near and accessible to all who believe, not requiring impossible feats or distant journeys.

Avoiding Self-Reliance
Believers should guard against the temptation to rely on their own efforts for salvation, which can lead to pride and self-righteousness.

Faith in the Heart
The emphasis is on the heart's belief, not just outward actions, aligning with the internal transformation that faith brings.(6) But the righteousness.--In opposition to this righteousness of works, so laborious and so impracticable, the Apostle adduces another quotation to show that the righteousness which depends on faith is much easier and simpler.

The original of the quotation has, indeed, a quite different application. It referred to that very law which the Apostle is depreciating. Moses had described the Law as something quite easy and accessible; but history had shown that, especially in the development in which the Law was known to the Apostle, the words were really much more applicable to his doctrine of a righteousness which was based upon faith. He therefore regards them as spoken allegorically and typically with reference to this.

The righteousness which is of faith speaketh.--This faith-righteousness is personified as if it were speaking itself, because the language used is applicable to it.

That is, to bring Christ down from above.--The Apostle adds these interpretations so as to give a specially Christian meaning to the words of Moses. All that these had meant was that the Law was not remote either in one direction or in another. The Apostle in the phrase "ascend into heaven" sees at once an allusion to the ascended Saviour, and he interprets it as if it implied that the Christian must ascend up to Him, or; what comes to the same thing, as if He must be brought down to the Christian. In like manner, when mention is made of descending into the abyss, he sees here an allusion to the descent of Christ into Hades. Again, he repudiates the idea that the Christian is compelled to join Him there in literal bodily presence. A far easier and simpler thing is the faith of the gospel. All the Christian has to do is to listen to it when it is preached, and then to confess his own adhesion to it.

Verses 6-10. - But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart (in the original, It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say), Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down). The parenthesis is St. Paul's own; the original has, after "heaven," and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it? Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead). Again the parenthesis is St. Paul's; and he has substituted "into the deep" (εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον) for " beyond the sea." The original is, Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart (the original adds, that thou mayest do it; and the LXX., after "heart," has, and in thy hands): that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that (or, because) if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. The apostle's purpose in varying from the original is obvious from his interposed comments, and from the application that follows. It seems to be as though he had said, "See how, with a slight alteration, the passage in Deuteronomy becomes an exact description of our Christian doctrine." The most marked alteration is the substitution of "into the deep" for "beyond the sea." The "sea" in the original, to which the term "abyss" is applicable (cf. Job 28:14; Psalm 107:26), may have suggested the word; but St. Paul here evidently means by it the regions of the dead, imagined as subterranean, equivalent to the Hebrew Sheol, and the Greek Ἅδης. For use of the word in this sense, cf. Psalm 71:20 (which may have been present to his mind), Ἐκ τῶν ἀβύσσων τῆς γῆς πάλιν ἀνήγαγές με cf. also Luke 8:31 and Revelation 9:1, 2, 11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1, 3; in which passages ἡ ἄβυσσος seems to denote the penal abode, corresponding to the Greek idea of Tartarus; but the word itself does not contain this idea, which is by no means intimated here. It may be taken to denote Hades, into which Christ "descended." Some commentators suppose the previous expression, "ascend into heaven to bring Christ down," to mean bringing him back to earth from heaven, whither he has ascended now. But the mere fact of its coming first, as well as the general sense of the passage, shows it to refer rather to the Incarnation, and what follows to the Resurrection. These were the two grand stages in the great work of redemption; both were required that "the righteousness which is of faith" might effectually be brought "nigh unto us." The impossible task of effecting either was not required of man; God has done both for us, and we have but to "believe in our hearts," that "the word" of his grace may be nigh us, in our mouth and in our heart, that we may do it. Thus all that was intimated or foreshadowed by that old passage in Deuteronomy is in its fullest sense to us fulfilled. (It may be observed, in passing, that the application to the Incarnation of καταγάγειν, etc., is, if correct, one of the instances of St. Paul's recognition of the Divine pre-existence of our Lord.) In ver. 9 the applicability of the words, "in thy mouth, and in thine heart," to the gospel dispensation is shown; the two expressions, properly understood, denoting all that is required of us. Confession of the Lord Jesus with the mouth must be taken to express generally, not only fearless avowal of the Christian faith, but also consistent life, according to the full meaning of our Lord's words in Matthew 10:32; Mark 8:38; Luke 10:26; Luke 12:8, etc. Confession of the Lord Jesus with the mouth, too, would have a peculiar significance then, when Christians were often so sorely tempted to deny him under persecution (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3). We may observe also how "the mouth" is elsewhere regarded as the index of the heart; as the main bodily organ whereby character is evinced and expressed (cf. Matthew 12:34, 37; Matthew 15:11, etc.). Further, the belief spoken of is belief in the heart - a living operative faith, not intellectual conviction only. Nor is belief that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead to be taken as meaning belief of this one article of the Creed alone; it carries with it belief in the gospel generally, the doctrine of the Resurrection being here, as elsewhere, regarded as the central doctrine on which all the rest depends (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:17; 1 Peter 1:21). "Haec summa Evangelii est. Nam, cum credimus Christum excitatum esse e mortuis, credimus sum pro peccatis satisfecisse, et in coelis regnare, ut nos ad imaginem suam perficiat" (Bucer). In ver. 10, where the offices of the heart and of the mouth are denoted in general terms, the distinction between "unto righteousness" with respect to the one, and "unto salvation" with respect to the other, is significant. By faith alone we are justified; but by confession in actual life, which is the fruit of faith, our salvation is secured.

Parallel Commentaries ...


But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

the
ἡ (hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

righteousness
δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1343: From dikaios; equity; specially justification.

that is by
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

faith
πίστεως (pisteōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4102: Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

says:
λέγει (legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“Do not say
εἴπῃς (eipēs)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

heart,
καρδίᾳ (kardia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2588: Prolonged from a primary kar; the heart, i.e. the thoughts or feelings; also the middle.

‘Who
Τίς (Tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

will ascend
ἀναβήσεται (anabēsetai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 305: To go up, mount, ascend; of things: I rise, spring up, come up. From ana and the base of basis; to go up.

into
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

heaven?’
οὐρανόν (ouranon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.

(that
τοῦτ’ (tout’)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

is,
ἔστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

to bring Christ down
καταγαγεῖν (katagagein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2609: From kata and ago; to lead down; specially, to moor a vessel.

)
Χριστὸν (Christon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.


Romans 10:6 NIV
Romans 10:6 NLT
Romans 10:6 ESV
Romans 10:6 NASB
Romans 10:6 KJV

Romans 10:6 BibleApps.com
Romans 10:6 Biblia Paralela
Romans 10:6 Chinese Bible
Romans 10:6 French Bible
Romans 10:6 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: Romans 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith (Rom. Ro)