Saved: A Survey of Romans 9:30 – 10:21

Author’s note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series about the book of Romans. To see other Romans resources, click here.

Israel’s unbelief causes Paul deep grief and raises a serious theological question: how can God remain faithful to his promises when his chosen nation is apostate? In Romans 9, Paul began addressing this issue by emphasizing God’s sovereignty in election and faith. He argued that unbelieving Jews were never part of God’s saving plan and that God has the sovereign right to choose people for His purposes. Now, Paul approaches the issue from another perspective—human responsibility. Israel’s unbelief is not only within God’s sovereign plan, just as Scripture itself foretold, but also a matter for which they are accountable.

Israel’s Misguided Pursuit (9:30 – 10:4)

Recognizing that only a remnant of Israel is being saved while Gentiles are streaming into the church in great numbers, Paul explains that this difference stems from the distinct paths they followed. Gentiles attained righteousness, even though they were not actively seeking it. Their culture did not value being “right with God” in the Old Testament sense, yet they obtained righteousness through faith. Faith—this is the crucial word in the entire passage.

Israel placed a high value on righteousness, and to obtain it, they pursued the law. In this, they were right—the law does indeed lead to righteousness. Israel’s problem, however, was that they pursued the law in the wrong way. Instead of seeing the law as a diagnostic tool pointing to their need for a Savior (as Paul has already shown), they treated it as a checklist of commandments to obey perfectly, believing this would earn them righteousness. Their pursuit, therefore, was without faith.

Because of this, “they have stumbled over the stumbling stone.” In other words, the Messiah—who was meant to be the pinnacle and fulfillment of their faith—has become the very one over whom they stumble, leading to their downfall. Paul cites Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16 to show that the Messiah is both a cause of “stumbling” and “offense” to those who reject him, yet a source of vindication—“not be put to shame”—for those who believe in him.

Paul again expresses his deep longing for Israel’s salvation before contrasting the two paths to righteousness. Israel has great zeal for God, yet they have chosen the wrong path.

The true path is “the righteousness of God”—a phrase that here clearly refers to the righteousness that God Himself gives as a gift. But Israel refused to submit to it, choosing instead their own way down the other path.

This other path is to “establish their own” righteousness—to try to create it through works. The Jews have followed this path by striving to obey the law. Yet they have missed its true purpose, for “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.” In other words, the goal—the intended outcome—of the law is to point to Christ, revealing humanity’s need for the Messiah so that people might place their faith in him. Israel missed this purpose. They truly have missed the forest for the trees.

Two Paths to Righteousness (10:5-13)

Paul now explores more deeply the two paths to righteousness, drawing on Old Testament Scripture to illustrate them. His purpose in these verses is to show that the law ultimately points to Christ, thus confirming his assertion in verse 4.

In verse 5, Paul presents the path that Israel has pursued—righteousness based on the law—and he quotes Leviticus 18:5. Moses teaches that anyone seeking to obey the law must keep it entirely. In other words, righteousness through the law requires perfect obedience. This is the path Israel has followed, yet they have inevitably failed. No one can keep the law perfectly. Now, obedience to the law must be complete. Because this path demands perfection, it is ultimately unattainable.

The other path to righteousness is through God’s gift, which makes it attainable. By quoting Moses, Paul emphasizes that this was the law’s true purpose all along: to provide a simple, accessible way to righteousness by pointing people to God’s gift. The passages he cites—Deuteronomy 9:4 and 30:12-14—are among the most challenging Old Testament references in Romans to interpret. Yet the main point is clear: the path to God’s righteousness is not difficult. All that is required is simple faith and a confession of the truth about the Messiah.

To understand this citation, several points are key. First, the primary purpose of the law is not flawless human obedience, but the promise of a coming Messiah. This is not merely Paul’s interpretation; a careful reading of Moses shows that this was indeed his focus. 

Second, Moses assumes that the law is difficult to keep and will be broken. This is evident in Deuteronomy 30, where he prophesies that the people will fail in their attempts to keep the law and ultimately reject it. Therefore, whatever Moses says should be understood in contrast to righteousness achieved through perfect law-keeping. Third, Moses predicts a time when Israel will fulfill the law’s purpose, because they will possess circumcised hearts.

Now we come to the quotation. “Do not say in your heart”—that is, do not deceive yourself into thinking that obtaining the righteousness being offered is difficult—“Who will ascend into heaven…or who will descend into the abyss?” Moses’ point is that the path to righteousness, rooted in the heart of the Torah, is not so complicated that it requires a supernatural messenger from heaven or an overseas missionary from across the sea to explain its steps. 

For Jewish readers, the “abyss” is closely associated with the sea, and can refer either to the ocean or the underworld. Paul emphasizes that, by taking on flesh and rising from the dead, God has made the gift of righteousness accessible to us. There is no need for further incarnations or resurrections. God’s gift is personal and close at hand. Thus, the path to righteousness—whether anticipated by Moses in the Old Testament or personified by Christ in the New Testament—is not difficult to obtain and does not demand complicated exegesis or extraordinary effort.

Indeed, Moses writes, “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” He does so with the understanding that observant Jews who meditate on the Torah will have already internalized its message of salvation in their hearts, and will express it through their words. If they grasp the Torah’s main point they possess everything needed for salvation. Paul emphasizes that this principle still holds today: just as in Old Testament times, salvation requires only that the word be received into the heart through faith and confessed with the mouth. The “word” is the message of Jesus—what the Torah pointed toward and what is fully revealed and personified in Jesus.

Verses 9-10 amplify what has been said: verse 9 offers further explanation of the text, while verse 10 reveals the logical sequence—faith in the heart naturally leads to confession with the mouth.

Verse 11 reinforces this truth: salvation comes through faith, so everyone who believes will be saved. The quotation from Isaiah 28:16 again underscores that the Old Testament points to faith as the true means of salvation, not adherence to the law.

Verse 12 draws out an implication: the gift of righteousness that brings salvation is available to everyone—not only to Jews, but also to Gentiles. This explains how the Gentiles have come to obtain righteousness. In verse 13, Paul supports this truth with another quotation, this time from Joel 2:32, which speaks of the latter days when salvation would be offered to all who call on the name of the Lord.

The Simple Path to Salvation Rejected (10:14-17)

In verses 14-17, Paul applies his teaching to his audience, while showing that the crucial element Israel lacks is faith. He presents a sequence—a ‘chain’—that connects people to salvation. Although Paul traces this chain in reverse, the logical order unfolds as follows:

Sending → Proclamation → Hearing → Belief → Obedient Response (calling on the name of the Lord)

So, people ultimately need just one thing—the message—and they must receive it by faith. Paul’s rhetorical questions drive this point home, challenging his readers to take responsibility for their part in spreading that message. To stir them to action, he quotes Isaiah 52:7, which celebrates the beautiful character of those who proclaim the good news of God’s salvation.

Verse 16 brings Israel’s fault into focus: “they have not all obeyed the gospel.” The final step in the chain—an obedient response—is missing. But where did this breakdown occur? Paul traces it back to the previous step: belief. Quoting Isaiah 53:1, he shows that Israel has indeed heard the message, but few have responded in faith.

Finally, Paul restates the essential elements of the chain: Proclamation (the “word of Christ,” or the gospel message) → Hearing → Belief (faith). In emphasizing faith within this sequence, Paul again identifies Israel’s core issue—their general lack of faith in response to the message.

Israel’s Guilt Proved (10:18-21)

Next, Paul anticipates an imaginary detractor. We are not told who might raise this objection—it could be Jewish Christians seeking to defend Israel, or more likely, unbelieving Jews challenging Paul’s claim that his gospel aligns with the Torah (this second group is more likely). The first objection, found in verse 18, is essentially this: “But Israel hasn’t heard this message!” The argument suggests that while Gentiles have heard a clear gospel presentation and are responding in faith, Israel has not, because the Torah they possess does not plainly present the gospel message Paul proclaims.

Paul responds to this objection by quoting from Psalm 19. This is another challenging Old Testament reference, since Psalm 19 is not directly about “the word of Christ,” but rather about the general revelation of God through creation—the knowledge of the Creator made known throughout the world.. Why Paul applies these words to special revelation is uncertain. The most plausible explanation is that he is not using the psalm as proof, but rather adopting its language to express his own conviction: Israel has heard. In other words, Paul borrows the familiar words of Scripture to affirm that the message of God has indeed gone out to them.

Why does Paul counter this objection by declaring  that God’s truth about Christ has gone out to all the earth? Because he views the gospel as already advancing across the world (cf. Colossians 1:6). Though not every Jew or Gentile has personally heard the message, its widespread proclamation demonstrates that it is no hidden or exclusive truth. Therefore, Israel cannot argue that the gospel is a secluded message known only to a few.

The second objection, found in verse 19, claims that Israel did not understand. Perhaps they have heard about the Messiah, but the message seems too complex for them to grasp. Paul responds by citing Moses in Deuteronomy 32:21, where Moses prophesies about a future time when Gentiles will turn to the coming Messiah. Paul’s point is clear: if Gentiles—without formal theological training—are flocking to the message, then it cannot be so difficult that Israel is unable to comprehend it.

Paul reinforces his point by quoting Isaiah 65:1. The prophet’s words are strikingly “bold,”  stating something that might seem controversial, yet he presents it plainly. Here again, it is the Gentiles—those without formal theological training—who find God, so Israel cannot claim that the message is too confusing for them to understand.

All of this demonstrates conclusively that Israel is guilty of rejecting God’s message. They are “a disobedient and contrary people,” as Isaiah declares in 65:2. Through this extended discussion of the two paths to righteousness and Israel’s fundamental lack of faith, Paul has proven his point beyond dispute.

All of this fits within the broader context of Romans 9-11, emphasizing God’s faithfulness. God cannot be accused of breaking His covenant promises to Israel, because: (1) He never made those promises to every ethnic Jew, but only to those who were chosen (chapter 9); and (2) Israel—not God—is responsible for their own unbelief and refusal to receive the word that was clearly proclaimed to them (chapter 10).

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