Romans 10:5-8

[Soyeong]

What was the point that Paul was making in Romans 10:5-8 by referencing Deuteronomy 30:11-20 as the word of faith that we proclaim? How is his point relevant to how we should understand the surrounding verses of Romans 9:30-10:4 and Romans 10:9-21?

 

[Eleanor]

What was the point that Paul was making in Romans 10:5-8 by referencing Deuteronomy 30:11-20 as the word of faith that we proclaim? How is his point relevant to how we should understand the surrounding verses of Romans 9:30-10:4 and Romans 10:9-21?

Ro 10:5-8: "The man who does these things will live by them" (Lev 18:5), rather than die by disobedience of them (Lev 20).

Dt 30:11-20: "Now what I am commanding you to do is not too difficult for (not hidden from) you or beyond your reach." (Dt 30:11).

In chps 9-11 on the rejection of Israel, Paul digresses in chp 10 to explain the nature of righteousness by faith (the reason for Israel's rejection, Ro 9:30-33), wherein he uses Dt 30:13-14 to explain that faith does not require heroic feats such as bringing Christ down from heaven, or up from the grave. While Dt 30:12-13 in its original context applies to the law, Paul here applies the basic principle to Christ. "The word" in the Dt passage refers to God's word as found in the law. Paul takes the passage and applies it to the gospel, "the word of faith"--the main point being the accessibility of the gospel. Righteousness is gained by faith, not by deeds, and is readily available to anyone who will receive it freely from God through Christ.

 

[Soyeong]

Ro 10:5-8: "The man who does these things will live by them" (Lev 18:5), rather than die by disobedience of them (Lev 20).

Dt 30:11-20: "Now what I am commanding you to do is not too difficult for (not hidden from) you or beyond your reach." (Dt 30:11).

In chps 9-11 on the rejection of Israel, Paul digresses in chp 10 to explain the nature of righteousness by faith (the reason for Israel's rejection, Ro 9:30-33), wherein he uses Dt 30:13-14 to explain that faith does not require heroic feats such as bringing Christ down from heaven, or up from the grave. While Dt 30:12-13 in its original context applies to the law, Paul here applies the basic principle to Christ. "The word" in the Dt passage refers to God's word as found in the law. Paul takes the passage and applies it to the gospel, "the word of faith"--the main point being the accessibility of the gospel. Righteousness is gained by faith, not by deeds, and is readily available to anyone who will receive it freely from God through Christ.

Knowing God and Jesus is the goal of the law (Exodus 33:13, Matthew 7:23), which is eternal life (John 17:3). In Romans 9:30-10:4, the Israelites had a zeal for God, but it was not based on knowing Him, so they misunderstood the goal of the law by pursuing it as through righteousness were the result of their works in order to establish their own instead of pursuing the law as through righteousness were by faith, for knowing Christ is the goal of the law for righteousness for evreryone who has faith.

The point on Deuteronomy 30:11-20 is that God's law is something that we can do and obedience to it brings life while disobedience brings death and a curse, so choose life! This is in accordance with Jesus saying that obedience it brings eternal life (Matthew 19:17, Luke 10:25-28), and this what that faith refers to as the world of faith that we proclaim. I don't see any to think that the word of faith that we proclaim in Romans 10:8 is different, especially when Deuteronomy 30:11-20 is in accordance with the Gospel that Jesus taught in Matthew 4:15-23.

 

[EarlyActs]

What was the point that Paul was making in Romans 10:5-8 by referencing Deuteronomy 30:11-20 as the word of faith that we proclaim? How is his point relevant to how we should understand the surrounding verses of Romans 9:30-10:4 and Romans 10:9-21?

The Dt 30 is drawing upon the beliefs of Bab-El that lurk in the background of the OT. Because faith in God's supplied salvation is always the Biblical message, there is no need to have someone bring Christ down or to get Christ back from death. It was already planned and underway. Ps 16 says the raising of Christ from the dead is due to His righteousness.

 

[CherubRam]

What was the point that Paul was making in Romans 10:5-8 by referencing Deuteronomy 30:11-20 as the word of faith that we proclaim? How is his point relevant to how we should understand the surrounding verses of Romans 9:30-10:4 and Romans 10:9-21?

Romans 10:15 is about having faith in Yahwah, and to love Yahwah by keeping His commands.

Christ mission was to reconcile mankind to Yahwah through the New Covenant.

Deut 30
13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.
16 For I command you today to love (the Lord / Yahwah) your (God of the living ones,) to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase,

 

[CherubRam]

The Dt 30 is drawing upon the beliefs of Bab-El that lurk in the background of the OT. Because faith in God's supplied salvation is always the Biblical message, there is no need to have someone bring Christ down or to get Christ back from death. It was already planned and underway. Ps 16 says the raising of Christ from the dead is due to His righteousness.

The words in brackets means that someone added it to scriptures.
Romans 10
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person 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 deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

See:
Deut 30
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”

 

[EarlyActs]

The words in brackets means that someone added it to scriptures.
Romans 10
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person 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 deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

See:
Deut 30
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”

In the Sumerian Enuma Elish, it says paradise was at the bottom of the deep, and this was redemptively important because of the similar 'tree of life' down there. Would Gilgamesh go down and save his people? So the Deut 30 lines were addressing lots of pagan myths and beliefs.

 

[CherubRam]

In the Sumerian Enuma Elish, it says paradise was at the bottom of the deep, and this was redemptively important because of the similar 'tree of life' down there. Would Gilgamesh go down and save his people? So the Deut 30 lines were addressing lots of pagan myths and beliefs.

​

Sumerian Enuma Elish

A Babylonian Pagan account of creation.​

Deut 30 is not Pagan.

 

[EarlyActs]

​

Sumerian Enuma Elish

A Babylonian Pagan account of creation.​

Deut 30 is not Pagan.

And so?

Deut 30 was written to show Israel's believers why they did not need to follow the deception of the myth. For the same reason, believers in Paul's time did not need what Judaism offered. There were parallels to pagan worship, as seen in Gal 4:6-8.

 

[EarlyActs]

The words in brackets means that someone added it to scriptures.
Romans 10
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person 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 deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

See:
Deut 30
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”

Technically this is not true. There are other places where there are clarification remarks. In a textual sense, there would be a note, for ex., in the UBS Greek NT and the manuscript sources. It's just Paul commenting on the text. Cp. Gal 3:15 'your Seed' (that is, one person...)

 

[EarlyActs]

In the Sumerian Enuma Elish, it says paradise was at the bottom of the deep, and this was redemptively important because of the similar 'tree of life' down there. Would Gilgamesh go down and save his people? So the Deut 30 lines were addressing lots of pagan myths and beliefs.

btw, in the EE paradise was at the bottom after evil arrived and the world was disrupted by the flood.