Session 4.25: June 19, 2026
Study session scripture: Romans 9:30-10:13
What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness[d] did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Brothers,my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 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 proclaim); 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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Study session topics:
Israel's Rejection of God's Promises
Israel's Unbelief (9:30-10:4)
As with last time, we begin with "What shall we say then?"
Points back to Paul's discussion of God's promises to Israel
What follows is Paul's summation of what he laid out in Ch. 9
Paul lays out a grand irony between the Jews and Gentiles:
Gentiles, on the whole, neither possessed nor pursued God's law, but they have been given an opportunity to receive God's righteousness by faith
Jews, on the whole, possessed and pursued God's law for generations, yet that pursuit has not yielded the righteousness that leads to life
Why did Israel fail to obtain righteousness through the law?
They failed to use the law for its intended purpose: as a mirror to reveal their wickedness and point to a savior
Instead, they attempted to use the law to increase their own righteousness
As a result, they stumbled over the purpose of the Messiah and His teachings
Paul diagnoses the issue of the Jews as being zealous for God, but being wrong about what God requires -If the Jews understood the law and its purpose rightly, they would look to Christ, "the end of the law for righteousness." What does "end" mean?
Fulfillment -Culmination -Termination
God's Message of Salvation to All (10:5-13)
Paul again contrasts righteousness based on the law with righteousness based on faith
He quotes Leviticus 18:5, a verse he also uses in a similar way in Galatians 3:10-14
The way of the law and the way of faith are mutually exclusive
Using several Old Testament references, Paul lays out 3 different types of religion:
The religion of the law (10:5)
This is the religion of legalism, which Paul refuted in Ch. 7
No one can perfectly keep the law all their life
The law was never meant to be a means of salvation
The religion of signs (10:6-7)
Here Paul references Deuteronomy 30:11-14 and recontextualizes it to refer to Christ's work, laying out several different meanings for Israel and Christians:
Neither Israel nor Christians need any further word from God
Neither Israel nor Christians need to do anything to bring the Messiah to them
Neither Israel nor Christians should look for miracles
The religion of faith (10:8-10) -This is a religion of belief and confession
Belief: not mere intellectual assent, but trust, resting your hope for the future on Christ's work -Confession: several elements here
"Jesus is Lord"--placing oneself under the kingship of Christ
Confession with one's mouth is done before others--publicly identifying oneself with Christ
Confession with one's mouth is how we share our faith with others
Paul ties this passage back into his greater point on Israel's unbelief and rejection of God's promises
"Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame" refers back to 9:38 where Paul assembles several quotes from Isaiah, all of which refer to the Messiah and come together to show both the promise of salvation and Israel's rejection of it
Paul continues to hammer downs the walls between Jew and Gentile by restating what he said in 3:29-30 and universalizing Joel 2:32
Study session audio: