Romans 10:7-8

Romans 10:7-The Righteousness Based On Faith Does Not Reject The Resurrection

The apostle Paul in Romans 10:7 cites the principle taught in Deuteronomy 30:13 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not reject the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so in the same way he teaches in Romans 10:7 that it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith does not reject the incarnation, so in Romans 10:7, he describes this righteousness as not reject the resurrection as well. Also, in this passage, by way of implication he teaches that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious and is attainable unlike perfect obedience to the Law. Romans 10:6-7, “But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: ‘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).” As we can see in Romans 10:6, Paul teaches that the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ does not reject Christ’s incarnation has taken place. The apostle John makes the same sort of statement. 1 John 4:2-3, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” 2 John 8, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.” Paul in Romans 10:7 continues to describe the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ by employing the “disjunctive” or “alternative” conjunction, that is also called a “particle of separation” e ( h&) (ay), “or .” This word introduces a concept that is related to the previous concept. It introduces a question that is related to the previous question, “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” which is an implicit denial of the incarnation of the Son of God having taken place with the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

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The question being introduced by this particle “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” is an implicit denial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, the word introduces an implicit denial that is similar to the one in verse 6 since both are related to the historicity of the person of Christ. It connects the following quotation from Deuteronomy 30:13 with the previous one from Deuteronomy 30:12 with both being dependent on the prohibition in verse 6, “ Do not think in your heart .” We will translate the word, “ or .” Romans 10:7, “Or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” In Romans 10:6, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 to teach that the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious. Also, in this passage, he quotes from Deuteronomy 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not reject the incarnation by asking the question “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” which is an implicit denial of the incarnation. This question also implies that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly, which he mentions in Romans 10:5. Now, here in Romans 10:7, he quotes from Deuteronomy 30:13 to further emphasize that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly. Deuteronomy 30:11-14, “For this commandment (love the Lord: See Deuteronomy 30:16) which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.” In this second quotation from Deuteronomy 30, there is a significant difference between Paul’s wording and the original quotation. In Deuteronomy 30:13, we have the question “ Who will cross the sea ?” whereas Paul has “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” He does this since “sea” and “abyss” were many times interchangeable concepts in the Old Testament and in Judaism. As Moo points out some Aramaic paraphrases of the Deuteronomy 30:13 passage used the language of the abyss. Moo writes, “In the LXX, a&byssi$ almost always translates sw)hT (tehom ), which usually refers to the deep places of the sea (BDB), but which in later Judaism was also used of the depths of the earth and the place where evil spirits are confined.” (Douglas J. Moo, The New International

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Commentary on the New Testament, The Epistle to the Romans , page 655; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, U.K., 1988) In Psalm 71:20, the noun abussos is used to translate the Hebrew noun tehom , which in this passage, clearly refers to the place of the dead underneath the earth rather than the sea itself. Psalm 71:20, “You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.” Paul clearly employs this use of abussos in Romans 10:7 where it refers to the abode of the death underneath the earth into which Christ descended immediately after His physical death and rose from three days later. This interpretation is indicated by Paul’s statement “ that is, to bring Christ up from the dead ,” which follows the question “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” The “abyss” is a compartment of Hades/Sheol. “Hades ” is the name given in the New Testament for the temporary quarters for the souls of the dead and “Sheol ” is the name given in the Old Testament. This place contains four compartments: (1) Paradise: the place of the departed souls of believers before the resurrection of Christ (Lk. 23:39-43; Eph. 4:8-9) who were transferred to heaven after the resurrection and ascension of Christ (Eph. 4:10). (2) Torments: the temporary fire for the souls of unbelievers from all dispensations (Lk. 16:19-31) who will be transferred to the Great White Throne Judgment that concludes human history and from there will be cast in the Lake of Fire forever (Rev. 20:11-15). (3) Tartarus: the abode of the fallen angels of Genesis 6 who had sex with woman in order to corrupt the human race and prevent the incarnation of the Son of God (1 Peter 3:18-22; 2 Peter 4; Jude 6). (4) The Abyss: the place of imprisonment for the demons who violated certain rules for angelic creation and will be released during the Tribulation (Lk. 8:30-31; Rom. 10:7; Rev. 20:1-3). Prior to the resurrection, ascension and session of the Lord Jesus Christ, Old Testament saints when they died did not go to the third heaven but rather to Paradise. These Old Testament saints such as Abraham ascended with Jesus Christ into heaven as part of our Lord’s triumphal procession as victor in the angelic conflict and were part of the booty from our Lord’s victory that was accomplished through His death and resurrection. Ephesians 4:8, “Therefore it says, ‘WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.’” “He led host a host of captives ” refers to Old Testament saints that were temporarily residing in the second compartment of Hades called Paradise (Lk. 16; 23:43).

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Ephesians 4:9, “(Now this expression, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?” When it says that our Lord descended into to the lower parts of the earth, it refers to His soul entering Hades and releasing Old Testament saints from Paradise and proclaiming His victory at the cross to the unbelievers in Torments and demons in Tartarus. When our Lord died physically, His physical body went to the grave (Luke 23:50-53), His human spirit went to heaven (Luke 23:46; John 19:30) but His human soul went into Paradise a compartment of Hades (Luke 23:43; Acts 2:27; 2:31; Eph. 4:9). Therefore because of this interchangeability between “sea” and “abyss” Paul could easily change the horizontal imagery of crossing the sea in Deuteronomy 30:13 to the vertical imagery of descent into the Hades/Sheol. Also, Paul is not quoting Deuteronomy 30:13 exactly but only the principle taught in Deuteronomy 30:13, which is an impossibility. It is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since this would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. Thus, in Romans 10:7, Paul changes the wording when quoting Deuteronomy 30:13 in order to make an application to Jesus Christ. Just as he used the question “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” as an implicit denial of the incarnation, so he uses the question “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” as an implicit denial of the resurrection. Just as it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. Belief in both the incarnation and resurrection of Christ are essential for salvation. Romans 10:7, “Or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” “Who” is the nominative masculine singular form of the interrogative pronoun tis ( tiv$ ) (tis), which asks a question that demands a negative assertion since the question implies a rejection of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It functions as a “nominative subject” meaning that it is producing the action of the verb anabaino , “WILL ASCEND .” We will translate tis , “ who .” “WILL DESCEND ” is the third person singular future middle indicative form of the verb katabaino ( katabaivnw ) (kat-ab-ah-i-no), which means, “to descend.” The future tense of the verb is a “deliberative future” meaning that it asks a question that implies some doubt about the response. It asks a question that implies some doubt as to who among the Israelite nation would call into question the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The middle voice is a “deponent” middle meaning that the verb has a middle voice form but an active meaning. The active meaning refers to no particular Jew denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ in his heart.

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This is an ‘interrogative” indicative meaning that it is used to ask a question, which expects a negative assertion to be made because the assertion is that the resurrection of the Son of God has not taken place in history. We will translate katabaino , “ will descend .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:7: “Or, ‘Who will descend…?” Romans 10:7, “Or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” “INTO THE ABYSS ” is composed of the preposition eis ( ei)$ ) (ice), “ INTO ” and the articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun abussos ( a&byssi$ ) (ab-us-sos), “ THE ABYSS .” The classical Greek understanding of abussos is as an adjective meaning “bottomless, unfathomed, without limits.” There is no classical understanding of the word as a particular place or region, i.e. the abyss, which only takes place later. Outside of the New Testament it is common as a substantive only in later papyri. The word likely acquired the senses found in the Septuagint and Greek New Testament from the influence of the Akkadian word absu (or apsu ). Similarity in concept and sound may have prompted the Greek speakers in the Hellenistic period to make the equation. Absu could refer to subterranean waters, the ocean or sea, the abode of the dead and demons. All of these senses are found in the Septuagint and New Testament. In the Septuagint, abussos occurs 33 times in canonical material and as noted before almost always translates tehom (sw)hT ). Abussos was used for the ocean depths (Genesis 1:2) and subterranean waters (Deuteronomy 8:7; cf. Genesis 7:11; 8:2). The word was also used for the exceeding “depths” of God’s justice (Psalm 36:6 [LXX 35:6]). As we also noted earlier, it was used in Psalm 71:20 [LXX 70:20] to translate the Hebrew noun tehom , which in this passage, clearly refers to the place of the dead underneath the earth rather than the sea itself. Psalm 71:20, “You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.” Paul clearly employs this use of abussos in Romans 10:7 where it refers to the abode of the death underneath the earth into which Christ descended immediately after His physical death and rose from three days later. This interpretation is indicated by Paul’s statement “ that is, to bring Christ up from the dead ,” which follows the question “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” In Romans 10:7, abussos is the object of the preposition eis is used of place indicating motion into the third heaven. The article preceding the noun abussos indicates that the abode of the dead is “well-known” to Paul’s readers. We will translate the prepositional phrase eis ten abusson , “ into the abyss .”

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Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:7: “Or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” Romans 10:7, “Or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” “That is ” is composed of the nominative neuter singular form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos ( ou!to$ ), “ that ” and the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi ( ei(miv), “ is .” Together, they introduce a statement that clarifies or explains the question, “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” The demonstrative pronoun houtos means “this” and refers to this previous question. The word functions as a “nominative subject” meaning that it is performing the action of the verb eimi . The verb means “to imply” since this question in fact implies that the incarnation has not taken place in history. The present tense is a “gnomic present,” which describes something as true “any” time and “does” take place. Therefore, it indicates that this question “does” imply a denial of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The active voice indicates that demonstrate pronoun houtos as the subject performs the action of the verb of eimi . This indicates that the question “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” that houtos is referring to implies that the resurrection has not taken place. The indicative mood is “declarative” presenting this assertion as an unqualified statement of fact. Therefore, we will translate the expression tout’ estin , “ this does imply .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:7: “Or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ This does imply…” Romans 10:7, “Or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” “To bring up ” is the aorist active infinitive form of the verb anago ( a)navgw ) (an-ago-o), which is composed of the preposition ana , “up” and the verb ago , “to lead,” thus the word literally means, “to lead up.” The word is with reference to Christ and the question “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” It thus refers to “bringing” Christ “up” from the dead implying that the resurrection of Jesus Christ has not yet taken place. There is no need to bring up the object of faith and the source of divine righteousness since the resurrection has taken place. Therefore, the imputation of divine righteousness as a result of exercising faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God is not an impossibility but rather easily attainable by anyone, Jew or Gentile since Christ has been raised from the dead.

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The aorist tense of the verb is “constative” describing in summary fashion the moment no particular Jew denies the resurrection by thinking in his heart, “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” The active voice refers to no particular Jew as the subject bringing Christ up from the dead and denying His resurrection by asking the question in his heart, “Who will descend into the abyss ?” The verb functions as an infinitive of “result” meaning that it indicates the outcome produced by the controlling verb, which in our context is eimi , “ does imply .” Therefore, it is indicating the result or the implication of the question “Who will descend into the abyss ?” We will translate anago , “ bringing up .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:7: “Or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ This does imply bringing up…” Romans 10:7, “Or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” “Christ ” is the accusative masculine singular form of the proper name Christos (xristov$ ), which is a technical word designating the humanity of our Lord as the promised Savior for all mankind who is unique as the incarnate Son of God and totally and completely guided and empowered by the Spirit as the Servant of the Father. The word functions as an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb anago , “ bringing up .” We will translate Christos , “Christ .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:7: “Or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ This does imply bringing Christ up…” Romans 10:7, “Or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” “From the dead ” is composed of the preposition ek ( e)k ), “ from ” and the genitive masculine plural form of the adjective nekros ( nekrov$ ), “ the dead .” The plural form of the adjective nekros , “dead ones” refers to members of the human race who have died physically. The preposition ek denotes separation and the adjective nekros functions as a “genitive of separation” or as some grammarians call an “ablative of separation” in which the genitive substantive is that from which the verb or sometimes the head noun is separated indicating point of departure. Thus, the adjective nekros functions as a “genitive” or “ablative of separation” indicating that the human nature of Jesus Christ was raised “out from” those who are physically dead. We will translate the prepositional phrase ek nekron , “ from the dead ones .” Completed corrected translation of Romans 10:7: “Or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ This does imply bringing Christ up from the dead ones.”

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As we have noted in Romans 10:5, Paul cites Leviticus 18:5 to support his teaching in Romans 10:4 that the purpose of the Law was to lead Israel to faith in Christ. Romans 10:5, “Because Moses writes concerning this particular righteousness, which is based upon obedience to the Law (as constituting a source of justification): ‘The person who obeys them will cause himself to live by means of them.’” The apostle in Romans 10:5 presents the reason why faith in Christ resulting in the imputation of divine righteousness and justification has always been the ultimate purpose of the Law rather than obedience to the Law and to support this he begins to cite a series of Old Testament passages. In Leviticus 18:5, Moses writes concerning the righteousness that is based on obedience to the Law that the Jew who obeys the commandments of the Law perfectly will live by them or in other words, obtain eternal life. Of course, every person born into the world is spiritually dead and possesses a sin nature, making it impossible to render the perfect obedience that the Law requires. Then, in Romans 10:6, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 and 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is non- meritorious and attainable unlike perfect obedience to the Law. Romans 10:6, “However, the righteousness originating from and based on faith speaks in the following manner: ‘Do not think in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ This does imply bringing Christ down.” Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 to teach that the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious since in the context of this passage the Lord emphasizes with Israel that He would bring them into the land of Canaan not on the basis of their own righteousness. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not reject the incarnation by asking the question “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” which is an implicit denial of the incarnation. This question also implies that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly, which he mentions in Romans 10:5. Now, here in Romans 10:7, he does not quote exactly from Deuteronomy 30:13 but rather only the principle taught in this passage to further emphasize that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly. In this passage, Paul cites the principle taught in Deuteronomy 30:13 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not reject the resurrection has taken place in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

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Just as he used the question “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” in Romans 10:6 as an implicit denial of the incarnation, so he uses the question “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” in Romans 10:7 as an implicit denial of the resurrection. Just as it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. Belief in both the incarnation and resurrection of Christ are essential for salvation since if the Son of God did not become a human being, then there is no Savior and if He did not rise from the dead, then He is not God and if He is not God, then He is not the Savior. Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so in the same way he teaches in Romans 10:7 that it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith does not reject the incarnation, so in Romans 10:7, he describes this righteousness does not reject the resurrection as well.

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Romans 10:8-The Righteousness Originating From And Based On Faith Proclaimed By The Christian Is Available And Accessible

By way of review, we have noted the following thus far in our study of Romans chapter ten: First of all, Paul teaches in Romans 10:1 that he desires and prays to the Father for Israel’s salvation. Romans 10:1, “Spiritual brothers, indeed, the desire produced by my own heart and in addition my specific detailed request on behalf of them is always for their deliverance.” Then, in Romans 10:2, he testifies to Israel’s zeal for God, though he says it is not according to an experiential knowledge of Him in the sense that they did not personally encounter God through faith as He is revealed in the person and works of Jesus of Nazareth. Romans 10:2, “Because I testify concerning them that they possess a zeal for God, however by no means according to an experiential knowledge.” Next, the apostle Paul in Romans 10:3 teaches that the reason why unsaved Israel did not have an experiential knowledge of God is that they rejected God’s righteousness, which is offered in the gospel. He also teaches in this passage that because the Jews zealously sought to establish their own righteousness, they never submitted to God’s righteousness, which is offered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Romans 10:3, “Because they have in the past rejected the righteousness originating from God the Father and continue to do so up to the present moment. In fact, because they have in the past zealously sought to establish their own and continue to do so up to the present moment, they never submitted to the righteousness originating from God the Father.” In Romans 10:4, Paul presents the reason for what is implied in Romans 10:3, namely, that the Jews were wrong for not submitting to God’s righteousness because they zealously sought to establish their own righteousness. They were wrong “because” faith in Christ is the goal or purpose of the Mosaic Law resulting in the imputation of divine righteousness to everyone who believes in Christ as Savior. Romans 10:4, “Because (faith in) Christ is, as an eternal spiritual truth, the purpose of the Law resulting in righteousness for the benefit of each and every member of the human race to those who at any time do exercise absolute confidence (in Christ).” Then, in Romans 10:5, Paul cites Leviticus 18:5 to support his teaching in Romans 10:4 that the purpose of the Law was to lead Israel to faith in Christ. Romans 10:5, “Because Moses writes concerning this particular righteousness, which is based upon obedience to the Law (as constituting a

2009 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10 source of justification): ‘The person who obeys them will cause himself to live by means of them.’” The apostle in Romans 10:5 presents the reason why faith in Christ resulting in the imputation of divine righteousness and justification has always been the ultimate purpose of the Law rather than obedience to the Law and to support this he begins to cite a series of Old Testament passages. In Leviticus 18:5, Moses writes concerning the righteousness that is based on obedience to the Law that the Jew who obeys the commandments of the Law perfectly will live by them or in other words, obtain eternal life. Of course, every person born into the world is spiritually dead and possesses a sin nature, making it impossible to render the perfect obedience that the Law requires. Then, in Romans 10:6, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 and 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is non- meritorious and attainable unlike perfect obedience to the Law. Romans 10:6, “However, the righteousness originating from and based on faith speaks in the following manner: ‘Do not think in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ This does imply bringing Christ down.” Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 to teach that the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious since in the context of this passage the Lord emphasizes with Israel that He would bring them into the land of Canaan not on the basis of their own righteousness. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not ask the question “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” which is an implicit denial of the incarnation. This question also implies that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly, which he mentions in Romans 10:5. Next in Romans 10:7, Paul does not quote exactly from Deuteronomy 30:13 but rather only the principle taught in this passage to further emphasize that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly. Romans 10:7, “Or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ This does imply bringing Christ up from the dead ones.” In this passage, Paul cites the principle taught in Deuteronomy 30:13 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not deny the resurrection has taken place in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Just as he used the question “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” in Romans 10:6 as an implicit denial of the incarnation, so he uses the question “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” in Romans 10:7 as an implicit denial of the resurrection.

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Just as it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so in the same way he teaches in Romans 10:7 that it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith does not reject the incarnation, so in Romans 10:7, he describes this righteousness as not reject the resurrection as well. Now, in Romans 10:8, Paul cites Deuteronomy 30:14 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is easily accessible unlike the righteousness through perfect obedience to the Law. Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “But ” is the adversative use of the conjunction alla ( a)llav) (al-lah), which introduces a statement that stands in direct contrast to what Paul taught in Romans 10:6-7. Paul in Romans 10:6 quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 and 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious and attainable unlike perfect obedience to the Law. Romans 10:6, “However, the righteousness originating from and based on faith speaks in the following manner: ‘Do not think in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ This does imply bringing Christ down.” In Romans 10:6-8, Paul is personifying the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 to teach that the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious since in the context of this passage the Lord emphasizes with Israel that He would bring them into the land of Canaan not on the basis of their own righteousness. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not ask the question “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” which is an implicit denial of the incarnation. This question also implies that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly, which he mentions in Romans 10:5. Next in Romans 10:7, Paul does not quote exactly from Deuteronomy 30:13 but rather only the principle taught in this passage to further emphasize that the

2009 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12 righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly. Romans 10:7, “Or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ This does imply bringing Christ up from the dead ones.” In this passage, Paul cites the principle taught in Deuteronomy 30:13 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not deny the resurrection has taken place in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Just as he used the question “ Who will ascend into heaven ?” in Romans 10:6 as an implicit denial of the incarnation, so he uses the question “ Who will descend into the abyss ?” in Romans 10:7 as an implicit denial of the resurrection. Just as it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so in the same way he teaches in Romans 10:7 that it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith does not reject the incarnation, so in Romans 10:7, he describes this righteousness as not reject the resurrection as well. Therefore, we can see that Paul’s statements in verses 6 and 7 teach what the righteousness originating from and based on faith does “not” think, namely it does not deny the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, in Romans 10:8, Paul employs the strong adversative conjunction alla in order to introduce a statement that is totally antithetical to what the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ does “not” think in one’s heart. The conjunction introduces a statement concerning what the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ “does” think in one’s heart. So alla is used to contrast what the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ does not think in one’s heart with what it does think. It introduces a “positive” assertion about the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ with the “negative” assertions about it in Romans 10:6-7. In Romans 10:8, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 30:14, “ THE WORD IS NEAR YOU ” to indicate what the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ does think. This passage teaches that the gospel message that Paul and his fellow communicators were proclaiming everywhere throughout the Roman Empire to the unsaved taught that acquiring God’s righteousness originates from and is based on faith in Christ and not by means of obedience to the Law.

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“THE WORD ” is a reference to the gospel, which produces faith in Christ and this is indicated by the explanatory statement “that is, the word of faith, which we are preaching .” “NEAR ” emphasizes that this gospel is readily accessible and available to all. This quotation emphasizes that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is easily accessible and not an impossibility unlike perfect obedience to the Law to be justified. This stands in contrast to what Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh. It also stands in stark contrast with what he taught in Romans 10:7 that it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead. The Jews do not have to ascend heaven or descend into the abyss to receive the righteousness of God meaning that it is not an impossible task since Christ has already come in the flesh and has been raised from the dead. The righteousness of Christ is readily available and not an impossibility to acquire and in fact is easy to acquire by simply obeying the gospel and exercising faith in Christ. We will translate alla , “ but in contrast .” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “What ” is the accusative neuter singular form of the interrogative pronoun tis (tiv$ ) (tis), which asks a question that Paul answers by paraphrasing Deuteronomy 30:14 and functions as an accusative direct object meaning it is receiving the action of the verb ereo . “Says ” is the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb lego ( levgw ), which refers to the “content” of what Paul is paraphrasing from Deuteronomy 30:14. The third person singular form means “it” and refers to the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith, which is being personified in Romans 10:6-8. This is a “perfective” present, which is used to emphasize the results of a past action. Therefore, the “perfective present” of the verb lego emphasizes that even though Deuteronomy 30:14 was written in the past to the nation of Israel, it still speaks today to the citizens of Israel and is binding on the hearers in Israel. The active voice indicates that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ, which is being personified as the subject produced the action of the verb. The indicative mood is an ‘interrogative” indicative meaning that it is used to ask a question, which Paul answers by paraphrasing Deuteronomy 30:14. We will translate lego , “ does it say .”

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Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say?” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” The statement “ THE WORD IS NEAR YOU ” is a paraphrase of Deuteronomy 30:14. In Romans 10:6, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 30:12 whereas in Romans 10:7 he quotes from Deuteronomy 30:13. Deuteronomy 30:11-14, “For this commandment (love the Lord: See Deuteronomy 30:16) which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart , that you may observe it.” In Romans 10:8, Paul does not use the exact word order of the Septuagint but it is very close. The Septuagint reads as follows: sou e)gguV$ toV r(h~ma sfovdra e)n tw~| stovmati sou kaiV e)n th~| kardiva|. It renders accurately the Massoretic text of Deuteronomy 30:14. Paul has the following: ’ Eggu$ sou toV r(h~mav e)stin e)n tw~| stovmativ sou kai e)n th~| kardiva| sou . He does not quote every word in that he does not use “ that you may observe it .” The word’s Paul employs from the Septuagint translation of Deuteronomy 30:14 are designed to emphasize with Paul’s readers the easy accessibility of the gospel, which proclaims that the righteousness of God originates from and is based upon faith in Christ and produces faith in Christ. Just as Moses emphasized with Israel in Deuteronomy 30:11-14 that the command to love God is easily accessible to them so Paul uses this principle to teach his readers that the gospel, which proclaims that righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ, is easily accessible to the Israelites in his day. Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “THE WORD ” is not logos but rather the articular nominative neuter singular form of the noun rhema ( r(h~ma ) (hray-mah). In classical Greek, the noun rhema means that which is stated intentionally, a word, utterance. It was used in poetry from Pindar onwards and in prose from Herodotus onwards. The word in Plato denotes an individual word (Tim. 49c) and a sentence (Leg. 840c).

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In the Septuagint, rhema is primarily used to translate the Hebrew davar , “word, thing,” which is chiefly rendered by logos above all in the prophetic books. (The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology , Colin Brown, General Editor, volume 3, page 1119; Regency, Reference Library, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1967, 1969, 1971) Rhema appears 147 times in the Pentateuch (ibid.). The double meaning of davar , as word and thing, has thus colored the use of rhema , which can therefore, mean both, word and utterance as well as matter, event or case. (ibid) Rhema and logos also function as synonyms in the Septuagint. The noun rhema appears 67 times in the Greek New Testament where it usually relates to individual words and utterances whereas logos is used often to designate the Christian proclamation as a whole. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following meanings for rhema , “that which is spoken; declaration, saying, speech, word; a command, mandate, direction; a prediction, prophecy; a doctrine; an accusation, charge, crimination; a thing; a matter, affair, transaction, business.” (Page 359) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature lists the following meanings for the noun rhema : (1) that which is said, word, saying, expression; often it takes an special significance from the context: prophecy, prediction; word of scripture; commandment, order, direction; speech, sermon, proclamation; of the words of (Christian) teaching or of divine understanding; Generally the singular brings together all the divine teachings as a unified whole with some such meanings as gospel or confession (2) after the Hebrew thing, object, matter, event. (Page 735) The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: (1) that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word (a) any sound produced by the voice and having a definite meaning (b) speech, discourse (c) a series of words joined together into a sentence (a declaration of one’s mind made in words); an utterance; declaration; a saying of any sort, as a message, a narrative; a promise; the word by which some thing is commanded, directed, enjoined; doctrine, instruction; of command, commission (2) the subject-matter of speech, thing spoken of, thing; matter of narration, command, dispute. (Pages 562-563) Louw and Nida list the following meanings: (1) a minimal unit of discourse, often a single word – ‘word, saying’ (volume 2, page 390) (2) that which has been stated or said, with primary focus upon the content of the communication – ‘word, saying, message, statement, question’ (volume 2, page 400) (3) a happening to which one may refer – ‘matter, thing, event’ (volume 2, page 162). Vine commenting on rhema , writes, “ Rhema denotes ‘that which is spoken, what is uttered in speech or writing’; in the singular, ‘a word,’ e. g., Matt 12:36; 27:14; 2 Cor 12:4; 13:1; Heb 12:19; in the plural, speech, discourse, e. g., John

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3:34; 8:20; Acts 2:14; 6:11,13; 11:14; 13:42; 26:25; Rom 10:18; 2 Peter 3:2; Jude 17; it is used of the gospel in Rom 10:8 (twice), 17, RV, ‘the word of Christ’ (i. e., the ‘word’ which preaches Christ); 10:18; 1:25 (twice); of a statement, command, instruction, e. g., Matt 26:75; Luke 1:37, RV, ‘(no) word (from God shall be void of power)’, v. 38; 16; 3. The significance of rhema (as distinct from logos ) is exemplified in the injunction to take ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,’ Eph 6:17; here the reference is not to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with Scripture.” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers) In Romans 10:8, the noun rhema refers to the gospel in relation to the unsaved in the sense of the good news message to sinners that they can receive divine righteousness as a gift through imputation as a result of faith alone in Christ alone, which in turn results in the Father declaring them justified. This is indicated by the explanatory phrase to follow, “ that is, the word of faith, which we are preaching .” In the Greek New Testament, the term “gospel” is the noun euangelion (eu)aggevlion ), which means, “good news, victorious proclamation” and appears ten times in Romans (1:1, 9, 15, 16; 2:16; 11:28; 15:16, 19, 20; 16:25). In the ancient world, the noun euangelion became a general term for the triumphant message from the battlefield, and it was used for joyous political proclamations or for personal messages of good news. Depending upon the context the noun euangelion , “ gospel ” refers to: (1) The gospel presentation to the unbeliever. (2) The communication of Bible doctrine to the believer. (3) A combination of the two, i.e., doctrine in general. The noun euangelion , summarizes the Christ event: (1) His incarnation (2) His earthly life (3) His death on the cross (4) His resurrection (5) His ascension (6) His session. (7) He Will Judge. In relation to the unbeliever, the noun euangelion is God’s victorious proclamation of God’s love in delivering the entire human race from sin, Satan, his cosmic system and eternal condemnation and has reconciled them to Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

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This reconciliation with God and deliverance and victory over sin, Satan and the cosmic system that God accomplished through His Son’s crucifixion, burial, death, resurrection and session is received as a gift and appropriated through faith in Christ (John 3:16-18; Acts 16:31; Romans 5:1-2). In relation to the believer, the Gospel message is God’s victorious proclamation regarding the believer’s deliverance and victory positionally from the power of Satan, the old sin nature and the cosmic system of Satan (See Romans 5-7). By positionally, I mean that God views the believer as crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ, which was accomplished at the moment of salvation through the Baptism of the Spirit when the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit placed the believer in an eternal union with Christ. The Baptism of the Spirit identifies the believer with Christ in the sense that the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit causes the believer to become identical and united with the Lord Jesus Christ and also ascribes to the believer the qualities and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Baptism of the Spirit identifies the believer with Christ in His crucifixion (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20), His death (Romans 6:2, 7-8; Colossians 2:20; 3:3), His burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12), His resurrection (Romans 6:5; Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:10-11; Colossians 2:12; 3:1) and His session (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1). The believer can experience this victory and deliverance by appropriating by faith the teaching of the Word of God that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ (Romans 6:11-23; 8:1-17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:5-17). In Romans 1:16-17, the apostle Paul describes the gospel in that it is the power of God for salvation and that it reveals the righteousness of God, who is Jesus Christ. Romans 1:16-17, “For I am never ashamed of the gospel for it is as an eternal spiritual truth God’s power resulting in deliverance for the benefit of everyone who as an eternal spiritual truth believe, to the Jew first and then to the Greek. For by means of it, the righteousness originating from God is as an eternal spiritual truth revealed from faith to faith. Just as it stands written for all of eternity, ‘But the righteous shall choose for himself to live by means of faith.’” The context of Romans 1:16 indicates that the noun soteria , “ salvation ” refers to the deliverance from sin, Satan and his cosmic system that is available to every member of the human race and is received as a gift through faith in Christ. Paul is referring to the salvation or deliverance that is available to the unbeliever since it is used within the context of Paul pointing out the universal need for salvation

2009 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18 regardless of whether they are a Jew or Gentile, which is indicated by the phrase “to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek .” In Romans 1:16, “who believes ” is the articular dative (of recipient) masculine singular present active (substantive) participle form of the verb pisteuo ( pisteuvw ), which means to “trust, place complete confidence in” the Person of Christ in order to receive the gift of eternal life. The present tense is “gnomic” used to make a statement of a general, timeless fact indicating that it is an “eternal spiritual truth” or “spiritual axiom” that the one who believes in the gospel message of Jesus Christ will receive salvation since the gospel is the power of God for salvation. When a person believes in Jesus Christ as his Savior he is in effect trusting in the authority of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, which declare the Person and Work of Jesus Christ as the object of faith for salvation. Our faith is the only system of perception that God will accept because it is compatible with His grace policy. Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” The believer is saved based upon the merits of Christ and His death on the Cross. Therefore, the expression “ who believes ” refers to making the non- meritorious decision to trust or place one’s complete confidence in the Person of Jesus Christ for salvation. Then the apostle Paul notes the universal nature of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ with the phrase “ to the Jew first and also to the Greek .” This phrase demonstrates that God desires all men to be saved and that Christ died for all men, which theologians call the “unlimited atonement.” 1 Timothy 2:4, “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 1 John 2:2, “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” 1 Timothy 4:10, “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” The expression “ to the Jew first and also to the Greek ” does “not” mean that every Jew must be evangelized before the gospel can be presented to the Gentiles but rather means that the Jews were elected in a “national” sense by God as noted by Paul in Romans 9-11.

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Also, this expression “ to the Jew first and also to the Greek ” places the Jew on equal footing with the Gentile with respect to the need for salvation. Romans 3:10, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE.” In Romans 1:16, the apostle Paul reveals three principles: (1) The effect of the gospel is salvation. (2) The extent of the gospel is that it is for all men. (3) The condition attached to the gospel is faith in Christ. Romans 1:17, “For by means of it, the righteousness originating from God is as an eternal spiritual truth revealed from faith to faith.” In Romans 1:17, the noun dikaiosune means, “ righteousness ” and refers to the righteousness of Christ since Paul writes that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God and in Romans 1:3-4 he writes that the gospel message centers upon the Person of Christ. The righteousness of Christ refers to the character of Christ having perfect integrity in the sense that His character is perfectly sound, perfectly adhering to the will of God, which is love, upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished, sound, unimpaired and in perfect condition. The righteousness of Christ refers to the character of Christ having perfect virtue in the sense that His character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and His conduct is conformed perfectly to the will of God. “Of God ” is the noun theos (qeov$ ), which is a genitive of source indicating that the righteousness referred to in Romans 1:17 “originates” from God and was “not” of human origin. The righteousness of God refers to the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ since the gospel centers upon the Person of Christ according to Romans 1:3-4 and the gospel message reveals the righteousness of God according to Romans 1:17. Therefore, the genitive of source theos indicates that the righteousness referred to in Romans 1:17 “originates” from God and is in fact the second member of the Trinity, the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ who is the object of faith. “Is revealed ” is 3 rd person singular present passive indicative form of the apokalupto ( a)pokaluvptw ) (ap-ok-al-oop-to), which is a compound word composed of the preposition apo ( a)pov), “from” and the verb kalupto ( kaluvptw ), “to conceal, hide.” Interestingly and surprisingly, the result of combining these two words is that apokalupto means the exact opposite, “to reveal, disclose, uncover.” So thus far, we can see that the righteousness of God in the Person of the impeccable, incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ is revealed by means of the communication of the gospel. “From faith ” is composed of the preposition ek ( e)k ), “ from ” and the genitive feminine singular form of the noun pistis ( pivsti$ ) (pis-tis), “ faith .”

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The preposition ek , “ from ” is a marker of the extent of time from a point in the past whereas the noun pistis , “ faith ” is a genitive of time and together, they emphasize time with emphasis upon the beginning. Therefore, the prepositional phrase ek pisteos , “ from faith ” emphasizes that by means of the communication of the gospel, the righteousness of Christ was revealed in the believer the moment he accepted Jesus Christ as His Savior since at that moment God the Father imputed the righteousness of His Son to him (See Romans 4). “To faith ” is composed of the preposition eis ( ei)$ ), “ to ” and the accusative feminine singular form of the noun pistis ( pivsti$ ) (pis-tis), “ faith .” The preposition eis , “ to ” is a marker of continuous extent of time up to a point whereas as the noun pistis , “ faith ” is an accusative of measure or extent of time and together, they emphasize the extent of time. Therefore, the prepositional phrase eis pistin , “ to faith ” emphasizes that by means of the communication of the gospel, the righteousness of Christ is revealed in the believer “after” salvation when he appropriates by faith the teaching of the gospel that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ (Romans 6:11-23; 8:1-17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:5-17). It also emphasizes that the righteousness of Christ is revealed in the believer when he receives a resurrection body at the rapture of the church, which completes the Father’s plan to conform the believer into the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). Therefore, the expression dikaiosune gar theou en auto apokaluptetai ek pisteos eis pistin , “ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith ” indicates that by means of the communication of the gospel, the righteousness of Christ is revealed in the believer in three stages: (1) Positionally, at the moment he exercises faith in the gospel message and trusts in Jesus Christ as his Savior. (2) Experientially, after salvation when the believer exercises faith in the gospel message that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ. (3) Ultimately, when he receives his resurrection body at the rapture of the church. God manifests His righteousness when members of the human race are delivered from sin, Satan, his cosmic system and eternal condemnation through faith His Son Jesus Christ. God manifests His righteousness when believers after salvation are delivered from sin, Satan and his cosmic system through faith in the gospel message that they have been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ. God will manifest His righteousness when believers receive their resurrection bodies. The Bible teaches that there are two categories of righteousness: (1) Absolute righteousness originating in the essence of God revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God and in the Person of Christ (2) Relative righteousness, which is rooted in man’s comparison of himself with other men.

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The Bible teaches that the entire human race both Jew and Gentile do not measure up to the righteousness of God and are therefore condemned before God but qualified for grace (Romans 1:18-3:20). The Lord Jesus Christ manifested the righteousness of God during His First Advent, which was witnessed by the Law and the Prophets in the Old Testament Scriptures (Romans 3:21-26). The righteousness of God can never be attained by anyone through human power and dynamics or by keeping the Mosaic Law but rather it is received as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ who is the righteousness of God incarnate. The works of the Law can never attain the righteousness of God (Titus 3:5). The nation of Israel sought to establish their own righteousness rather than accept by faith the righteousness of God in the Person of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:1-10). The righteousness of God is imputed to the person who exercises faith alone in Christ alone meaning that God credits to the believer the perfect integrity and virtue of Christ. Romans 4:3, “For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’” The imputation of divine righteousness at the moment of spiritual birth is made possible by the imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden at the moment of physical birth (Romans 5:12-19). At the moment of physical birth, every member of the human race becomes a sinner because he has received the imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden. Imputation is the function of the justice of God in crediting something to someone for cursing or for blessing. The imputation of Adam’s sin at physical birth results in every person having the nature of Adam, which resides in the genetic structure of the physical body and can never please God but is selfish and self-centered and always disobedient to God. This imputation means that every person born into the world is born physically alive but spiritually dead, but qualified for the imputation of divine righteousness through faith alone in Christ alone. 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” The reason why God imputed Adam’s sin in the garden to every member of the human race at physical birth is given in two passages of Scripture: Galatians 3:22, ‘But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” Romans 11:32, “For God has shut up all in (Adam’s) disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” At the moment of spiritual birth, God imputed His righteousness to the believer so that he is “positionally” the righteousness of God meaning God has given His

2009 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 22 righteousness as a gift to the believer and He views the believer as righteous as Him, which in turn sets up the potential for the believer to experience this righteousness in time. Therefore, the moment a person believes in Jesus Christ as Savior, God the Father imputes the righteousness of Christ so that He becomes the believer’s righteousness. 1 Corinthians 1:30, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” After salvation, the believer is commanded to present the members of his physical body as instruments of righteousness, which is accomplished by appropriating by faith the imputed righteousness they received at salvation (See Romans 6). This faith is demonstrated by the believer through his obedience to the teaching that he has died with Christ and has been raised with Him (See Romans 6:11-13). The Lord was made our Substitute in order that we might receive the imputation of God’s righteousness and live in that righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 1 Peter 2:24, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” The new Christ nature received at the moment of salvation was created in the righteousness of God and holiness from the truth according to Ephesians 4:24. Paul commanded Timothy to pursue living in the righteousness of Christ (See Timothy 2:22). The Word of God trains the believer to live in the righteousness of Christ. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” In fact, the Word of God is designated in Hebrews 5:13 as the “ Word of righteousness .” The children of the devil and the children of God are distinguished from each other because the latter practice the righteousness of God and the former practice evil according to 1 John 3:10. The righteousness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our invisible weapon is against Satan and the kingdom of darkness (2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 6:10- 19). In fact, the believer is to protect himself in spiritual combat with the righteousness of Christ, which is called in Ephesians 6:14, the “ breastplate of righteousness .”

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Undeserved suffering and divine discipline are designed to produce the righteousness of God in our lives and not to hurt us. Hebrews 12:11, “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” The believer will be rewarded with a “ crown of righteousness ” by the Lord Jesus at the Bema Seat for executing the Father’s will according to 2 Timothy 4:8. The gospel is also used in relation to judgment according to Romans 2:16. Romans 2:16, “On the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” In context, the articular construction tou euangelion , “ gospel ” here in Romans 2:16 contains the figure of speech called “metonymy of cause” referring to Paul’s teaching or instruction that is contained in his gospel message. It refers to the instruction from the apostle Paul concerning the whole realm of Christian doctrine and entails the following: (1) Christology (2) Soteriology (3) Pneumatology (4) Eschatology (5) Ecclesiology (6) Bibliology (7) Angelology (8) Anthropology (9) Dispensational (10) Spiritual Life. In Romans 2:16, the expression to euangelion , “ gospel ” is a “metonymy of the cause” where the instrument is put for the thing effected meaning the Gospel is put for its instruction. Therefore, in Romans 2:16, the apostle Paul is informing his readers and in particular the self-righteous unregenerate Jew that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God will judge the secret selfish motives of all men at the Great White Throne Judgment according to his gospel teaching or instruction. Therefore, the noun euangelion means, “instruction in the gospel.” Thus, the gospel message not only contains the teaching that Jesus Christ died for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead on the third day and that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life but it also contains the teaching that men will receive eternal condemnation for rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior. This is illustrated by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 3:16-18 when He gave the gospel to Nicodemus, a self-righteous, unsaved Jew. Therefore, in Romans 10:8, the noun rhema refers to the gospel in relation to the unsaved since Paul is speaking in the context of the nation of Israel rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah. It refers to the gospel in the sense of the good news message to sinners that they can receive divine righteousness as a gift through imputation as a result of faith alone in Christ alone, which in turn results in the Father declaring them justified. This is indicated by the explanatory phrase to follow, “ that is, the word of faith, which we are preaching .” The word functions as a nominative subject as indicated by its articular construction indicating that the word is performing the action of the verb eimi , “ is .” We will translate rhema , “ the word .”

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Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word…” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “Is ” is the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi (ei)miv) (i-mee), which means “to exist” indicating that the gospel message that one is justified through faith alone in Christ alone “exists” among the citizens of the nation of Israel because it was being proclaimed to them by Paul and other Christians. The present tense of the verb eimi is a “customary” or “stative” present tense emphasizes ongoing state. Therefore, it indicates that the gospel message existed in an “ongoing state” of being readily accessible and available to the citizens of Israel. In other words, it was “always” readily accessible and available to all the citizens of Israel. The active voice is “stative” meaning that the gospel as the subject “existed in an ongoing state” of being readily accessible and available to all the citizens of Israel. The indicative mood is “declarative” presenting this assertion as an unqualified statement. We will translate eimi , “ is always .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always…” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “NEAR ” is the adverb engus ( e)gguv$ ) (eng-goos). Engus is a versatile adverb in classical Greek and can have reference to the following: (1) Place (2) Time (3) Quantity (4) Relationships. Herbert Preisker lists the following meanings in classical literature (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 2, page 330): (1) In the vicinity, close by; in the presence of someone (2) Temporally, near at hand (3) In counting, almost (4) Similar (5) Related. Bauder and Link list the following meanings (The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, volume 2, page 53): (1) Near (in space), near by (2) Near in the sense of temporally immanent (3) With numbers, nearly (4) Related or similar (5) In the figurative sense of intellectual proximity. Liddell and Scott list the following classical meanings (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 468): (1) Of place, near, nigh, at hand (2) Of time, nigh at hand (3) Of numbers, nearly (4) Of qualities, coming near (5) Of relationship, akin to. In the Septuagint, the word together with its various forms ( engion , engutatos , engista ), translates 7 Hebrew terms. The most equivalent (43 out of 50 times with a

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Hebrew original) is qarov ( bw{rq*), “near.” The spatial use of the word is common (Gn. 19:20). The temporal use is also prevalent in the Septuagint (Dt. 32:35; Is. 13:6). Its relation usage also appears in Psalm 34:18. The adverb engus appears 31 times in the Greek New Testament. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following Greek New Testament meanings (page 111): (1) Near, as to place (2) Near, in respect of ready interposition (3) Near, as to time (4) Near to God, as being in covenant with him. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “ Engus , ‘near, nigh,’ frequently rendered ‘at hand,’ is used (a) of place, e. g., of the Lord’s sepulcher, (John 19:42), ‘nigh at hand’; (b) of time, e. g., (Matt. 26:18; Luke 21:30,31), RV, ‘nigh,’ KJV, ‘nigh at hand’; in (Phil. 4:5), ‘the Lord is at hand,’ it is possible to regard the meaning as that either of (a) or (b); the following reasons may point to (b): (1) the subject of the preceding context has been the return of Christ, (3:20,21); (2) the phrase is a translation of the Aramaic ‘Maranatha,’ (1 Cor. 16:22), a Christian watchword, and the use of the title ‘the Lord’ is appropriate; (3) the similar use of the adverb in (Rev. 1:3) and (22:10); (4) the similar use of the corresponding verb (see B) in (Rom. 13:12; Heb. 10:25), ‘drawing nigh,’ RV; (Jas. 5:8); cf. (1 Pet. 4:7).” The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following (pages 164-165): (1) Of place and position (2) Of time; concerning things immanent and soon to come to pass. Bauer, Gingrich and Danker list the following meanings and usages (A Greek- English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, page 214): (1) Of space near, close to, with genitive following, with dative following (2) Abs. Engus einai, be close by (3) Engus ginesthai , come near, of time, near, of the future, of the past (4) Figuratively. Louw and Nida lists the following NT usages (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, volume 2): (1) A position relatively close to another position – ‘near, nearby’ (page 716). (2) The occurrence of a point of time close to a subsequent point of time – ‘to approach, to come near, to approximate’ (page 632). In Romans 10:8, engus is used by Paul in a figurative sense of the gospel message of faith alone in Christ alone for justification and means “near” in the sense of being “readily accessible and available” to everyone, both Jew and Gentile. Romans 10:9 teaches that it is “readily accessible and available” in the sense that with the sinner’s heart he or she can trust that the Father raised Jesus from the dead, which is in effect acknowledging that Jesus is Lord since the resurrection demonstrated that Jesus is God and faith alone in Christ alone is the only way to receive eternal salvation. This is indicated by a comparison of the

2009 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 26 expression “ in your mouth and in your heart ” in Romans 10:8 with Paul’s statements in Romans 10:9-10. Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” We will translate engus , “ readily accessible and available .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available…” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “YOU ” is the genitive second person singular form of the personal pronoun su (suv) (soo), which refers to an individual unsaved Jew since Paul in context is speaking of the nation of Israel’s rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah and the word is in the second person singular form. The word functions as a genitive of reference indicating that in reference to which the adverb engus , “readily accessible and available” to which it stands related is true. Thus it denotes that the word in the form of the gospel is readily accessible and available “with respect to” the individual unsaved Jew. We will translate the word “ with respect to you .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you’…” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “In your mouth ” is composed of the preposition en ( e)n ), “ in ” and the articular dative neuter singular form of the noun stoma ( stovma ) (stom-a), “ mouth ” and the genitive second person singular form of the personal pronoun su ( suv) (soo), “your .” The noun stoma refers to that organ of the human body that gives one the capacity for eating and speaking. In Romans 10:8 it emphasizes the latter and is used in relation to the sinner acknowledging with his or her mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord as indicated by a comparison of this prepositional phrase and his statements in Romans 10:8-9. In this passage, Paul teaches that the sinner receives eternal salvation when he acknowledges to the Father Jesus is Lord, which is in fact believing in his heart that the Father raised Him from the dead since the resurrection demonstrated the deity of Christ and faith alone and Christ alone is the only way to salvation. The preposition en functions as a marker of location and the noun stoma functions as a “dative locative of place” denoting that the unsaved Jew’s mouth is the place where they can acknowledge to the Father that Jesus is Lord, which is

2009 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 27 equivalent to believing in his heart that the Father raised Him from the dead so as to be saved since the resurrection demonstrated the deity of Christ and faith alone and Christ alone is the only way to receive eternal salvation. The definite article before the noun stoma is used with the personal pronoun su , “your ” to denote possession. The personal pronoun su refers to no particular Jew and functions as a “genitive of possession” and “possessive” pronoun indicating that this heart in question “belongs to” the Jew. We will translate the prepositional phrase en to stomati sou , “ in your mouth .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth…” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “And ” is the “adjunctive” use of the conjunction kai ( kaiV), which introduces an “additional” place in the unsaved Israelite’s person where the gospel message is readily accessible and available to them. We will translate kai , “ as well as .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as …” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “In your heart ” is composed of the preposition en ( e)n ), “ in ” and the articular dative locative feminine singular form of the noun kardia ( kardiva ) (kar-dee-ah)., “heart ” and the genitive second person singular form of the personal pronoun su (suv) (soo), “ your .” The noun kardia denotes those aspects of the soul that deal with the Jew’s mental activity and volition. It denotes that aspect of the heart, namely the volition whose position response to the gospel in trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior results in eternal salvation. A person’s words originate from their heart, thus in salvation, the sinner first exercises his volition to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior before they acknowledge with their mouth that He is Lord. In Romans 10:9, Paul teaches that the sinner will receive eternal salvation when he acknowledges that Jesus is Lord, which is equivalent to believing in one’s heart that the Father raised Him from the dead since the resurrection demonstrated that Jesus is God and faith alone in Christ alone is the only way to receive eternal salvation. The preposition en functions as a marker of location and the noun kardia functions as a “dative locative of place” denoting that the unsaved Jew’s heart is the place where they believe that the Father raised Jesus from the dead so as to receive eternal salvation. It is the place where they must believe that the Father raised Him from the dead.

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The definite article before the noun kardia is used with the personal pronoun su , “your ” to denote possession. The personal pronoun su refers to no particular Jew and functions as a “genitive of possession” and “possessive” pronoun indicating that this heart in question “belongs to” the Jew. We will translate the prepositional phrase en te kardia sou , “ in your heart .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as in your heart…” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “That is ” is composed of the nominative neuter singular form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos ( ou!to$ ), “ that ” and the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi ( ei(miv), “ is .” Together, they introduce a statement that clarifies or explains the statement, “‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as in your heart.” They identify specifically the word that is readily accessible and available to the unsaved Jew in his mouth and heart. The demonstrative pronoun houtos means “this” and refers to this previous statement. The word functions as a “nominative subject” meaning that it is performing the action of the verb eimi . When houtos is used with the verb eimi to introduce an explanation or clarification, the verb should be translated idiomatically and in our present context, it should be translated as “namely.” The verb eimi functions as a copula uniting the subject houtos and the predicate nominative rhema . The present tense of the verb eimi is diminished due to the fact that it is used in a idiomatic sense with the demonstrative pronoun houtos . The active voice indicates that demonstrate pronoun houtos as the subject performs the action of the verb of eimi . The indicative mood is “declarative” presenting this assertion as an unqualified statement of fact. Therefore, we will translate the expression tout’ estin , “ namely .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as in your heart, namely…” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “The word ” is the articular nominative neuter singular form of the noun rhema (r(h~ma ) (hray-mah), which refers once again to the gospel in relation to the unsaved. It refers to the gospel in the sense of the good news message to sinners

2009 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 29 that they can receive divine righteousness as a gift through imputation as a result of faith alone in Christ alone, which in turn results in the Father declaring them justified. The word functions as a predicate nominative since the pronoun will have the greatest priority even though the noun in the nominative is articular. As the predicate nominative, it is making an assertion about subject, which is the demonstrative pronoun houtos , which refers to the previous statement, “‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as in your heart.” Thus, it is making the assertion that the word that is readily available and accessible to the unsaved Jew is the very gospel that was proclaimed publicly and authoritatively by Paul and his Christians throughout the Roman Empire and other parts of the world. We will translate rhema , “ the word .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as in your heart, namely, the word…” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “Of faith ” is the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun pistis (pivsti$ ), which refers to the non-meritorious system of perception of placing one’s “trust” or “confidence” that the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Paul teaches in Romans 10:9 that faith in the Father raising Jesus from the dead, which is tantamount to acknowledging that Jesus is Lord, is required to receive eternal salvation. The word functions as a “genitive of product” meaning that it is the “product” of the noun rhema , “ the word ” to which it stands related. This indicates that “the word,” i.e. the gospel “produces” or “effects” or “brings about” or “causes” the sinner to exercise faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead. This interpretation is supported by Paul’s statement in Romans 10:17. Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Paul teaches in this passage that faith in Christ is brought about by the word of Christ or about Christ, which is the gospel. The articular construction of pistis in Romans 10:8 is “monadic” indicating that this faith is “unique” to the gospel in that its object is Jesus Christ. We will translate pistis , “ which brings about faith .” Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as in your heart, namely, the word, which brings about faith…”

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Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “Which ” is the accusative neuter singular form of the relative pronoun relative pronoun hos ( o^$ ) (hos), which refers to the gospel as indicated in that it agrees in gender (neuter) and number (singular) with antecedent, namely, the noun rhema , “the word .” The word functions as an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb kerusso , “ we are proclaiming .” This indicates that the gospel message is receiving the action of being publicly proclaimed by Paul and his fellow Christians, i.e. fellow apostles, pastor-teachers, evangelists and believers functioning in their royal ambassadorship. Corrected translation thus far of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as in your heart, namely, the word, which brings about faith, which…” Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart’ -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching.” “We are proclaiming ” is the first person plural present active indicative form of the verb kerusso ( khruvssw ) (kay-roos-so), which means, “to publicly proclaim something as a herald in a dignified and authoritative manner which commands the respect and attention of those who hear it.” Kerusso emphasizes the manner in which the proclamation or announcement is given and the formal, official and authoritative manner in which the proclamation is given. Usually it is used transitively and describes the activity of the herald in the discharge of his office. Kerusso was the formal official announcement or proclamation of religious festivals, judicial decisions, athletic games, and honors, and of victors. It is employed 30 times in the Septuagint and is used to translate the Hebrew verb qara (arq ), which has many different meanings such as “to proclaim, to invite, to call, to appeal to, name.” It referred to shouts of command (Gen. 41:43; Ex. 36:6), public announcements (Ex. 32:5), or official decrees (2 Chron. 20:3; 24:9; Joel 1:14). Kerusso included a call to assemble (4 Kings 10:20) or a proclamation of award and honor (Esther 6:9, 11). It can be used of a call to battle (Hosea 5:8; Joel 2:1), a warning of the Day of the Lord. Kerusso appears 61 times in the Greek New Testament and occurs 19 times in the Pauline epistles, 9 times in Matthew, 14 times in Mark, 9 times in Luke, 8 times in Acts, once in 1 st Peter and Revelation. It was the formal, official and authoritative manner in which the Gospel was proclaimed or announced.

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In Romans 10:8, the verb refers to Paul and his fellow Christians who “publicly proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ as heralds in a dignified and authoritative manner which commanded the respect and attention of the unsaved Jew and Gentiles who were exposed to it.” The first person plural form refers to Paul and his fellow Christians, which would include his fellow apostles, pastor-teachers, evangelists and believers operating under the royal ambassadorship (See 2 Corinthians 5:14-21). The present tense is a “customary” present describing Paul and his fellow Christians “making it a habit” to publicly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ as heralds in a dignified and authoritative manner to the unsaved so that it commands their respect. The active voice signifies that Paul and his fellow Christians perform this action. The indicative mood is “declarative” presenting this assertion as an unqualified statement of fact. We will translate the verb kerusso , “ we make it a habit to publicly proclaim as heralds in a dignified and authoritative manner .” Completed corrected translation of Romans 10:8: “But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as in your heart, namely, the word, which brings about faith, which we make it a habit to publicly proclaim as heralds in a dignified and authoritative manner.”

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