Romans 10 Summary and Outline

Tod Kennedy, January 24, 2016

Romans 10, Israel Needs Faith Righteousness

Summary

In Romans 9 Paul is sorry that Israel, who has had the advantage of choice, revelation, and privilege through God’s promises, has not accepted their Messiah Jesus. Why did they not accept Jesus Christ?  Because they were intent on working for their own righteousness instead of believing God for his righteousness. Now in Romans 10 Paul’s desire and prayer for Israel is that she will accept Jesus as Messiah. Israel has no excuse. Israel has heard the message which requires only faith. The right response is to confess or admit that Jesus is Yahweh (the true Messiah) and believe that God raised him from the dead (Messiah’s death for sin, and his resurrection were true). For Israel at that time, to accept this was a break from their religious culture. Israel had heard the Jesus message. God will not disappoint anyone, Jew or Gentile, who believes the message. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But to call one must believe, and to believe one must hear, and to hear one must be sent to preach. Yet Israel has heard and has rejected the word about faith in Christ. God always has saved Gentiles who believe him, which angers the self-righteous Jews, but God continues to offer Israel salvation.

Outline

Romans Chapter 10, Israel Needs Faith Righteousness

1. Romans 10.1-4. Paul wants Israel to believe in Christ so that the nation will be given God’s righteousness and then possess salvation, but their religious zeal, misunderstanding of God’s righteousness, and pursuit of human righteousness has blinded them to the person and work of Christ.
2. Romans 10:5-13. Paul concludes that law righteousness, which is mankind’s own righteousness that is based on keeping the law is always inferior to faith righteousness, which is God’s righteousness given to mankind through faith. This message that Jesus is Yahweh (the true Messiah) and he has risen from physical death (Messiah’s death for sin, and his resurrection were true) has been available, and whoever will believe it and ask will be saved.
3. Romans 10.14-16. Before one calls, one must believe that there is help. Faith righteousness is for anyone who wants it, but they must first hear God’s gospel in order to believe it, and to hear the message someone must be sent to preach it.
4. Romans 10:18-21. God’s message has been available for all people through general revelation and special revelation. Israel heard the message and most did not believe it, which explains Paul’s great sorrow for his people Israel, that he expresses in the beginning of chapters 9 and 10.