Romans 10:5

THE NEEDLESSNESS OF JEWISH LOSS OF BLESSING: Romans 10:5-15

'This is the Jewish complaint..for 1500 years they have been talking about and pursuing righteousness and looking for the Messiah and 1500 years of religious fervor has availed nothing. What. sad end! But Paul will make it clear in Chapter 10 that there is no need for endless complaint for there is no need to remain unblessed. The Jew ought to be pleased to hear that everything has been done for him. He need only accept the Messiah, and all the blessings he sought so long would be his. He will make it clear to them that Christ brings righteousness to them and they need no superhuman efforts to obtain it (Romans 10:5-11). He will make it clear that what the Gentiles received by faith the Jew can receive too (11-13). God has even arranged to have the message given to the world that they might believe (14-15). And he will close the chapter by telling the Jews that such. message didn't (or shouldn't have) come to them as. surprise for it was well known to the prophets (16-21).'

Romans 10:5 For Moses writeth that the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby.

'Moses writeth' -(Leviticus 18:5). Moses wrote about the method or way of "righteousness", which the unbelieving Jews had chosen.

'doeth' -'that meant strict adherence to all that the law said..perfect obedience to all its requirements' (Whiteside p. 215)

'What's wrong with that?' it might be asked. Just this, Paul would reply, that no-one has succeeded in doing them perfectly (Romans 3:23), and therefore no-one has succeeded in gaining life this way. Even if he could describe his own earlier career as 'touching the righteousness that is in the law, blameless' (1 Peter 3:6), he knew that it was blameless only in the sight of men, but not before God.'

'shall live thereby' -'He stands or falls with it' (Robertson p. 388). Paul had found that attempting to be right with God on the basis of. law-righteousness, didn't bring 'life', but rather, 'death' (Romans 7:11). The rich young ruler, still 'lacked' something. (Matthew 19:20)