Romans 10:4

It is on this point, indeed, that their view and that of God have come into collision. The Messiah brought a free righteousness offered to faith; His coming consequently put an end to man's attempt to establish his own righteousness on the observance of the law; thus, then, fell the whole legal economy, which had now fulfilled its task. It was not so the Jews understood it. If they in a measure accepted the salvation of the Gentiles, they thought of it only as an annexation to Israel and a subjection to the sovereignty of Moses. It was under this idea “that they compassed sea and land, as Jesus says, to make proselytes” (Matthew 23:15). The Messiah was simply to consummate this conquest of the world by Israel, destroying by judgment every Gentile who resisted. His reign was to be the perfect application of the legal institutes to the whole world. It is easy to understand the error and the irritation which could not fail to take possession of the people and their chiefs, when Jesus by His decided spirituality seemed to compromise the stability of the law of ordinances (Matthew 5:1-48; Matthew 9:11-17; Matthew 15:1 et seq.); when He announced plainly that He came not to repair the old Jewish garment, but to substitute for that now antiquated regime, a garment completely new. In this familiar form He expressed the same profound truth as St. Paul declares in our verse: The law falls to the ground with the coming of Him who brings a completely made righteousness to the believer.

The word τέλος may signify end or aim; but not, as some have understood it here (Orig., Er.): fulfilment (τελείωσις), a meaning which the word cannot have. The meaning aim, adopted by Calov., Grot., Lange, and others, is in keeping with Galatians 3:24, where the law is called the pedagogue to bring the Jews to Christ. But the context seems rather to require that of end (Aug., Mey., etc.). There is a contrast between this word τέλος and the term στῆσαι, to hold erect (Romans 10:3). This latter meaning, that of end, no doubt implies the notion of aim; for if the law terminates in Christ, it is only because in Him it has reached its aim. Nevertheless it is true that the contrast established in the following development between the righteousness of the law and that of faith requires, as an explanation properly so called, the meaning of end, and not aim. Of two contrary things, when the one appears, the other must take end.

This new fact which puts an end to the law, is the coming of Christ made righteousness to the believer. The εἰς indicates the destination and application: “in righteousness offered and given to the believer, whoever he may be, Jew or Gentile;” comp. 1 Corinthians 1:30. These words: every one that believeth, express the two ideas which are about to be developed in the two following passages: that of the freeness of salvation, contained in the word believeth (Romans 10:5-11); and that of its universality, contained in the word every one (Romans 10:12-21).