Romans 10:7

Romans 10:7. Who shall descend into the abyss? LXX. ‘Who shall pass through into beyond the sea?' The descent of Christ to the realm of the dead ‘is in any case the undoubted presupposition, which led Paul to substitute the words of our passage for those of the original' (Meyer). The next clause compels us to take this view, but various explanations have been given of the variation from the Old Testament language. ‘The probable solution of the difference is, that the ideas beyond the sea and beneath the earth coincide as designations of the realm of the dead' (Lange).

That is, etc. See the similar clause in Romans 10:6. The two verses imply that the Incarnation and the Resurrection are accomplished facts; hence that such questions are forbidden by ‘the righteousness of faith.' But what kind of questions sure they? simply of unbelief, or also of perplexity, or of anxiety? Certainly the fundamental error is one of unbelief, and that in regard to the main facts here presented (comp. Romans 10:9). But it is not necessary to exclude the other views, which are suggested by the original passage: ‘The anxious follower after righteousness is not disappointed by an impracticable code, nor mocked by an unintelligible revelation; the word is near him, therefore accessible; plain and simple and therefore apprehensible deals with definite historical fact, and therefore certain' (Alford). It is but fair to present another view of the whole passage, as summed up by Godet: ‘All the doing demanded from man by the law (Romans 10:5) and which he can accomplish only imperfectly, has been already perfectly accomplished by Christ, whether it has to do with the conquest of heaven by holiness, or the doing away of condemnation b y expiation. There only remains then to man, in order to be saved, to believe in that work by applying it to himself; and this is that which the righteousness of faith commands us (Romans 10:8), after having forbid den us (Romans 10:6-7) to pretend ourselves to open heaven and close hell.... Christ having charged Himself with the doing, and having left to us only the believing, the work of Christ puts an end to the legal regime; that which the Apostle would prove (Romans 10:4).'