Romans 10:4

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. FOR CHRIST IS THE END (THE OBJECT OR AIM) OF THE LAW FOR (JUSTIFYING) RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EVERYONE THAT BELIEVETH - i:e., contains within Himself all that the law demands for the justification of such as embrace Him, whether Jew or Gentile (); bestowing that righteousness and life which the law holds forth but cannot give. 'The law (says Bengel, naively) hounds a man until he betake himself to Christ; then it says to him, Thou hast found an asylum, I pursue thee no more; thou art wise, thou art safe.'...

4_. For the end of the law is Christ, etc. _The word _completion, _(321) seems not to me unsuitable in this place; and [Erasmus ] has rendered it _perfection: _but as the other reading is almost universally approved, and is not inappropriate, readers, for my part, may retain it. The Apostle obviates here an objection which might have been made against him; for the Jews might have appeared to have kept the right way by depending on the righteousness of the law. It was necessary for him to disprove this false opinion; and this is what he does here. He shows that he is a false interpreter of the law, who seeks to be justified by his own works; because the law had been given for this end, — to lead us as by the hand to another righteousness: nay, whatever the law teaches, whatever it commands, whatever it promises, has always a reference to Christ as its main object; and hence all its parts...

1-4 The Jews built on a false foundation, and refused to come to Christ for free salvation by faith, and numbers in every age do the same in various ways. The strictness of the law showed men their need of salvation by grace, through faith. And the ceremonies shadowed forth Christ as fulfilling the righteousness, and bearing the curse of the law. So that even under the law, all who were justified before God, obtained that blessing by faith, whereby they were made partakers of the perfect righteousness of the promised Redeemer. The law is not destroyed, nor the intention of the Lawgiver disappointed; but full satisfaction being made by the death of Christ for our breach of the law, the end is gained. That is, Christ has fulfilled the whole law, therefore whoever believeth in him, is counted just before God, as much as though he had fulfilled the whole law himself. Sinners never could go...

Verse Romans 10:4. _FOR CHRIST_ IS _THE END OF THE LAW_] Where the law ends, Christ begins. The law ends with representative sacrifices; Christ begins with the _real_ offering. The law is our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ; it cannot save, but it leaves us at his door, where alone salvation is to be found. Christ as an atoning sacrifice for sin, was the grand _object_ of the whole sacrificial code of Moses; his passion and death were the fulfilment of its great object and design. Separate this sacrificial death of Christ from the law, and the law has no meaning, for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins: wherefore the Messiah is represented as saying, _Sacrifice_ _and observing thou didst not desire; burnt-offering and_ _sin-offering thou hast not required; then said I, Lo, I come to do_ thy will; a...

FOR CHRIST - This expression implies faith in Christ. This is the design of the discussion, to show that justification cannot be obtained by our own righteousness, but by faith in Christ. As no direct benefit results to people from Christ unless they believe on him, faith in him is implied where the word occurs in this connection. IS THE END OF THE LAW - The word translated “end” means what completes a thing, or renders it perfect; also the boundary, issue, or termination of anything, as the end of life, the result of a prophecy, etc.; John 13:1; Luke 22:37. It also means the design or object which is had in view; the principal purpose for which it was undertaken;...

EXPOSITION In this chapter the view of the whole subject introduced at Romans 9:30 is continued and carried out, according to which the present rejection of the Jews as a nation is traced to no absolute and irreversible Divine decree, but to their own refusal to accept God's plan of mercy to all mankind; testimonies being, as usual, adduced from the Old Testament in support of the argument. But, before proceeding, the apostle renews expression of his regret (cf. Romans 9:1, _seq._)_ _at the present position of his countrymen, and his earnest desire that it should be otherwise. ROMANS 10:1 BRETHREN, MY HEART'S DESIRE (εὐδοκία, expressing _good will_)

FOR CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW,.... The apostle here observes that to them which had they known, would have regulated their zeal, removed their ignorance and set them right, in that which they stumbled at, and fell. By the "law" here, is not meant the ceremonial law, of which, indeed, they were all very zealous, and of which Christ also was the end in many respects; he was the final cause of it, or that for the sake of which it was; it had not been given had it not been for him; all its institutions, ordinances, and sacrifices, were on his account: they were all shadows of him, and he the body and substance of them; he was the end or mark and scope at which they all aimed; every type looked to him, and every offering directed the worshipper to him; he was the terminus of it, to whom it was to reach, and beyond whom it was not to go; it was a schoolmaster for instruction and direction u...

Romans 10:1. _Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved._ Let this be our «heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel.» Sorrows upon sorrows have come to the Lord's ancient people even down to this day; and they have been scattered and peeled, and rent and torn in almost every land. Who does not pity their griefs and woes? Let it be our heart's desire and daily prayer for Israel that they may be saved through faith in the Messiah whom they have so long rejected. Romans 10:2. _For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge._ In Paul's day, they were most diligent in the observance of every form of outward devotion, and many of them sincerely desired to be right with God; but they did not kno

CHAPTER 10 _ 1. Israel's Condition. (Romans 10:1 .)_ 2. Righteousness by Works and by Faith. (Romans 10:5 .) 3. The Gospel Published Abroad. (Romans 10:14 .) 4. Israel's Unbelief. (Romans 10:18 .) Romans 10:1 For His beloved people Israel the great apostle of the Gentiles prayed to God, that they might be saved. What an example he has given to us believers of the Gentiles. We owe a great debt to Israel; but how little prayer there is among Gentile Christians for the salvation of the Jews! Paul bears witness th

ROMANS 9:30 TO ROMANS 10:4. Paul has discussed the Jewish situation as from God's side; he proceeds to point out, from man's side, THE CAUSE OF ISRAEL'S STUMBLING. This chs. 3- 5 have prepared us to understand. ROMANS 9:30_ A_. The paradox is that Gentiles, who were out of the way of righteousness, have obtained it; while Israel, intent upon a law of righteousness, missed the mark, because it rejected the way of faith (which Gentiles took), preferring that of works. In other words (Romans 10:3), Israel wanted to set up its own righteousness (_cf._ Php_3:6; Php_3:9) and did not recognise nor submit to God's righteousn