Romans 10:5-13 "Ascending to Heaven and Descending to Hell"

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Video Notes:

Deuteronomy 30:12-14 – The original context is where God (through Moses) is telling Israel that they are to keep His Torah (commands and promises), that they aren’t too miraculous for them, and that they shouldn’t feign ignorance as though God hadn’t revealed the Torah to them (i.e. no one brought it from heaven or from across the sea). Rather, God’s Torah was near them, it was in their mouths and the hearts. It was also on the writing Moses had. 😉
‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) – This would imply that we must go to God to get righteousness. This is, of course, impossible and similar to the idea that we must earn our own righteousness by works of the Law. It looks to us.
- Of course the beautiful reality is that while we couldn’t go up to God to get righteousness, God came to us in the incarnation to bring us righteousness through Jesus Christ.
- Some have also interpreted this as referencing a demand the Christ (now glorified seated at the right hand of the Father) come down so we would believe.
‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead) – This implies that upon Christ’s death, we would somehow descend into the realm of the dead to lead Jesus back from the dead to get our righteousness.
- Once again, the beautiful reality is that, while we could never do that, God did raise Jesus from the dead to give us righteousness and, therefore, salvation.
- Paul varies the quote from Deuteronomy making it center on Christ, the source of our righteousness.
Contrary to having to go to God or bring Jesus up from the dead, the Word of faith is near precisely because God has brought it to us and by His power made us to understand it and receive it by faith.
- Romans states what “the word is near you” means. It is referring to Gospel, Jesus is Lord and He died and rose again for our salvation.
  - However, the text is also reminiscent of John 1 and Mark 1.

Romans 10:5-13 "Ascending to Heaven and Descending to Hell"

Video Notes:

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL serving Lutz, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, and New Tampa, FL