Romans 10: Toward the autograph?

There have been a great many accomplished scholars who have devoted much of their lives to Biblical study and in particular to the Epistle to the Romans. For example, I have the impressive ‘Romans’ by CEB Cranfield, Emeritus Professor of Theology at the University of Durham, England. Cranfield is considered one of the best authorities on Romans. Similarly, FF Bruce’s NIV Bible Commentary contains a concise commentary on Romans by Prof Leslie C Allen, Prof. of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary.

How could I possibly have the audacity to suggest these great scholars got some of their commentary wrong?

When I read their understanding, I find almost every verse and every significant comment based on some prior presuppositions that I totally reject. The first and perhaps most significant is their belief in the Trinity, that is that Jesus is God. This clearly brings them to the text with a significantly different a-priori understanding.

Added to this a clear pre-suppositional belief in the doctrine of ‘original sin’, and the consequential belief that righteousness through obedience (other than for Jesus), is impossible and you may see why we would come to different interpretations.

So, in trying to come to the chapter without these faulty presuppositions and trying only to use clear and unequivocal foundational doctrines from the Tanakh, I think that a different understanding and appreciation of the chapter emerges.

So below is a version of Romans 10 without the more obvious interpolations as Pastor Aubrey Burt and I see them. That is, a further redacted version that attempts to move the text back towards the original.

It is important to appreciate that, because of the shared Hebraic understanding of the Apostle Paul’s intended audience, (given the great oral knowledge of the Tanakh, and especially the Torah – the Books of Moses, and the major prophets like Isaiah - read in the synagogues as part of the Torah and Haftorah portion each Sabbath), in quoting a single line, Paul’s audience would generally have appreciated the whole context and section of the Hebrew Scriptures from where this verse originated.

Thus, I have included a little more of each quote from the Tanakh, so as to try and communicate the context more clearly given today’s readership not being as familiar with the Tanakh (OT).

While the Apostle Paul was speaking primarily to God-fearers and Gentile followers of Yeshua in Rome, as they met in Synagogues where these letters would have been read out, any Gentile lack of understanding of the quoted passages from the Tanakh would most likely have been clarified by the Jewish brethren present in the Jewish communities that these Gentile followers were now part of[1].

The references from the Hebrew Scriptures are mostly from the  Hebrew-English Tanakh: the Jewish Bible, (Varda Books, 2009)

1. Brothers, my heart's deepest desire and my prayer to God for all Israel is for their salvation;

2 for I can testify to their zeal for God. But for some this zeal is not based on correct understanding;

3 but instead they seek to set up their own path to righteousness. They have not submitted themselves to God's way of making people righteous.

4 For the Messiah completes the Torah[2], which offers righteousness to everyone who trusts in it.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness grounded in the Torah, and states that the person who does these things, that is, is obedient to Torah, will attain life through doing them.

6 Further, the righteousness grounded in such trusting or faithfulness says:

“Then Adonai your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. ... (when) you obey Adonai your God (and) keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in the Torah, (when) you turn to the Adonai your God with all your heart and soul.

For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.

It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’  Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’

But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.”[3] (from Deut 30:6-14)

10 For with the heart one goes on trusting, and thus continues toward righteousness, while with the mouth one keeps on making public acknowledgement, and thus continues toward deliverance.

11 For the passage quoted was repeated by Isaiah when he said:

“Therefore hear the word of Adonai, you scoffers … “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, A tried stone, a costly corner-stone of sure foundation [i.e. the Torah]; He that believes shall remain steadfast.  I will make justice the plumb-line,
 and righteousness the plumb-bob …” (from Isaiah 28:14 - 17)

12 That means that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - ADONAI is the same for everyone, rich toward everyone who calls on Him,

13 since everyone who calls on the name of ADONAI will be delivered. As Joel states:
“Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the Day of Adonai is coming; Surely it is near, … And it will come to pass that whoever calls on the name of Adonai will be delivered” (Joel 2:1, 3:5 Hebrew-English Tanakh - or Joel 2:32 in most English versions)

16 The problem is that they haven't all paid attention to the good news of the Kingdom of God and obeyed it. For Isaiah says, "Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of Adonai been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1)

17 So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.

18 "But, I say, isn't it rather that they didn't hear?" No, they did hear:

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their sound has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world.” (Ps 19:1-4)

19 "But, I say, isn't it rather that Israel didn't understand?" But Adonai states through Moses: “They have made Me jealous with what is not [of] God; They have provoked Me to anger with their vanities [i.e. the traditions of men]. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people [of God]; I will provoke them to anger with a nation lacking understanding [i.e. gentiles].”

20 Also, Isaiah boldly speaks for the Almighty and states,

"I was found by those who were not looking for Me, I became known to those who did not ask for Me. I said: ‘Behold Me, behold Me’, to a nation that was not called by My Name (that is, to Gentiles);

21 and to some of Israel he says,

"I have spread out My hands all day, to a rebellious people, That walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts.”

But He also states:

“ … I will not destroy all, for I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains; And My elect shall inherit it.” (Isaiah 65:1-2, 8-9)

Romans 11:1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!

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[1] For the best book on Romans, and the details on Paul’s intended audience see ‘The Mystery of Romans: The Jewish Context of Paul's Letters’ by Mark Nanos, 1996

[2] This portion is often given as ‘The goal of Torah is Messiah’ – I discuss this in some depth in my article ‘The Goal of Messiah’ at www.circumcisedheart.info

[3] Romans 10:9 just does not fit with the context and flow of the text. I believe it is an interpolation to the original text.