The Accessibility of Righteousness in Christ
Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead) Romans 10:5-7
Paul has already outlined three contrasts – between faith and works (9:32), between God’s righteousness to which we should submit and our own righteousness which we mistakenly try to build (10:3), and between Christ and the law (10:4). He will now elaborate further on the implications of this last contrast by highlighting the differences between ‘the righteousness that is by the law’ (10:5) and ‘the righteousness that is by faith’ (10:6).
‘Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them”’ (10:5). When Moses spoke of living by the law, did he think a theoretical outcome could be a righteous standing before God? If so, it would only have been a theoretical outcome because as Paul notes elsewhere ‘All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law’ (Galatians 3:10,11). No one could be justified by the law because no one had succeeded in obeying it. It’s possible that Moses might not have understood ‘living by the law’ as the condition for righteous standing though but more as the condition for enjoying covenant privilege. Either way, Paul saw clearly that any righteousness based on the law was by definition something only attainable by “doing.”
Contrasting this is ‘the righteousness that is by faith’ (10:6). It sets before us Christ and not the law, and assures that, unlike the law, Christ is very accessible. ‘But the righteousness that is by 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 deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)’ (10:6,7). Paul’s point seems to be that by Christ’s being brought down to earth (10:6 His incarnation) and His being brought up from the dead (10:7 His resurrection), God has made righteousness readily available (10:8). One does not have to ascend into heaven or plumb the depths of the sea to discover it. All one needs to do to attain righteousness is to respond in faith to the gospel as it is preached.
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 is behind Paul’s thinking here:
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
The issue is accessibility. Moses began this part of his speech by telling the Israelites that his teaching was neither ‘too difficult’ for them nor ‘beyond their reach.’ It was neither up in heaven nor beyond the sea, so that they would have to find someone to ascend into heaven or cross the sea t bring it to them. What Moses had said about his teaching, Paul says is true of the gospel. It is neither remote nor inaccessible. Christ is near and the gospel is near.