Romans 10:8 - But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:6-8 is a quote from Deut. 30:10-14. Paul paraphrased it so that they would look it up. We will start in verse six of Deut. so that it is clear that the Gospel was taught and available since Moses if not before.
And the LORD thy God
will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
(Deu 30:6 KJV)
The fulfillment of this circumcision from GOD of Christ is stated in Deut 30:10-14. The readers of this letter would have been drawn to this passage from the beginning of the letter. It is written, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly;
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."
(Rom 2:28-29 KJV)
Which GOD promised to do in Deut. 30:6. Which when he did he then spoke the fulfilment of it in verses 10-14. Please take notice to the present tense.
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep
his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But
the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
(Deut 30:10-14 KJV)
The LXX translation of this text adds "
and in thy hand".
With the above text in mind please note that the phrases "
HIS commandments and HIS statutes which are written in this book of the law" and "
the Word" are being used synonymously. In this instance they are interchangeable. Please take notice that in Deut. 30 the Judgments are not mentioned.
With that being established let's take a look at Romans 10:6-8 now.
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above
Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
(Rom 10:6-8 KJV)
So while the Israelis and Romans were reading this letter they would have been reading the Pentateuch and some of the other books from the Old Testament also. Actually with more regard. When they came to this verse they would of seen the similarities to Deut, and would have looked up the verses there and read them in parallel. In doing so would have tied everything together
synonymously keeping everything in harmony to one another.
For the LORD our GOD will circumcise our hearts and the hearts of our seed. For righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ (
GOD's commands and statutes written in the Book of the Law. In other words the Word; the Divine utterances. The Word manifested in the flesh; Christ) down from above
Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ (
GOD's commands and statutes written in the Book of the Law. In other words the Word; the Divine utterances. The Word manifested in the flesh; Christ) again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word (
GOD's commands and statutes written in the Book of the Law;
the Divine utterances; Christ, the Word manifested in the flesh manifested in our flesh; .) is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart and in thy hand: (that thou mayest do it)
that is, the word of faith, which we preach.
And that my friend would include the Sabbath.
With the above understanding of verses 6-8; when they read verse four they would have understood it as Christ being the goal of the law for righteousness sake in the putting off the body of Sin through the indwelling of Christ. No longer of the letter but of HIS Spirit.
And they two shall be one flesh. The Body of Christ; the Temple of GOD. For it is GOD that works in us both to will and do HIS good pleasure. As Jesus said, "HE doeth work"!
.... For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who BELIEVES. (Romans 10:1-4)