An Expert Breakdown of Romans 10:4: Faith, Not Law

Context of Romans 10:4

Romans 10:4 stands at the heart of Paul’s explanation of why many of his fellow Israelites have not embraced Jesus, despite their passionate religious effort.

Paul begins by acknowledging Israel’s zeal for God, but sadly notes it is 'not according to knowledge' (v.2), meaning their passion is misdirected because they don’t understand God’s way of righteousness. Instead of accepting the righteousness God offers through faith in Christ, they are trying to establish their own by keeping the law (v.3). This sets up the powerful declaration of verse 4: Christ is the goal and fulfillment of the law, so that everyone who believes - Jew or Gentile - can be made right with God.

This verse doesn’t mean the law is destroyed, but that Christ completes its purpose - leading us to the only true righteousness, which comes through faith.

The Meaning of 'End' in Romans 10:4 - Goal or Termination?

Romans 10:4 uses the Greek word 'τέλος' (telos), which can mean either 'end' as in termination or 'end' as in goal or fulfillment - a crucial distinction for understanding how Christ relates to the law.

This dual meaning has sparked deep discussion: does Christ end the law by canceling it, or by completing it? Paul is not saying the law is meaningless or erased. Christ is the destination the law was leading to all along. The law revealed God’s perfect standard and exposed human failure, driving people to recognize their need for a Savior - thus serving as a 'tutor to bring us to Christ' (Galatians 3:24). In this way, Christ is the goal (telos) of the law, the one who fulfills its demands and brings its mission to completion.

Paul contrasts two kinds of righteousness: one based on law-keeping (v.5, quoting Leviticus 18:5), which requires perfect obedience, and one based on faith (vv.6 - 8, quoting Deuteronomy 30:12-14), which depends on receiving what God has already done in Christ. He reinterprets the Old Testament passage about ascending to heaven or descending into the abyss - not as tasks we must perform, but as things Christ has already done: 'He who descended is the one who also ascended' (Ephesians 4:10). The righteousness God offers is not far off, but near, in the gospel we proclaim.

This shifts the foundation of being right with God from human effort to divine accomplishment. Faith is resting in what Christ finished, not another work. The law’s role is not to save, but to lead us to the Savior.

Christ is not the end of the law as its destroyer, but as its fulfillment - the goal it was always pointing toward.

Paul is not rejecting the law. He is showing how it finds its true meaning in Christ. The next section will explore how this faith is received - not through isolation, but through hearing the proclaimed word of God.

How Faith in Christ Replaces Self-Earned Righteousness

Now that we’ve seen how Christ fulfills the law’s purpose, Paul makes it personal: the way to be right with God has always been faith, not self-effort.

Instead of climbing mountains or crossing seas to earn God’s favor (Romans 10:6-7), we respond to what God has already done in Christ. The message is near - spoken, believed, and lived out by faith.

Righteousness is not something we build; it’s something we receive by trusting the One who already finished the work.

This was radical for many first-century Jews who valued law-keeping as the mark of faithfulness. But Paul shows that even Moses pointed beyond rules to a heart-level relationship with God (Deuteronomy 30:14). The good news is that God doesn’t wait for us to reach Him - He came to us. Now, through faith, we are made right not by what we do, but by what Christ has done. This opens the door for everyone - Jew or Gentile - to call on the Lord and be saved (Romans 10:12-13), setting the stage for Paul’s next point about how faith begins by hearing the gospel proclaimed.

Christ as the Fulfillment: Connecting Scripture to Life

Building on Paul’s claim that Christ is the goal of the law, we see this truth woven throughout Scripture - from Jesus’ own words to the promises of a new covenant - revealing a consistent story of God fulfilling His law by grace through faith.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.' This aligns perfectly with Romans 10:4 - Christ does not discard the law but brings it to its intended completion. Similarly, Paul in Galatians 3:24 writes, 'So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.' The law guarded and guided us, but it was never meant to save us. Now that faith has come, our relationship with God is no longer based on rule-following but on trusting the One who fulfilled every requirement.

The shift from law to faith also fulfills the promise of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34: 'I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.' Under the old system, the law was external - written on stone and enforced by obedience. Now, through Christ, God writes His ways on our hearts by the Spirit, making obedience flow from love, not fear. This changes everything: we no longer relate to God out of duty or dread, but from a place of acceptance. It also transforms how we relate to others - knowing we’re made right by grace, we extend grace freely, without keeping score or demanding perfection.

The law was never the destination - Christ is, and now faith in Him reshapes how we live, love, and share hope with others.

So what does this mean for daily life? Personally, it frees us from the exhausting grind of trying to earn God’s love - we rest in what Christ has done. In church communities, it means we welcome people not because they’ve cleaned up their act, but because they’ve placed their faith in Jesus. And in our neighborhoods, it empowers us to share the gospel boldly, knowing salvation is not for the perfect, but for anyone who calls on the Lord. This truth changes our theology, how we live, love, and invite others into the story of grace.

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