Romans 10 is quoted by many people to try and convince us that Paul and YahShua taught against Torah. But as we saw both in Acts 15 and Romans 7, nothing could be further from the Truth.
Romans 10 begins:
10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Paul's intro is clear -- he tells his Torah observant Messianic followers in Rome that he is grieved over the Jews who have refused to believe.
He discuses the Jews' misplace zeal -- a zeal not according to the knowledge of the Torah. Indeed, Paul is merely emphasizing the point YahShua made many times with the Pharisees -- that their own vain traditions nullify the very Torah they claim to keep.
10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Here is the big scripture touted by anti-Torah Christians and Messanics. They claim that because Christ is the "end" of the Torah, we no longer need the Torah.
However, let us not even go to the Hebrew understanding of the scripture -- let's just stick with the even more rudimentary Greek.
The word "end" here is telos which means GOAL.
So, literally, Paul says that YahShua is the GOAL of Torah.
For Christ is the GOAL of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
So, if Torah aids us in reaching the goal -- YahShua Himself -- should we toss away Torah?
People will say, "Well, if I have reached the goal, namely Messiah, why would I need that which helped me reach the goal anymore?"
The answer is simple. YahShua, the goal, said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." John said YahShua, "was the Word made Flesh".
YahShua is the Torah clothed in Flesh. Now we see that which brings us to YahShua is YahShua Himself . Or, to say it another way, that which brings us to Torah is the Torah itself.
YahShua and the Torah are one and the same.
10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
Paul reminds his readers that the Torah given to Moshe must be obeyed, every jot and tittle, for one to inherit eternal life.
10:6 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:)
10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
10:8 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;
10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Now, Paul proves that the Torah = YahShua.
Paul quotes directly from Deut 30: 11-14 which says:
30:11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
30:12 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?
30:13 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?
30:14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
Just as YHVH told Yisrael that they can keep the ENTIRE Torah, the entire Word, now Paul replaces "word" with "Christ", saying that we can follow ALL that Christ told us to do.
Keeping every jot and tittle of Torah and following Messiah are one and the same. Paul makes this clear by his quote of Deut 30.
10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Just as it was in the days of Deut 30, so too there is no difference between Jew and Greek (who are grafted into Yisrael through faith in Messiah), and all can be saved -- if they but keep the commandments of Torah (following YahShua).
10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
10:18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
10:19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
10:20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
Paul concludes by saying that those who are not natural Yisrael -- but are grafted in as wild olive branch is grafted in -- will provoke natural Yisrael to jealousy through their obediance to Torah and faith in Messiah.
And why must this be? Because natural Yisrael, for the most part, continues to refuse the Torah and Messiah but worship their own vain traditions. Thus Paul concludes chapter 10 much as he began it -- grieved over the hardness of the Jews.
This chapter, more than any other in Romans, encourages both Jews and Gentiles to prove their faith in Messiah by keeping every jot and tittle of Torah.
