Romans 10:5

For Moses. Paul now describes the contrast between righteousness by law and righteousness by faith in language drawn from the OT. By so doing he also shows that there is no contradiction between the OT and the NT on this subject.

Describeth. Gr. grapho. Literally, “to write.” Textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 10) for the following reading of v. 5: “Moses writes that the man who performs the righteousness which is based on law shall live by it.” The quotation is from Lev. 18:5, which reads, “Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them” (cf. Gal. 3:12). Paul quotes these words with the implication, based on Jewish concepts, that righteousness by law demands the perfect fulfillment of the law. It must be kept to the very letter. There is no grace or mercy. All that the law demands must be done, or there is no salvation (see Gal. 3:10-13). But this is a condition that has never been fulfilled by fallen man, as Paul has clearly shown in Rom. 1-3, and which never can be fulfilled by unregenerate sinners (ch. 8:5–8). Consequently, there can be only condemnation for those who depend upon their own fulfillment of the law for justification before God (ch. 3:20).

It is significant that in the context of Lev. 18:5, the law of God is described as consisting of statutes and judgments which actually could be kept and by the keeping of which the people would enter into life. The references to this same passage by Ezekiel (ch. 20:11, 13, 21) and Nehemiah (ch. 9:13, 29) also show that the condition could be fulfilled and the promise attained. With the greater revelation of God’s plan in the NT we see that the assumption underlying these OT passages is that Christians should fix their faith in the Redeemer to come and thus obtain forgiveness of sins and enabling grace for obedience (see on Eze. 16:60; 20:11; 36:26). These Scriptures must not be taken to imply that righteousness may be obtained by the keeping of the law apart from faith. But the Pharisees and, under their guidance, the mass of the Jewish people entertained this erroneous view. They asked for righteousness and life as a reward for their own strict observance of the law. Their relationship with God was purely legalistic. Their covenant with Him was one of works rather than of faith and grace. God sought to lead them to a higher experience, but they refused to progress (see on Eze. 16:60).

It is to expose the error of such a position that Paul quotes Lev. 18:5. He uses the words of Moses himself to remind the legalistic Jews that righteousness comes only to those who obey. But such obedience man is not able to render unaided. Compare Jesus’ reply to the lawyer seeking “the righteousness which is of the law,” ‘This do, and thou shalt live” (Luke 10:28).