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The Place of Romans 10:6-8 in Paul's Argument
We cannot properly address the use of the OT in Rom. 10:6-8 without putting
these verses in the context of Paul's argument. The Apostle's aim in chaps. 9-11 is to
prove that "God's Word has not failed" (9:6), even though most Israelites have not
believed in Christ. Paul proves from God's Word that it was never God's plan to save
every individual Israelite, but rather to elect freely a people for himself (v. 6-13); that
God's glory is displayed in the free dispensation of his mercy and wrath (vv. 14-23); and
that God's Word is fulfilled in his election of both Jews and Gentiles to the people of
God (vv. 24-29).
Romans 9:30-10:4
Beginning in 9:30, Paul addresses the seeming dilemma created by the
indiscriminate election of God's people from among both Jews and Gentiles, especially
in light of the fact that Gentiles were responding to the gospel in much greater numbers
than Jews.
The question is, how could Gentiles, who did not have the divine gift of the
law and were not even pursuing righteousness, obtain righteousness, while a majority of
Jews, who had pursued the law attesting to righteousness, could be cut off from salvation
(9:30-31)? The first part of Paul's answer is that the majority of Israel misconstrued the
law to be fulfilled on the basis of works rather than through faith (v. 32). Paul supports
his case with a conflation of Is. 8:14 and 28:16, which describe the foundation stone of
the temple as God's standard of righteousness (v. 33). Christ is now that foundation
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Paul is continuing to develop what he expressed at the beginning of the chapter, that most Jews
are accursed and separated from Christ even though they have all the benefits of being the covenant people