22
purport to explain some hidden meaning in the text; rather, he sees a correspondence
between God's revelation of the law through Moses and his revelation of righteousness in
Christ. Labeling Paul's use of Deut. 30:12-14 as analogical is insufficient to
communicate the most precise nuance of this correspondence; there is not simply a
similarity or resemblance present, but also a foreshadowing and escalation of God's
salvific activity that makes typology, or indirect fulfillment, a better designation.
The
eschatological contexts of both Deut. 30 and Rom. 10 (see vv. 11, 13, 19-20) supports
this conclusion.
It seems probable that Paul does indeed have the context of Deut. 30:12-14 in
mind as he quotes it in Rom. 10:6-8, and that he may even see the language of faith in the
very verses he quotes. In his use of this OT text, Paul demonstrates that the revelation of
the righteousness of God in the gospel of Christ is what God had intended from the
beginning of redemptive history to do what the law could never do, which is to make
sinful people righteous.
23
Mark A Seifrid suggests that Paul's use of the text is typological; however, he comes to this
conclusion without ever analyzing the text of Deut. 30:12-14 and its context. In our opinion, this omission
keeps him from realizing the full significance of Paul's use, as he concludes that "the text which Paul
quotes does not in itself...carry the point he is making....Strictly speaking, `the righteousness of faith' does
not appear in this passage. Nevertheless, the broader theology of Deuteronomy [in which God elects Israel
by grace], which is at least the presupposition for Deut. 30:11-14 corresponds well with the pauline use of
the text (his emphasis)." Seifrid, 35.