Audio commentary on this verse

Note 8 at Rom. 10:8: In verses 6-8, Paul was again quoting from Moses, this time from Deuteronomy 30:11-14. However, in this verse, he adds, "that is, the word of faith, which we preach," which provides us with a commentary on Moses' statements.

A reading of Deuteronomy 30:11-14 by itself might lead someone to suggest that Moses was saying that the law was not hard to keep. Yet that is against everything that Paul taught and the context of this verse in particular. Paul was saying that Moses' statements in this quotation were actually prophesying the day of justification by faith that Paul was preaching.

Paul revealed in Galatians 3:22-25 that the purpose of the Old Testament law was to shut us up "unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed." The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ. From Paul's use of Moses' statements to make his point, it is possible that Moses had revelation of the day when faith in Christ would supersede the law (Dt. 18:15-18).