Romans 10:8-10
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The verse highlights that the "word of faith" isn't some distant, unattainable truth but is intimately close – already in your mouth and heart. This emphasizes that the message of salvation is meant to be spoken and believed, making it immediately accessible rather than requiring a strenuous search.
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is contrasting the righteousness that comes from following the law perfectly with the righteousness that comes from faith in Christ. He's already explained that trying to achieve righteousness through the law is impossible because it requires absolute perfection. Now, he introduces the concept of faith by quoting from Deuteronomy, showing that God's word and the path to righteousness are not impossibly distant but readily accessible through belief and confession.
Ever feel like understanding God's truth is like searching for a hidden treasure? Paul reassures us it's much closer than we think.
Paul quotes Moses from Deuteronomy 30:14 to show that God's commands, and by extension His message of salvation, are not distant or difficult to grasp.
Not Beyond Reach
Moses spoke of the law not being in heaven or across the sea. Paul adapts this to the Gospel, stating that the 'word of faith' isn't something you need to ascend to the heavens or descend into the depths to find. It's not a secret code for the elite or a reward for extreme effort.
Ready for Your Heart and Mouth
The core message is simple: the word is 'near you, in your mouth and in your heart.' This means it's readily available to be spoken in confession and believed in your heart. It’s been proclaimed by those who preach it, making it accessible to everyone.
Paul calls the Gospel the "word of faith." What does that really mean, and why is it so central?
The phrase "word of faith" is specific and powerful. It's not just any word; it's the message that demands and enables faith.
The Content of Faith
This "word of faith" is the Gospel itself. It's the good news about Jesus Christ – His life, death, and resurrection. It's the message that God offers salvation not based on our works, but through faith in what Christ has done.
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Faith's Foundation and Function
It's called the "word of faith" because:
Understand the original words
rhēma · Greek Noun
A divine message, doctrine, or proclamation; specifically, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
homologeō · Greek Verb
To acknowledge, profess, or publicly declare a truth, specifically the lordship of Jesus Christ.
kyrios · Greek Noun
One who possesses absolute authority, power, and sovereignty; a title belonging to God and applied to Jesus as the resurrected Ruler.
sōzō · Greek Verb
To be rescued from divine judgment, sin, and death, and restored to eternal life with God.
dikaioō · Greek Verb
To be declared righteous or innocent before God's judgment seat; a legal verdict of acquittal based on faith.
Paul masterfully uses Moses' words from Deuteronomy about the nearness of God's law to highlight the even greater accessibility of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, whose message is now proclaimed openly.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt, a foundational event in their national and religious history.
c. 1400 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God gives the Mosaic Law to the Israelites, establishing a covenant that includes commandments for life and worship.
c. 622 BC
Discovery of Deuteronomy
King Josiah's religious reforms are reignited by the discovery of the Book of Deuteronomy in the Temple, emphasizing the importance of God's word.
c. 586 BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple, leading to the exile of many Jews to Babylon, a period of spiritual reflection and yearning for God's presence.
c. AD 30
Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Jesus is crucified and rises from the dead, validating His claims and inaugurating the new covenant through faith.
c. AD 50-60— this verse
Paul's Ministry and Letter to the Romans
Paul, an apostle to the Gentiles, spreads the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ throughout the Roman Empire and writes his letter to the church in Rome.
This is the Old Testament passage Paul directly quotes and applies, showing how the accessibility of God's command (which Paul reinterprets as the 'word of faith') was relevant then and even more so now in the Gospel.
Romans 10:5This verse sets up the contrast Paul is making, showing the 'righteousness of the law' requires perfect doing, while the 'word of faith' is near to be embraced.
Romans 10:9This verse immediately follows, illustrating what it means for the word to be 'in your mouth and in your heart' by specifying confession and belief in Christ's resurrection.
Hebrews 4:2This passage echoes the idea that God's message (like the promised rest) is meant to be accessible and received, not something impossibly distant or requiring arduous effort.
John 1:17This verse helps understand Paul's re-application of Moses' words; while the law was given through Moses, the grace and truth of the Gospel, which the 'word of faith' represents, came through Christ, making it truly accessible.
vincentRomans 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;"
The word is nigh theeSeptuagint, Very nigh thee is the word. The word is the whole subject-matter of the Gospel. See Romans 10:9. Moses used it of the law. See on Luke 1:37. The whole quotation in the Hebrew is as follows: "It (the commandment) is not in heaven, that ye should say, Who will ascend for us to heaven, and bring it to us, and make us hear it tha…
cambridgeRomans 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;"
8 . The word ] More precisely, the utterance ; i.e. of the terms of the covenant. Alike the elder and later Covenants were not obscure enigmas, but could be recited by human lips and assented to as “just and good” by human hearts. that is , &c.] See last note but one on Romans 10:6 . Here again St Paul sees in the words of Moses a divinely-meant adaptation t…
The verse highlights that the "word of faith" isn't some distant, unattainable truth but is intimately close – already in your mouth and heart. This emphasizes that the message of salvation is meant to be spoken and believed, making it immediately accessible rather than requiring a strenuous search.
Paul is contrasting the righteousness that comes from following the law perfectly with the righteousness that comes from faith in Christ. He's already explained that trying to achieve righteousness through the law is impossible because it requires absolute perfection. Now, he introduces the concept of faith by quoting from Deuteronomy, showing that God's word and the path to righteousness are not impossibly distant but readily accessible through belief and confession.
Paul is contrasting the righteousness that comes from following the law perfectly with the righteousness that comes from faith in Christ. He's already explained that trying to achieve righteousness through the law is impossible because it requires absolute perfection. Now, he introduces the concept of faith by quoting from Deuteronomy, showing that God's word and the path to righteousness are not impossibly distant but readily accessible through belief and confession.
"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the…" — The verse highlights that the "word of faith" isn't some distant, unattainable truth but is intimately close – already in your mouth and heart. This emphasizes that the message of salvation is meant…
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Last reviewed October 2026
