But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down)
Parallel translations
- WEB But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down);
- KJV But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
- NKJV But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above)
- NASB But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),
- NLT But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth).
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The righteousness of faith does not require ascending to heaven to bring Christ down. Salvation is not an impossible quest but a gift already accomplished.
Overview
Adapting Deuteronomy 30:12, Paul personifies faith-righteousness as saying we need not scale the heavens to fetch Christ. The implied point is that Christ has already come down in the incarnation; no human achievement can add to or accomplish what God has done. The righteousness of faith rests on Christ's finished work, not on heroic human effort, setting it apart from the law-keeping of v. 5.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Deut 30:11–14For this commandment I give you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
- Prov 30:4Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!
- Eph 4:8–10This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
- John 3:12–13If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
- John 6:58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
- Phil 3:9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
- Rom 4:13For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
- Rom 3:22And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
- Rom 9:30–31What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
- John 6:38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.
- Rom 3:25God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
- John 6:33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
- Heb 1:3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
- Heb 11:7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
- John 6:50–51This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die.
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 10:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.