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),
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:)
- BSB 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)
- 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)
- 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 which I command you today is not too hard for you or too distant.
- Prov 30:4Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?
- Eph 4:8–10Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
- John 3:12–13If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
- John 6:58This is the bread which came down out of heaven — not as our fathers ate the manna, and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
- Phil 3:9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
- Rom 4:13For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring that he should be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
- Rom 3:22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction,
- Rom 9:30–31What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
- John 6:38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
- Rom 3:25whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance;
- John 6:33For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”
- Heb 1:3His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
- Heb 11:7By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
- John 6:50–51This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, 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.