Romans 10 · Verse 4

Romans 10:4

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Romans 10:4, King James Version

Romans 10:4 in other translations

BSBFor Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.
WEBFor Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
ASVFor Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.
YLTFor Christ is an end of law for righteousness to every one who is believing,
DARBYFor Christ is the end of law for righteousness to every one that believes.
BBEFor Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who has faith.
WebsterFor Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

What does Romans 10:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. For Christ is the end--the object or aim. of the law for--justifying righteousness to every one that believeth--that is, contains within Himself all that the law demands for the justification of such as embrace Him, whether Jew or Gentile (Ga 3:24).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 4. For Christ. This expression implies faith in Christ. This is the design of the discussion, to show that justification cannot be obtained by our own righteousness, but by faith in Christ. As no direct benefit results to men from Christ unless they believe on him, faith in him is implied where the word occurs in this connexion.

Is the end of the law. The word translated "end" means that which completes a thing, or renders it perfect; also the boundary, issue, or termination of anything, as the end of life, the result of a prophecy, etc., Jn 13:1, Lk 22:37. It also means the design or object which is had in view; the principal purpose for which it was undertaken. 1Timm 1:5, "The end of the commandment is charity;" the main design or purpose of the command is to produce love. 1Pet 1:9, "The end of your faith, the salvation of your souls; "the main design or purpose of faith is to secure salvation. Rom 14:9, "To this end Christ both died," etc.; for this design or purpose. This is doubtless its meaning here. The main design or object which the perfect obedience of the law would accomplish, is accomplished by faith in Christ. That is, perfect obedience to the law would accomplish justification before God, secure his favour and eternal life. The same end is now accomplished by faith in Christ. The great desire of both is the same; and the same great end is finally gained. This was the subject of discussion between the apostle and the Jews; and this is all that is necessary to understand in the case. Some have supposed that the word end refers to the ceremonial law; that Christ fulfilled it, and brought it to an end. Others, that he perfectly fulfilled the moral law. And others, that the law in the end leads us to Christ, or that its design is to point us to him. all this is true, but not the truth taught in this passage. That is simple and plain, that by faith in Christ the same end is accomplished in regard to our justification, that would be by perfect obedience to the moral law.

For righteousness. Unto justification, or acceptance with God.

To every one that believeth. Rom 1:17.

(l) "end of the law" Heb 10:14.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 For Christ is the end of the law - Where the law ends, Christ begins. The law ends with representative sacrifices; Christ begins with the real offering. The law is our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ; it cannot save, but it leaves us at his door, where alone salvation is to be found. Christ as an atoning sacrifice for sin, was the grand object of the whole sacrificial code of Moses; his passion and death were the fulfillment of its great object and design. Separate this sacrificial death of Christ from the law, and the law has no meaning, for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins: wherefore the Messiah is represented as saying, Sacrifice and observing thou didst not desire; burnt-offering and sin-offering thou hast not required; then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will; a body hast thou prepared me, Psa 40:6, Psa 40:7; Heb 10:4-10; which proves that God never designed that the sacrifices of the law should be considered the atonement for sin, but a type or representative of that atonement; and that The atonement was the sacrifice offered by Christ. Thus he was the End of the law, in respect to its sacrifices. And, as sacrifices were offered merely to procure pardon of sin, righteousness, or justification, Christ is the end of the law for this justification to every one that believeth on him, as dying for their offenses, and rising again for their justification, having made peace through the blood of his cross. Therefore every Jew who rejected Christ rejected salvation, and that very salvation which the law witnessed and required, and which could not be had but through Christ alone.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 10:1-4

The Jews built on a false foundation, and refused to come to Christ for free salvation by faith, and numbers in every age do the same in various ways. The strictness of the law showed men their need of salvation by grace, through faith. And the ceremonies shadowed forth Christ as fulfilling the righteousness, and bearing the curse of the law. So that even under the law, all who were justified before God, obtained…

Read the full comment on Romans 10:1-4 →

Romans 10:4 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΤέλοςTelos[The] endG5056
γὰρgarforG1063
νόμουnomouof lawG3551
ΧριστὸςChristos[is] ChristG5547
εἰςeisuntoG1519
δικαιοσύνηνdikaiosunēnrighteousnessG1343
παντὶpantito everyoneG3956
τῷtōwhoG3588
πιστεύοντι.pisteuontiis believing.G4100

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 10:4

  • Galatians 3:24

    Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

  • Romans 8:3-4

    For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

  • Matthew 5:17-18

    Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

  • Acts 13:38-39

    Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

  • John 1:17

    For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

  • Hebrews 10:14

    For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

  • Isaiah 53:11

    He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

  • Colossians 2:10

    And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

  • Colossians 2:17

    Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

  • Romans 7:1-4

    Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

  • Romans 3:22

    Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

  • Romans 3:25-31

    Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Christ.
3:25-31; 8:3,4; Isa 53:11; Mt 3:15; 5:17,18; Joh 1:17; Ac 13:38,39
1Co 1:30; Ga 3:24; Col 2:10,17; Heb 9:7-14; 10:8-12,14
the end.[Telos ,] the object, scope, or final cause; the end proposed and intended. In this sense Eisner observes that [telos ] is used by Arrian.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Romans 10:3

    For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

  • Romans 10:4

    For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

  • Romans 10:5

    For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Read all of Romans 10

Romans 10:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque el fin de la ley es Cristo, para justicia á todo aquel que cree.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car Christ est la fin de la loi pour justice à tout croyant.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn Christus ist des Gesetzes Ende, jedem Glaubenden zur Gerechtigkeit.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Finis enim legis, Christus, ad justitiam omni credenti.