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 10:3KJVWhat does Romans 10:3 mean?
Romans 10:3 explains that some people did not understand or accept the way God makes people right with Himself, and instead tried to set up their own way of being righteous. Because of this, they did not accept or submit to God’s way of making people righteous.
Paul is writing to the believers in Rome, talking specifically about his fellow Israelites. He points out that they missed God’s plan for righteousness (being right with God) because they tried to achieve it on their own terms, rather than accepting what God provided. This verse highlights the difference between human efforts and God’s gift of righteousness.
The Greek behind Romans 10:3
- δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē, “righteousness”): This word appears several times in the verse and refers to being right or just in God’s eyes. Paul contrasts “God’s righteousness” with “their own righteousness,” highlighting two very different approaches.
- ἰδίος (idios, “own”): This word means “their own” and stresses that the people were relying on their personal standards or achievements, not on what God offers.
- ὑποτάσσω (hypotassō, “submitted”): This word means to submit or yield. Paul says they “have not submitted” to God’s righteousness, showing that accepting God’s way requires humility and a willingness to receive, not just effort.
Why Romans 10:3 matters
- Romans 10:3 clarifies that being right with God is not about following our own rules or traditions, but about accepting what God has provided.
- The verse helps explain why many Israelites in Paul’s time did not recognize or accept Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise of righteousness.
- This verse connects to Paul’s larger argument in Romans, showing the difference between trying to earn righteousness and receiving it as a gift from God.