Romans 10 · a question people ask

"For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (10:4). What does fulfillment mean here?

In the text

The chapter says it in its own words: "For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (10:4). The verses that follow go on with what "Moses writes about the righteousness of the law" (10:5) and with "the righteousness which is of faith" (10:6), and they don't explain the word further. Christians have read 10:4 in more than one way; these notes give the words and choose no reading.

The verses

“For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.” 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);”
Romans 10:4-6 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Romans 10

Romans 10: Faith comes by hearing

Romans 10 gives the words "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (10:8), and goes straight on: "if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (10:9). And the report of 10:16 and the hearing of 10:17 are one Greek noun.

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Last reviewed October 7, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions