Who will Ascend into Heaven to Bring Christ Down?
Romans 10:4-10
Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 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) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ~Ro 10:4-10
The passage discusses a gospel truth that we are all familiar with: “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” However, in the passage there are several verses which are puzzling and hard to understand. These verses are quoted from Moses regarding the Law, with added interpretations by Paul: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” We know that the revelations of biblical doctrines are progressive, in the Old Testament it was still a shadow of things to come, when comes to the New Testament it would be the reality. Let us first examine Moses’ discourse from the Old Testament and we will no longer find it difficult to understand what Paul wanted to convey in the passage.
After Moses reaffirmed the decrees and laws of God to the Israelites, he encouraged them with these words:
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. ~De 30:11-14
Moses wanted the Israelites to know that the commandments and laws that God had given them were not difficult to obey. God did not ask the Israelites to ascend into heaven nor cross the sea, to do the impossible in order to obey His Law. On the contrary, as long as the Israelites gave their wholehearted devotion, talked about the Law daily, sincerely followed the Law from their heart, they would receive great blessings from the Lord. (De 11:18-21)
From the history of Israel, we observe that whenever a God-fearing king led the people to obey the commandments and the laws of God, the Lord would prosper the nation greatly. However, when they disobeyed God and forsook the commandments and the laws, they were cursed and judged by God. This had been recurring over and over again for more than a thousand years, what was flawed and imperfect had then become complete and perfect when Jesus came. This is because Christ is the culmination of the Law, in Him the whole requirement of the Law is fulfilled.
Paul, in the above passage from the book of Romans, quoted from Moses to explain two possible ways of achieving justification by God. First, justification by obeying the Law. Second, justification by faith in Christ.
Moses spoke concerning the justification by obeying the Law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” This means that if a person could meet the requirements of the laws of God, he will not be condemned and his life shall be preserved. However, we know that the Law is spiritual, and we are carnal, hence no one who is born of the flesh can be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the Law. Rather, the Law is used to bring about the consciousness of our sin, not to justify those who keep it. Therefore, if we seek to achieve justification by obeying the Law, then we would surely be condemned by it and perish. (Ro 3:20; 7:14)
For justification by faith in Christ, Moses described it as “It is not too difficult or beyond our reach, we do not need to ascend into heaven nor cross the sea to get it; it is very near us, it is in our mouth and in our heart so we may obey it.”
“Who will ascend into heaven to bring Christ down?” — refers to the incarnation of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, born into this world as a man.
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Ga 4:4);
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Mt 1:21)
“Who will descend into the deep to bring Christ up from the dead?” — refers to after Jesus’ death on the cross, and God the Father raised Him up from the dead three days later.
‘The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’ (Mt 28:5-6);
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1Co 15:3-4).
“Who will ascend into heaven to bring Christ down or who will descend into the deep to bring Christ up from the dead?” – speaks of Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, burial and his resurrection from the dead three days later. This is exactly the Salvation God has prepared for all mankind.
Every single process and every minor detail involved in accomplishing the work of Salvation is the utter manifestation of the infinite wisdom and power of the Almighty God, which absolutely no human is able to participate or contribute anything. And God has never requested us to have a part in the work of Salvation because it is just impossible. What He wants from us is something not too difficult or beyond our reach – if we confess with our mouth and believe in Jesus in our heart, we will be saved. This is precisely the doctrine of “justification by faith” preached by Paul.
We will now paraphrase this passage to make Paul’s meaning plain and easy to understand:
“According to the righteousness by faith, God did not require us humans to be involved or contribute any effort in the work of Salvation, because that is simply impossible. Since, if God did expect human beings to have a part in the work of Salvation, then it would be as difficult as we have to ascend into heaven to bring Christ down to earth to be born as a man, and after Jesus’ crucification, we have to descend into Hades to bring Him up from the dead. The difficulty involved in the work of Salvation is simply unimaginable, an insurmountable task which only God can accomplish. Therefore, God definitely will not request us to do the impossible. So what exactly does God want from us? It is something not far from us, extremely simple and easy, and everyone can do it with ease. That is, to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, to believe in our heart His Salvation, and we shall be saved and justified freely!”