In Romans 10:10 is the clause, "For with the heart man believeth unto (INTO in the Greek) righteousness" connected to verse s 6-8 where it states, Faith speaks on this wise, say not in our heart bring Christ down from above or up from the deep. But says, The Word is in our heart and in our mouth. That is the word of faith in which we preach.
And is this the faith that establishes the Law (3:31) and the faith that the Just live by? (1:17)
Okay, first of all, the translation "UNTO" in Romans 10:10 is accurate. The Greek word "
eis" does NOT necessarily mean "INTO," as your post implies. In fact, the KJV translates this word in a variety of ways depending on context.
Strong’s G1519 (EIS) is translated in the KJV as follows:
- INTO (573 times)
- TO (281 times)
- UNTO (207 times)
- FOR (140 times)
- IN (138 times)
- ON (58 times)
- TOWARD (29 times)
- AGAINST (26 times)
- MISCELLANEOUS (322 times)
That last category, "MISCELLANEOUS," refers to 322 cases where the Greek word "
eis" isn’t translated into a specific English word. Its meaning is absorbed into the sentence structure due to idiomatic or grammatical differences between Greek and English.
As for "INTO," I’ve only found TWO English Bibles that translate "
eis" that way in Romans 10:10. They are the LITV (Literal Translation of the Holy Bible) and the MLV (Modern Literal Version). These are not real translations in the normal sense. They are hyper-literal tools made for direct Greek study, not for reading, teaching, or doctrinal instruction. They are not cited in mainstream commentaries, seminaries, or churches.
ALL other English translations, including the KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, NIV, CSB, NET, and even paraphrases like the NLT, translate "
eis" in Romans 10:10 as either "UNTO," "RESULTING IN," "LEADING TO," or they absorb its directional force into the verb itself ("IS JUSTIFIED" or "IS SAVED").
So yes, "
eis" is correctly and precisely translated as "UNTO" in Romans 10:10.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Further, and far more importantly...
ROMANS 10 DOES NOT TEACH LEGALISM!
The entire thrust of Paul's ministry, indeed the whole point of his apostleship, can be summarized in one simple exhortation...
DO NOT PLACE YOURSELF UNDER THE LAW.
Paul makes this point repeatedly and unambiguously:
Romans 4:5 "But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness."
Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Romans 6:15 “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
Romans 7:4 “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”
Romans 7:6 “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Romans 10:4 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Galatians 2:19 “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.”
Galatians 2:21 “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Galatians 3:10–13 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse… Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.”
Galatians 3:23–25 “But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law… Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ… But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
Galatians 4:4–5 “God sent forth His Son… to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Galatians 4:21 “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?”
Galatians 5:2 "Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing."
Galatians 5:18 “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
Philippians 3:9 “And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”
Colossians 2:14 “[Christ] having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
I Timothy 1:9 “Knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate…”
If I were to quote everything Paul says on this, I’d basically have to quote the entire book of Romans, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, etc.
Paul’s message is consistent from beginning to end...
We are justified by faith, apart from the law.
We are not under the law.
We must not return to the law.
To do so is to hobble your Christian walk and live a life of unnecessary frustration, thinking you can live a life that is impossible to you.
"Things Which Gracious Souls Discover:
"To ‘hope to be better’ [hence acceptable] is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.
"To be disappointed with yourself, is to have believed in yourself.
"To be discouraged is unbelief,—as to God’s purpose and plan of blessing for you.
"To be proud, is to be blind! For we have no standing before God, in ourselves.
"The lack of Divine blessing, therefore, comes from unbelief, and not from failure of devotion…
"To preach devotion first, and blessing second, is to reverse God’s order, and preach law, not grace. The Law made man’s blessing depend on devotion; Grace confers undeserved, unconditional blessing: our devotion may follow, but does not always do so,—in proper measure."
Have we been afraid to really believe God? Have some even been afraid to allow others to really believe Him? We must never forget that "God’s ways are not always man’s ways. To some men, constant peril is the only spur to action, and many religions and psychologies are dependent on fear to keep their disciples in line. Fear, too, has a place in Christianity, but God has higher and more effective motivations than fear, and one of these is love. Often fear after a while produces only numbness, but love thrives on love. To promise a man the certainty of his destiny may seem, on the human level, like playing with fire; but this leaves God out of the picture. Those who have the deepest appreciation of grace do not continue in sin. Moreover, fear produces the obedience of slaves; love engenders the obedience of sons" (J. W. Sanderson, Jr.).
