John Calvin Commentary Romans 10:4

"For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth." — Romans 10:4 (ASV)

For the end of the law is Christ, etc. (Romans 10:4). The word completion, does not seem unsuitable to me in this place; and Erasmus has rendered it perfection: but as the other reading is almost universally approved, and is not inappropriate, readers, for my part, may retain it.

The Apostle here pre-empts an objection that might have been made against him, for the Jews might have appeared to be following the right way by depending on the righteousness of the law. It was necessary for him to disprove this false opinion, and this is what he does here. He shows that anyone who seeks to be justified by his own works is a false interpreter of the law, because the law had been given for this purpose—to lead us, as by the hand, to another righteousness. Indeed, whatever the law teaches, whatever it commands, whatever it promises, always refers to Christ as its main object; and therefore all its parts ought to be applied to him. But this cannot be done unless we, being stripped of all righteousness and confounded by the knowledge of our sin, seek gratuitous righteousness from him alone.

It therefore follows that the wicked abuse of the law was justly rebuked in the Jews, who absurdly made an obstacle of that which was intended to be their help. Indeed, it appears that they had shamefully mutilated the law of God, for they rejected its soul and seized on the dead body of the letter.

For though the law promises a reward to those who observe its righteousness, yet after proving all guilty, it substitutes another righteousness in Christ, which is not attained by works but is received by faith as a free gift. Thus the righteousness of faith, (as we have seen in the first chapter), receives testimony from the law. We then have here a remarkable passage, which proves that the law in all its parts referred to Christ; and therefore, no one can rightly understand it who does not continually aim at this mark.