The logic in which the bolded part is emphasized seems to be:For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on 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 abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
A. Righteousness based on the law says “a person who does the commandments shall live by them”. But…
B. righteousness based on 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 abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); BECAUSE…
C. if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
- Why is B necessary for this equation? It doesn’t seem intuitively related to A or C, or necessary for the point being made.
- What does it mean to ask “who will ascend into heaven”? Does this mean either not knowing or doubting that Christ ascended? Or does it mean questioning who makes it to heaven (which, somehow, “brings Christ down from heaven”)?
- What does it mean to ask “who will descend into hell”, re: the above?
- These “locational” questions are satisfied by the nearness of the Word and “internalization” of the Word. But if it were simply a matter of reaffirming a “Christ is with us” mentality, by which the believer lives by faith, the part about “bringing Christ up from the abyss” becomes inexplicable, because in terms of location Christ is currently at the right hand of the Father.
I feel like this weird construct tells us something interesting about how Paul sees the Gospel. Could it be that he believes a Christian shouldn’t ask who is received in heaven versus in hell, because the very asking of this question somehow reduces the power of the Christian death and resurrection? That by asking “which one of us goes to hell”, we are in that very moment taking ourselves out of the salvific belief that Christ successfully rescues us from its grasp (mysteriously)? This would fall in line with the rest of what he implies, that salvation is assured via confession and belief without a person ever asking whether their actions warrant salvation.