A common misinterpretation is to view this verse as endorsing a casual faith without obedience or moral effort, suggesting Gentiles attained righteousness effortlessly without any pursuit of godliness, whereas Paul actually highlights faith as the key mechanism versus self-reliant works, not dismissing all effort but redirecting it from law-keeping to trust in Christ; another error is applying it to dismiss the ongoing relevance of God's moral law for believers, ignoring the broader context of Romans where faith produces obedience.
Romans 9:30
King James Version (1769)
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
Paul contrasts the unexpected attainment of righteousness by Gentiles, who did not pursue it through legalistic efforts but received it through faith in Christ, with the Jews who zealously sought righteousness by works of the law yet failed to achieve it because they did not submit to God's righteousness revealed in the gospel, emphasizing that true righteousness comes solely by faith rather than human achievement or ethnic privilege.