Opening Prayer
Last Week
What was valuable, or what stuck with you from last week?
Romans 11:25-27
25 I don’t want you to be ignorant of
this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited[1]: A
partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles
has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel
will be saved, as it is written,
The Deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.
Isaiah 59:20-21
“The Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”[2]—the Lord’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.
Romans 11:28-32
28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, 29 since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable. 30 As you once disobeyed God but now have received mercy through their disobedience, 31 so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may have mercy on all.
v. 32 – God imprisoned all in disobedience so he may have
mercy on all
Romans 1:16
- 17 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God
for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to
the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God
is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The
righteous will live by faith.
The
righteousness of God is revealed by faith – first to last, or faith alone.
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NT people of God. Paul directly applies these words to those whom he in
Rom and, as 11:32 concisely demonstrates, to ‘all.’” – Middendorf (italics are
his)[3]
Romans 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments
and untraceable[4] his ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?
35 And who has ever given[5] to God,
that he should be repaid?
36 For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen.
This is a Doxology.
There are three triads:
- 33 – riches, wisdom, and knowledge
- 34-35 – three rhetorical questions
- 36 – three prepositions “from … through … to” each with the pronoun, “Him.”
This has led some (Origen, Ambrosiaster, and Augustine) to interpret this in Trinitarian terms.
For what are we glorifying God?
- Look back at 30-32 for a repeated word.
This section is clearly poetic. Where did it come from?
It seems to be crafted by Paul.
v. 34 & 35 seem to cite variations on
Jeremiah 23:18
For who has stood in the council of the Lord
to see and hear his word?
Who has paid attention to his word and obeyed?
Isaiah 40:13
Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
or who gave him counsel?
Job 41:11
Who confronted me, that I should repay him?
Everything under heaven belongs to me.
v. 33 & 36 match themes from his Corinthian letters … and we think he may have written from Corinth.
1 Corinthians 2:10 speaks of the “depths of God.”
Wisdom is only mentioned here in Romans, but is used 17 times is 1 Corinthians.
Knowledge is mentioned 3 times in Romans, but is used 16 times in 1 & 2 Corinthians.
Concluding Romans 9-11
Contains some of the deepest thoughts and most contested passages in the New Testament.
“As one considers the all-encompassing salvaific work of God
in Christ throughout history, Paul concludes by leading us in reverent and
joyful praise (11:33-36). Soli Deo gloria! Then, ‘if we have followed him through
these chapters with serious and open-minded attentiveness, we may well feel
that he has given us enough to enable us to repeat the “Amen” of his doxology.’”
– Middendorf, quoting Cranfield on Romans
Wrapping Up
What is one insight/word of comfort/challenging idea that
you hope to hold onto from these verses?
How will the lessons learned from these verses impact your
faith life?
[1]
“wise in your own eyes”
[2]
In Hebrew this word is “baal” – which can mean “master, rule over” but also can
mean, “marry, get married.” Many translations have this as, “though I am their
husband.”
[3]
Concordia Commentary, Romans 9-16, p. 1182-3
[4]
“inscrutable/incomprehensible” – ineffable.
[5]
“give in advance” – this word is only used here.
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