Page 335 - Demo

ROMANS 
God’s Irrevocable Call.* 25I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not become wise [in] your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in,s 26and thus all Israel will be saved,t as it is written:u
“The deliverer will come out of Zion,
he will turn away godlessness from Jacob;
27and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”v
28In respect to the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarchs.w 29For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.x
Triumph of God’s Mercy. 30* Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may [now] receive mercy. 32For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.y
33* Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!z
34“For who has known the mind of the Lord* or who has been his counselor?”a
35* “Or who has given him anythingb that he may be repaid?”
36For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.c
11:33
Paul concludes his discourse on the Jewish people—and the entire theological argument of Romans—with this wonderful meditation on the mysterious
and unfathomable wisdom of God.
God’s light
by Gustave Doré (1866)
*[11:25–29] In God’s design, Israel’s unbelief is being used to grant the light of faith to the Gentiles. Meanwhile, Israel remains dear to God (cf. Rom 9:13), still the object of special providence, the mystery of which will one day be revealed.
* [11:30–32] Israel, together with the Gentiles who have been handed over to all manner of vices (Rom 1), has been delivered. to disobedience. The conclusion of Rom 11:32 repeats the thought of Rom 5:20, “Where sin increased, grace over owed all the more.”
* [11:33–36] This nal re ection celebrates the wisdom of God’s plan of salvation. As Paul has indicated throughout these chapters, both Jew and Gentile, despite the religious recalcitrance of each, have received the gift of faith. The methods used by God in making this outreach to the world stagger human comprehension but are at the same time a dazzling invitation to abiding faith.
* [11:34] The citation is from the Greek text of Is 40:13. Paul does not explicitly mention Isaiah in this verse, nor Job in Rom 11:35.
* [11:35] Paul quotes from an old Greek version of Jb 41:3a, which di ers from the Hebrew text (Jb 41:11a).
s. [11:25] Prv 3:7 / Rom 12:16; Mk 13:10; Lk 21:24; Jn 10:16. t. [11:26–27] Ps 14:7; Is 59:20–21.
u. [11:26] Mt 23:39.
v. [11:27] Is 27:9; Jer 31:33–34.
w. [11:28] 15:8; 1 Thes 2:15–16.
x. [11:29] 9:6; Nm 23:19; Is 54:10.
y. [11:32] Gal 3:22; 1 Tm 2:4.
z. [11:33] Jb 11:7–8; Ps 139:6, 17–18; Wis 17:1; Is 55:8–9.
a. [11:34] Jb 15:8; Wis 9:13; Is 40:13; Jer 23:18; 1 Cor 2:11–16. b. [11:35] Jb 41:3; Is 40:14.
c. [11:36] 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:16–17.
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