Romans 11:33-36

Exegesis
The Text
Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom
and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgements, and his
paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counsellor?”
Who has ever given to God, that God should
repay him?
For from him and through him and to him
are all things,
To him be the glory for ever! Amen.
Genre
Belongs to Paul’s
LETTER
to the Christians in Rome

This section
is in the form of
A DOXOLOGY
(Expression of praise)
Context
BEFORE A comprehensive
account of the Gospel
of salvation
precedes the passage
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DOXOLOGY Analysis and argument

give way in this passage to
adoration.
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AFTER Practical implications

of the Gospel
follow.
 Structure Shape
Oh the depth of the riches AN ASTONISHED
EXCLAMATION
and
wisdom
and
knowledge of God!
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How unsearchable his judgements, A RHETORICAL

QUESTION
and
his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counsellor?”
Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?
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For from him A THEOLOGICAL

AFFIRMATION
and
through him
and
to him are all things,
 Structure Shape TOPICS
Oh the depth of the riches GOD’S RICHES
and
wisdom HIS WISDOM
and
knowledge of God! HIS KNOWLEDGE
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How unsearchable his judgements, HIS JUDGEMENTS

and
his paths beyond tracing out! HIS WAYS
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? THE MIND OF GOD
Or who has been his counsellor?”
Who has ever given to God, HIS COUNSEL
that God should repay him? HIS CREDIT
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For from him

and
through him HIS RELATIONSHIP TO
CREATION
and
to him are all things,
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To him be the glory for ever!

HIS GLORY
 Commentary (Stott)
• Paul worships
• Humble wonder at God
• Utter dependence on him
• Wealth and wisdom
– Deep & unfathomable / inscrutable (cf Is
55:8f)
– We cannot penetrate into the infinite mind of
God!
• Judgements and paths
• Revelation and gifts
• What He thinks and decides (his mind)
• What He does and where He goes (his
 Commentary (Stott)
• To reverse roles would be to dethrone
God!
• Our thinking about God should never be
separated from our worship of God
– Worship without theology becomes idolatrous
– A purely academic interest in God without
worship
– Where all things come from? (Source)
– How all things come into being? (Means)
– Where everything is going? (Goal)