Week 29

Romans 11:33-36
Leader: for your review

Eph 3: Paul speaks of the riches of Christ (v8) and the riches of God’s glory (v16) as being that which was hidden from man before Christ came to the earth and that which will strengthen us with power through His Spirit.

Discussion question: What is the wisdom of God?
1 Kings 3:28
Proverbs 2
Job 28:28
Ps 37:30
Ps 111:10
Is 11
1 Cor 1-2
Col 2:3

Discussion question: What is the knowledge of God?
Job 38:2 implies that the knowledge of God is facts that only God can know; details of creation, life, etc.
Ps 139:1-6
Is 11
Hos 6:6
Mal 2:7

Discussion question: What would it look like for someone to give God counsel? What are some examples of how we give God counsel?
“God, why didn’t I marry this girl?” “God, why didn’t I get this job?” “God, this isn’t fair!”

Discussion question: How does Paul’s wording of v35 leave absolutely no room for arguing?

Discussion question: What does this passage teach us about the things we’ve learned in the book of Romans?
1 Cor 8:6, 11:12 – all things are from God, all things created by God
Col 1:16 – all things, thrones or dominions are created through Him and FOR Him
Heb 2:10 – It was fitting to bring many sons to glory in sufferings
Eph 3:21 – to Him be the glory forever
Phil 4:20 – to God be the glory
1 Tim 1:17 – to God be the glory
2 Tim 4:18 – the Lord will rescue me and bring me to safety
1 Peter 4:11, 5:11 – whoever speaks is to do so as if speaking for God
2 Peter 3:18 – grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord
Jude 25 – to Him be glory before all time and forever
Rev 1:6, 5:13, 7:12 – to Him be the glory
Ps 24:10 – Who is this King of Glory? HE IS
Grudem p221, paragrahs 5,6

Discussion question: Why is this passage (vv33-36) added here? What has just been said and what is about to be said by Paul?

Leader: for your review:
This passage is a great closing to the previous 11 chapters. Paul has gone through a long defense of the great doctrines of God and they are very hard to grasp, even impossible to grasp. Some were not meant to be understood but rather stated (What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God is there? The answer is simply a statement of the question, God is sovereign and man is responsible and this makes God just!) Paul is amazed by the wisdom and knowledge of God and simply humbles himself before God and gives Him all glory. Paul is about to state a “therefore” in chapter 12:1. This “therefore” is a bridge between these great doctrines and their application to our lives. Paul says, now that we know what we know, we can live the lives God wants us to. Now that we know that all are condemned before God because of sin and that God has offered us redemption and forgiveness by grace through faith in Christ Jesus who was foretold by the Scriptures and the prophets and we are now no longer under the bondage of sin but under the grace of Christ to live the life of a free man by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us and prays for us only because God has graciously chosen us for this life before the foundation of the world for His own purposes and for His own namesake and for His own glory, now that we know this, this great truth of God’s ultimate plan for His glory, are we able to live out the Christian life by the power of God.