Romans 11:33-36
Chapter 11
33
How vast are the riches, wisdom, and knowledge of God! His decisions cannot be explained, nor his ways understood!
34
Who has ever known God’s thoughts? Who has ever been his adviser?
35
Who has given him something first so that God had to repay him?
36
Everything comes from him, has been made by him and must return to him. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Commentaries
The Conversion of Israel.
The Apostle appears to accept the mystery of his people’s widespread rejection of the Gospel. He cannot understand it. It is a secret, known only to God, and he, Paul, now feels like a guardian of it, even though he can only speculate. None of the debates and theories seem to fit anymore. The secret, which calls for humility and hope, is the future conversion of the Jews, connected to the inclusion of the pagans (25). He does not specify when or how, but Paul expects this to happen soon, since he believed the Lord would return in a few years and even considered the possibility of meeting the Lord himself while still alive (cf. 1 Cor 15:51).