Romans 11:36

My Notes

What Does Romans 11:36 Mean?

Romans 11:36 is Paul's eruption of worship after wrestling through nine chapters of the most demanding theology in the New Testament — election, sovereignty, Israel's hardening, Gentile inclusion, and the mystery of God's plan: "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

Three prepositions define God's relationship to all reality. Ex autou — "of him" — He is the source. Everything originates in God. Di' autou — "through him" — He is the means. Everything is sustained and accomplished by God. Eis auton — "to him" — He is the destination. Everything returns to God. Source, sustainer, destination. Beginning, middle, end. Alpha, omega, and everything between.

The Greek ta panta — "all things" — is comprehensive. Not some things. Not spiritual things. All things. The universe, history, your life, the church, Israel's story, the Gentiles' inclusion, the mystery Paul has just spent three chapters unfolding — all of it originates in God, moves through God, and returns to God. There is nothing outside this circuit. And the only appropriate response to realizing you're inside it is the one Paul gives: glory. Forever. Amen.

Reflection Questions

• 1.After wrestling with hard theological questions, do you arrive at answers or at worship? What does Paul's example suggest about the right destination?
• 2.Of Him, through Him, to Him — source, sustainer, destination. Which of these three aspects of God do you most need to internalize right now?
• 3.Is there a question about God that you've been trying to resolve analytically that might need to be released into worship instead?
• 4.Paul says 'all things.' Can you include the hardest, most confusing parts of your story in that 'all' — and still say 'to Him be glory'?

Devotional

After wrestling with the hardest questions in theology — why does God choose some and not others? What about Israel? How does it all fit together? — Paul doesn't arrive at a neat systematic answer. He arrives at worship. The questions aren't all resolved. But the God behind them is glimpsed. And the glimpse produces a doxology, not a diagram.

Of Him. Through Him. To Him. Three phrases that locate God as the source, the engine, and the destination of absolutely everything. You came from God. You're sustained by God. You're headed back to God. There is nothing in your life that falls outside that circuit. Not the confusing parts. Not the painful parts. Not the parts that make no theological sense. Of Him. Through Him. To Him.

This verse is the exhale after the deepest inhale. Paul has been holding his breath through Romans 9, 10, and 11 — navigating divine election, human rejection, Israel's future, Gentile inclusion, and the inscrutable wisdom of God. And when he surfaces, he doesn't summarize. He worships. Because some truths are too large for summary. They can only be met with glory.

If your mind has been spinning with questions about God's fairness, God's choices, God's plan for the world and for you — Paul's example says: at some point, stop analyzing and start worshipping. Not because the questions don't matter. Because the God behind the questions is bigger than the answers. And when you catch even a partial glimpse of that, the only adequate response is the one Paul gave: to Him be glory. Forever. Amen.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture