Chapter # 11 Paragraph # 6 Study # 5
July 21, 2019
Humble, Texas

• I. Paul's "Big Picture" Reality.
  • A. This verse begins with o which is a conjunction that either subordinates the issues of the clause, or uses the clause to provide an explanation of a "cause".
  • B. In this case, it ought to be translated "because".
    • 1. Its prior "issue" is the larger exclamation of Paul in 11:33.
      • a. This exclamation argues for an excited recognition of the "depth of the wealth of divine wisdom and knowledge" in view of His plan to "shut up together" all in the cage of "lack of persuasion" so that He might "release them from that cage" by "showing them mercy".
        • 1) The "all" in both phrases refers to, in a very real sense, "the nations, including Israel".
        • 2) These references do not refer to everyone who is a fallen human being; Paul's point is not "universal salvation" ((as in "salvation for every human being who has ever lived") but "comprehensive salvation" (as in the "salvation" of some from every nation, kindred, language group, and tribe" so that "all" of the people groups of the creation, however they are defined, are represented in those who have received "mercy").
          • a) This is obvious because all of the serious warnings of Paul regarding God's cutting off of those who obstinately remain in their impenitent rebellion. This means nothing if, in the long run, "universal salvation of every creature" is to be the ultimate reality.
          • b) Paul's "point" in the warnings and teachings is that God intends to include some from every nation, including Israel, in His "mercy", not all.
      • b. This exclamation is the outcome of the excited recognition of the divine plan to include a vast host of "sinners" in the "salvation" involved in the Promise of Eternal Life (Revelation 5:9). There will, ultimately, be a larger, vast host of "sinners" who are rejected as "not My people" because of the issues of "Sin" and the multitude of "knowledge issues" that are involved in its temporary part in the overall Plan of Wisdom (Matthew 7:13-14). But this is not a "defeat" in any sense just because the numbers of those who perish is vastly greater than the number of those who are redeemed (Romans 9:27). God has never adopted the foolish standard of men who place a premium upon "quantity"; He determined early on that "quality" would be His guide. The redeemed are, by an amazing demonstration of great Grace, a transformed group of "no quality people" into a group whose ultimate development will be into "sinless perfection".
    • 2. As "explanation" it reaches to the roots of the claim that God's wisdom and knowledge are infinitely beyond the capacities of any creature.
  • C. There are two major elements of this "because" phrase.
    • 1. First, there are the issues of the three "creation" realities.
      • a. There is the issue of the "whence" of "creation".
        • 1) Paul says "out of Him" [are] all things.
        • 2) Does he mean "things" in the sense of created entities, or in the sense of "activities"?
          • a) Rational thought denies the latter: where is any possibility of "judgment", or "Justice" if "all activities are 'out of' God'?" (Romans 9:14, 20).
          • b) The "all" are "created entities".
      • b. There is the issue of the "instrument" of "creation".
        • 1) The issue of "through" is that of "instrumentality".
        • 2) Perhaps the clearest declaration of this reality is John 1:3.
      • c. There is the issue of the "ultimate end" of "creation".
        • 1) The issue of "unto" is the issue of whose "purposes" are being served?
        • 2) God has never vacated His authority over His creation so that His purposes are always being served so that He can make such a promise as Romans 8:28.
    • 2. Second, there is the ultimate issue within "creation reality" because of "Sin": Who gets the credit?
      • a. There is the "Who gets the credit?" in respect to the existence of "Sin" in God's creation? In light of this issue, there is this: with ignorant, thoughtless men who seek always to "blame" others for the outcomes which can easily be traced to their own choices and actions, the "bottom line" seems to be the question "Could intervention have stopped certain outcomes?"
        • 1) If the answer is "Yes", then the one who refused to intervene is considered "blameworthy" even though that individual had nothing to do with the choices and actions of those who are really "blameworthy".
        • 2) And, with men, there is never a "No". If no one can be found to "blame" besides the worker of the deed, men have no hesitation at all with "blaming" God. It is much like the wicked and stupid woman who drowned her children and then screamed, "God, why did You let me do this?" Wicked and stupid.
      • b. And there is the "Who gets the credit?" in respect to the salvaging of "sinners" unto the ecstasies of Eternal Life?
        • 1) Since it is endemic to the fallenness of humanity for "sinners" to be "seekers of credit" (1 John 2:16), and since this very problem is the root of all relational destruction [this root is identified as "boastfulness" in both our immediate context (11:18) as well as the larger, entire relational universe (3:27; and Ephesians 2:9)], it is no surprise that Paul has to address this "credit" issue here.
        • 2) In respect to every detail that leads to "blessedness" (defined in terms of the Joy of Life), God is the Root and, as such, must be given "the credit" by those who are involved in that "blessedness" lest they give that credit to another (an Idol), or take it for themselves.
      • c. And, finally, there is the declaration that there will never be any end of this issue: either the "credit" goes to God forever, or it goes to someone/thing "forever".