Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
No one has given anything to God first so that He must pay it back, for all things come from Him and through Him and to Him and the glory belongs to Him forever. It stands in the closing song of praise over the depth of His wisdom and knowledge whose judgments cannot be searched out and whose ways cannot be traced, where no one has known His mind or stood as His adviser. It seals the teaching that unbelieving Israel was broken off, believing Gentiles were grafted in as wild branches, the natural branches can be grafted in again if unbelief ends, and God has shut all up in unbelief so He may show mercy to all. It opens straight toward the call to give the body as a living holy acceptable sacrifice and to be changed by a renewed mind instead of copying the world, so the good and acceptable and perfect will of God may be proved. Because salvation was laid in the sacrifice of One equal with God who obeyed perfectly and died and became poor that men might be made rich, men are not their own but bought at infinite cost and owe Him everything, and must therefore stand in awe before Him rather than presume to explain or instruct Him.
Context in Romans Eleven
The verse stands at the close of the teaching that Israel as a nation lost its connection with God through unbelief, that the Gentiles as wild branches were grafted into the good olive tree, that the broken-off natural branches can be grafted in again if they do not remain in unbelief, and that God has concluded all in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all. It joins the cry over the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God, whose judgments are unsearchable and whose ways are past finding out. No one has known the mind of the Lord and no one has been His counselor, and no one has first given anything to Him so as to enrich Him, lay Him under obligation, or put Him in debt so that repayment is owed. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, all things come from Him and exist through Him and belong to Him, to whom be glory forever.
That closing praise leads directly into the call to present the body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God as reasonable service, and to be not conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of the mind in order to prove the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The chapter in this setting frames a work for the Jews that must not be ignored but must be treated with special wisdom. God's wisdom must come to His people for this work, and in all wisdom and righteousness they must clear the King's highway, giving the Jews every opportunity to come to the light.
God Owes Nothing Back
No one has first given anything to God so as to make Him owe repayment, lay Him under obligation, or place Him in debt. Nothing God gives is repayment owed for a prior gift from human beings, and no one can claim credit over Him or act as His counselor. All things come from Him, exist through Him, belong to Him and are directed to Him, so He alone receives glory forever. The verse stands with the cry over the depth of the riches of His wisdom and knowledge, that His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out, that no one has known the mind of the Lord and no one has been His counselor, and that of Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
His wisdom and ways surpass human understanding and exceed human measure. His greatness is beyond human comprehension, for His command governs rain and lightning, which He sends for correction, for the good of His land, or in kindness. He is infinitely high, His armies cannot be numbered, and His light is over all, so His mind, ways, and power cannot be measured, counseled, or claimed by men. He is the King eternal, immortal, invisible, who only has immortality, dwelling in light which no one can approach and whom no one has seen or can see, to whom belong glory and honor and power everlasting.
Humans owe all to God rather than God owing them, because salvation was laid in the sacrifice of Him who was equal with God. He came to earth, honored the binding law by perfect obedience, practiced piety and self-denial and self-sacrifice as an example, died so humans would not eternally perish, and became poor so they through His poverty might be made rich. Humans are not their own but bought with that price at infinite cost, and human life and abilities are entrusted by God because no one can give Him anything that was not already His.
Reverence Obedience and Mission
Finite, erring beings must not attempt to interpret God, for the Omniscient One is above discussion and no one has first given anything to Him so as to place Him under obligation or in another's debt, since of Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Silence before Him is eloquence, and people must stand in awe of Him rather than presume to instruct Him, and must be very careful how they speak of Him. He understands thoughts afar off, is acquainted with all ways, and knows every word on the tongue, and He is infinitely high, His armies cannot be numbered, and His light is over all. His mind and ways and power cannot be measured, counseled, or claimed by men, for the riches of His wisdom and knowledge are depths, His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out, and no one has known His mind or been His counselor, so human speculation about Him is vain and dangerous.
Speculators will meet their words in the day when all things are brought to light and falsehood and truth are placed in sharp contrast. The all-wise, omniscient One knows all things and can speedily bring to naught the foolish devisings of men. Trust is due to God whose wisdom and ways are beyond human understanding, since nothing God gives is repayment owed for a prior gift from us and all things come from Him to whom glory belongs. The closing praise of the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge, of unsearchable judgments and ways past finding out, of no one knowing the mind of the Lord or being His counselor, and of all things being of Him and through Him and to Him, must be read carefully and prayerfully and then received and practiced and not merely read.
That practicing means cleansing the life by presenting the body a living sacrifice holy and acceptable as reasonable service and by being transformed through the renewing of the mind and not conformed to the world in order to prove the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, and this instruction condemns many who claim to be Christians. Because salvation was laid in the sacrifice of Him who was equal with God, who came to earth, honored the binding law by perfect obedience, practiced piety and self-denial and self-sacrifice as an example, died so humans would not eternally perish, and became poor so they through His poverty might be made rich, humans are not their own but bought with that price and owe all to God. Therefore it is the greatest honor to link with Christ, wear His yoke, bear His burden, and work as laborers together with God as His husbandry and building, bringing right material into character building in His steps.
No one has given anything to God first so that He must pay it back, for all things come from Him and through Him and to Him and the glory belongs to Him forever. It stands in the closing song of praise over the depth of His wisdom and knowledge whose judgments cannot be searched out and whose ways cannot be traced, where no one has known His mind or stood as His adviser. It seals the teaching that unbelieving Israel was broken off, believing Gentiles were grafted in as wild branches, the natural branches can be grafted in again if unbelief ends, and God has shut all up in unbelief so He may show mercy to all. It opens straight toward the call to give the body as a living holy acceptable sacrifice and to be changed by a renewed mind instead of copying the world, so the good and acceptable and perfect will of God may be proved. Because salvation was laid in the sacrifice of One equal with God who obeyed perfectly and died and became poor that men might be made rich, men are not their own but bought at infinite cost and owe Him everything, and must therefore stand in awe before Him rather than presume to explain or instruct Him.
Context in Romans Eleven
The verse stands at the close of the teaching that Israel as a nation lost its connection with God through unbelief, that the Gentiles as wild branches were grafted into the good olive tree, that the broken-off natural branches can be grafted in again if they do not remain in unbelief, and that God has concluded all in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all. It joins the cry over the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God, whose judgments are unsearchable and whose ways are past finding out. No one has known the mind of the Lord and no one has been His counselor, and no one has first given anything to Him so as to enrich Him, lay Him under obligation, or put Him in debt so that repayment is owed. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, all things come from Him and exist through Him and belong to Him, to whom be glory forever.
That closing praise leads directly into the call to present the body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God as reasonable service, and to be not conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of the mind in order to prove the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The chapter in this setting frames a work for the Jews that must not be ignored but must be treated with special wisdom. God's wisdom must come to His people for this work, and in all wisdom and righteousness they must clear the King's highway, giving the Jews every opportunity to come to the light.
God Owes Nothing Back
No one has first given anything to God so as to make Him owe repayment, lay Him under obligation, or place Him in debt. Nothing God gives is repayment owed for a prior gift from human beings, and no one can claim credit over Him or act as His counselor. All things come from Him, exist through Him, belong to Him and are directed to Him, so He alone receives glory forever. The verse stands with the cry over the depth of the riches of His wisdom and knowledge, that His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out, that no one has known the mind of the Lord and no one has been His counselor, and that of Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
His wisdom and ways surpass human understanding and exceed human measure. His greatness is beyond human comprehension, for His command governs rain and lightning, which He sends for correction, for the good of His land, or in kindness. He is infinitely high, His armies cannot be numbered, and His light is over all, so His mind, ways, and power cannot be measured, counseled, or claimed by men. He is the King eternal, immortal, invisible, who only has immortality, dwelling in light which no one can approach and whom no one has seen or can see, to whom belong glory and honor and power everlasting.
Humans owe all to God rather than God owing them, because salvation was laid in the sacrifice of Him who was equal with God. He came to earth, honored the binding law by perfect obedience, practiced piety and self-denial and self-sacrifice as an example, died so humans would not eternally perish, and became poor so they through His poverty might be made rich. Humans are not their own but bought with that price at infinite cost, and human life and abilities are entrusted by God because no one can give Him anything that was not already His.
Reverence Obedience and Mission
Finite, erring beings must not attempt to interpret God, for the Omniscient One is above discussion and no one has first given anything to Him so as to place Him under obligation or in another's debt, since of Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Silence before Him is eloquence, and people must stand in awe of Him rather than presume to instruct Him, and must be very careful how they speak of Him. He understands thoughts afar off, is acquainted with all ways, and knows every word on the tongue, and He is infinitely high, His armies cannot be numbered, and His light is over all. His mind and ways and power cannot be measured, counseled, or claimed by men, for the riches of His wisdom and knowledge are depths, His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out, and no one has known His mind or been His counselor, so human speculation about Him is vain and dangerous.
Speculators will meet their words in the day when all things are brought to light and falsehood and truth are placed in sharp contrast. The all-wise, omniscient One knows all things and can speedily bring to naught the foolish devisings of men. Trust is due to God whose wisdom and ways are beyond human understanding, since nothing God gives is repayment owed for a prior gift from us and all things come from Him to whom glory belongs. The closing praise of the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge, of unsearchable judgments and ways past finding out, of no one knowing the mind of the Lord or being His counselor, and of all things being of Him and through Him and to Him, must be read carefully and prayerfully and then received and practiced and not merely read.
That practicing means cleansing the life by presenting the body a living sacrifice holy and acceptable as reasonable service and by being transformed through the renewing of the mind and not conformed to the world in order to prove the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, and this instruction condemns many who claim to be Christians. Because salvation was laid in the sacrifice of Him who was equal with God, who came to earth, honored the binding law by perfect obedience, practiced piety and self-denial and self-sacrifice as an example, died so humans would not eternally perish, and became poor so they through His poverty might be made rich, humans are not their own but bought with that price and owe all to God. Therefore it is the greatest honor to link with Christ, wear His yoke, bear His burden, and work as laborers together with God as His husbandry and building, bringing right material into character building in His steps.