Sola Deo Gloria

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” -Romans 16:25–27

Paul closes his letter with a doxology, a short expression of praise to God; thus, doxa “glory” and logos “speaking” = doxologia. Doxologies are short formulaic expressions that enumerate the particular actions of God which ascribe greatness to him. It is notable that it was a study of the book of Romans that gave birth to the Protestant Reformation; and one of the major themes of the Reformation was sola deo gloria (to God alone the glory). 

Paul’s doxology gives glory to God for strengthening the believers according to “my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ.” Paul’s possessive language is not a claim to the authorship of the gospel. Paul means the good news of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ that he is preaching. 

And although the gospel was proclaimed through the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament, it was preached with much obscurity compared to the full revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. As Calvin notes, it was “indeed to no purpose that Malachi declared that the Sun of righteousness would arise, (Mal. 4:2;) or that Isaiah had beforehand so highly eulogized the embassy of the Messiah.”

But now, as Paul notes elsewhere, “…the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4), and the gospel light has been made known to all nations. All nations everywhere are commanded to repent and believe this gospel. 

He closes his doxology—and his letter—giving glory to God who is “only wise” and has now revealed the extent of that wisdom through Jesus Christ. 

Paul further elaborates on the nature of this wisdom in his letter to the Corinthians:

“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”” -1 Corinthians 1:20–31