I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.Here is a portion of what I wrote on this passage on my post on June 3rd.
Why isn't Paul ashamed of the gospel? He tells us that it is because "it is the power of God for salvation." The problem with this phrase is that when I (and I suspect most American Evangelical Christians) read this phrase my mind is thinking "it is the power of God for converting people." In other words, I think most people read this phrase and think that Paul is saying that the message of the gospel is the power of convincing people to believe; which is the basis of their salvation. Though it may be true that the message has that kind of power (see Romans 10:17) that is not the grounds of Paul's confidence in the gospel. If Paul's lack of shame in the gospel was merely that it has the power to convert people he would be no better than any other religious leader (no better than Oprah!).
So what is it the real reason Paul is not ashamed of the gospel? What is it that encourages him to follow the command of Jesus in Luke 9? Simply put, Paul is not ashamed of the gospel because it works. Look at it this way, "I am not ashamed of the gospel (the person and work of Jesus Christ coming to the world to die for sinners), for it is the power of God for salvation (salvation from the wrath of God unto eternal life) to everyone who believes."
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
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