Paul says something bold and powerful.
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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
1) The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The good news is the message of salvation to all people. What is the good news? That through faith in Christ we can be given righteousness that secures our restoration and right standing before God.
How was it made possible? Because Jesus, God in the flesh, took on the penalty for our sins, which is death, he is able to give us life as a gift. This is good news.
Such good news it’s a wonder why anyone rejects it. Except that we, as humans, love our deeds of darkness. And even though we have a righteousness by faith, repentance is still the message that is preached. Repentance is not popular because it means not getting to do what we want. Righteousness is about doing what He wants.
2) The Gospel is for the Jew first, then the Gentile.
This is often a missed practice by 99% of missionaries and evangelists. Some say that Paul taught this because he was a Jew. But this is not the case. Because his calling was to Gentiles.
He said the Jew first because they are the covenant people of God whom God gave the Scriptures, the promises, the covenants and more. He will talk about this more in a bit.
But even Jesus was sent to the Jews first (Mt 15:24). He did ministry to the non-Jews or half-Jews such as when he went through Samaria. And he spoke of sheep that were not of His sheep pen that would be included in the flock (John 10:1-6).
Yet even Jesus prioritized teh Jews first. It wasn’t because they were more special. It was because they were God’s covenant people.
3) Paul speaks of the righteousness by faith. This is the gospel of God.
What is faith? Trusting that God is able to do what he promised.
We don’t trust our own righteousness. But we trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation. It is not just a change of thinking, it is a change in alignment.
That is why baptism is so important. Baptism is that event where we declare we are putting our trust in Christ for our salvation and not our works. We are baptized into his death, being made alive with him.
Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. People tried to shame him because of it, but it didn’t stick. He knew and understood that the gospel was the power of God for those who believed.
While Paul was called to the Gentiles, he knew that it was for the Jews first, then the Gentiles.
Lastly this gospel was by faith. Not works. But as a gift of grace given by Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:1-17
Paul, a servant[a] of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David[b] according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[c] that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians,[d] both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
16 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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,[e] as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”