Footsteps #231

 “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” NLT (Rom.1:16)

Paul’s third “I am.” (v16) sounds a bit strange at first. Why should he, or anyone else for that matter, be ashamed of the gospel? After all, in other places, he claims to glory and rejoice in the gospel message (see Gal.6:14; Rom.5:2,11). 

Perhaps the answer to the question of why Paul put the phrase about not being ashamed of the gospel at this point in his letter is that some in Rome despised the simplicity of the gospel message. It had certainly been the case in Corinth, where some saw the preaching of a crucified Saviour to be “foolishness” (1Cor.1:18). In fact, he noted a few verses later, the preaching of “Christ crucified” was a “stumbling block” to the Jews and “unto the Greeks foolishness” (v23). Again in Athens “some mocked” “when they heard of the resurrection of the dead” (Acts.17:32). 

To preach a God who became a man through a virgin birth, died as a criminal on a cross, rose bodily from the dead, went to live in heaven, and would return to earth someday didn’t exactly make rational sense to the sophisticates of that day. And the self-appointed sophisticates of any age can make one feel a little squeamish with their better-than-thou attitudes and airs. 

Another reason the people of Paul’s time hesitated to preach Christ was that in addition to verbal abuse, it often brought physical persecution. After all, Paul had been imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica smuggled out of Berea and laughed at in Athens. Apart from all the whippings and stonings! 

To put it bluntly, Paul probably had all the same problems as you and I when it comes to testifying for our Lord. It has never been easy or painless to witness. We always put ourselves in danger of ridicule and jest. 

Yet Paul was “eager” to preach his message. Beyond that, far from being ashamed of the gospel, he was proud of it. Why? Paul will answer that question in Romans 1:16,17 as he talks about the power and salvation of God. By the time he finishes, we all have a right to be proud of the gospel.