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, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Unashamed
Having just spent time in Genesis 3 with the advent of shame, I was struck by Paul’s boldness in proclaiming his lack of shame. The source of his lack of shame is the gospel. We are given two distinct characteristics of the gospel which embolden Paul. It is powerful and it reveals the righteousness of God. The power in the gospel saves all who believe. The salvation is conditional. It does not force people to enter into harmony with God; It allows people to establish a right relationship with God. To move from the depths of a the fallen condition of man to the incomparable nature of prelapsarian mankind requires immense power. We do not comprehend that power if we do not see how desperately depraved our condition truly is. Paul will establish mankind’s nature in the opening chapters of Romans.
The second reason for not being ashamed is the revealed righteousness of God. Is this God’s own righteousness? Is this a righteousness from God? Is it a righteousness done by God? The truth is that we don’t really know. Which one would cause you to be unashamed? Douglas Moo writes that we should look to God’s righteousness in the Old testament to get a clue as to what is going on here. He concludes that for Paul, “the righteousness of God is personal and relational.” We are justified with God because of our personal faith. Have you exercised such faith?
Prayer
May I be unashamed. May I look for every opportunity given to me by you to speak a righteousness by faith into the lives of anyone who will listen.
Questions
- What reasons does Paul give for not being ashamed?
- Who is saved first?
- State in your own words what you believe Paul is saying about faith in this passage?
- How can people see that you are unashamed of the gospel?
- What empowers you to speak the gospel unashamedly?
Plymothian 
1. because the gospel is the power of God for salvation
2. Jew first then Gentile
3. the gospel reveals the righteousness of God and leads to saving faith
4. speak confidently about the gospel and try to live according to it
5. knowing that it is the truth and seeing that others need the truth
The shame verse has hit home for me. In SYS THeo 1 we have been talking about how Christ bears our shame and calls us his brothers and sisters. But despite this how often are we ashamed of our faith, or too timid and scared to share and stand up for the Gospel? I know that I have felt short in this way.
Lord forgive us of our shame. Holy Spirit renew us and empower us. Send us into the world without shame, but with confidence, love and joy
3. He is not embarrassed by Christ and His written word. His word is what saves people and brings them to Himself.
4. Well, if I am willing to share it with others and talk to them about it, it shows that I am not ashamed. Additionally, if a strive to follow what the Bible says every day, it shows that I am not ashamed.
5. God’s grace in us empowers us to speak the gospel unashamedly.
1. What reasons does Paul give for not being ashamed? He does not need to be ashamed of the gospel because it is the very power of God and is salvation
2. Who is saved first? The Jews
3. State in your own words what you believe Paul is saying about faith in this passage? In salvation, we see the righteousness (the goodness and perfection) of God displayed both in faith and for faith because those who are righteous in the eyes of God live by their faith, for that is the only way that someone could truly be considered righteous
4. How can people see that you are unashamed of the gospel? By my open and confident profession of my faith
5. What empowers you to speak the gospel unashamedly? The Holy Spirit
1. He is not ashamed because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
2. The Jews are.
3. Paul is saying that the power of the gospel, what it accomplishes fully, is salvation for those who believe in God. This is a faith that is from beginning to end for a believer. It is from faith to faith.
4. I don’t think is evident in my life to the level that it should be. When I am able to be in community or have interactions with others no matter how brief about the gospel I hope they see Christ. Key to others seeing the gospel is for my life to be so integrated with the gospel that it just comes out in all areas.
5. The Holy Spirit enables us.
How can people see that I am unashamed of the gospel? I have done many shameful things, and sometimes looking upon the gospel can make that shame seem more clear because Christ bore our shame. To look on the crucified Christ is to look at Him bearing our shame, which feels shameful. But if we remember that the gospel is the power of God for salvation rather than for condemnation, it changes how we look at it. If we truly believe that God’s righteousness is revealed in it, then we will be unashamed. As I have become more aware of this truth, God has given me multiple opportunities to speak to others about how we can come before God without shame because Christ crucified our shame. I hope that others can see through my speech and actions that I am unashamed of the gospel as it becomes more and more true.
Holy Spirit is what empowers me to speak the gospel unshamefully and confidently. I remember the time when my old friend told me that she was doubting God’s existence. Honestly speaking, I did not know what to say to her then. However, if she would tell me the same thing again now I can boldly share with her the GOOD NEWS and amazing love of Christ. It is not by my own strength but by the Holy Spirit who gives me strength.
What reasons does Paul give for not being ashamed?
The Gospel is powerful
Who is saved first?
The Jew and then the Gentile
How can people see that you are unashamed of the gospel?
By making choices for my life that would seem impractical, foolish or undesirable to the world because God has called me to them.
It’s so easy to hide the fact that we are Christians. It’s so easy to keep the truth from a non-believer. Although, I wish these things were not true. God’s justification has been put on us, so that He no longer sees us as total depraved humans, but as His children. We should be so overwhelmed with joy that we CANNOT keep quiet.
1. Paul does not need to be ashamed because the gospel is the power of God to bring salvation to everyone who believes.
2. The Jewish people.
4. People will know that we are not ashamed of the gospel by a willingness to speak about it and a confidence in its teaching.
If I’m being completely honest here, I am not always completely unashamed of the Gospel. Depending on the social situation and my audience, there are times when I push off the Gospel for the sake of not offending people. My family in particular is somewhat hostile towards the Gospel, so it is really difficult to bring it up around them because I am afraid of being ganged up on or offending them and losing all credibility.
I do not want to be ashamed of the Gospel, but I do act that way at times. It can be easy to hide or pretend I am not listening when an opportunity to speak about the Gospel comes up. Sometimes I may feel shame because of what others have wrongfully done in the name of Christ. Sometimes I feel embarrassment or shame because I want to be seen as an intellectual, and being a Christian can carry the connotation of being anti-intellectual.
Lord, forgive me for the times I am ashamed of the Gospel. Give me courage to speak about You and give me the words to say.
1) Paul is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation.
2) The Jew and then the Greek
5) The Holy Spirit empowers me to speak about the gospel unashamedly.
Paul says we should not be ashamed because the gospel is the power of God through Christ, and second because the righteousness of God is revealed. The Jew is first saved, then the Gentile. Paul is saying that our salvation is dependent upon our faith. People will know I am not ashamed by the way I live and speak about Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers me to speak unashamedly about the gospel.
The reasons to not be ashamed is because the gospel is the power of God to save everyone, the Jew first and then the Gentile. Faith for Paul is to be unashamed, for in the gospel their is righteousness, and the gospel is believed through faith, so those that have faith are given the righteousness from God, and because of all of this, Paul is unashamed.
I oftentimes find myself in dissimilar mindset of Paul. I am not ashamed of my faith in the gospel, and if someone questions it I will defend it, but I am not out preaching my faith actively evangelizing. So in a way, people don’t know that I am unashamed, because they will never really be able to see it.