“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.” (v. 16)

If you ever wondered whether the Bible is still relevant in our modern culture, read Romans 1.

Paul, inspired by the Spirit, is introducing what will prove to be the most thorough theological position preserved in the New Testament. He is seeking to strengthen believers he has not yet met, to encourage them as they worship in a complicated context. And he is steering the conversation to the singular, scandalous, specific revelation of Jesus as the Sovereign of our salvation.

On the way, Paul is led to speak plainly (and painfully) about the distorted lives their neighbors are living in lostness. There’s a reason the argument is familiar: We, by the miracle of the Word, see our own neighbors in these verses, too.

That’s…a lot. I mean, so far as introductions go. And when we consider what the Roman church must have considered—the utter incongruity and unpopularity of the Good News and its call to repentance, in their and our culture —it’s enough to freeze you in your tracks.

Which is why Paul tells us this:

“I am not ashamed of the Gospel.”

This is a call to rest in its power, to trust that it saves, and to stay true. It may be tempting to not. But hear the Word. In all that follows, do not be ashamed.

— Tyler