Are you ashamed of the Gospel?

While some people in Paul's day may have been ashamed of the gospel, Paul was not. The gospel for Paul was something to boast about? Why? Because the gospel is the power of God for salvation. But what is it about the gospel that makes it some powerful? In stating the reason in verse 17 Paul introduces us to a key phrase in Romans—the righteousness of God (1:17; 3:5, 21, 22, 25, 26; 10:3).

When Martin Luther first came across this phrase in Romans, he became discouraged. He interpreted God's righteousness to mean that the ...