Teaching Videos
Calvary Chapel Ontario - Romans 1(Part 2) :8-17
The teaching on verses 16 and 17 begins at 29mins 37 sec
Verses 16 & 17 are the thesis of Romans. They are expanded on in the following chapters. Paul tells us his thoughts about the gospel. He is not ashamed of the Gospel for two reasons:
1. It shows the power of God for salvation
2. It reveals how we can have right standing with God, by having faith in the finished work of Jesus.
Commentaries
Romans Chapter 1:16
The Passion Translation Footnotes
Romans 1:16 TPT - I refuse to be ashamed of sharing the wonderful message of God's liberating power unleashed in us through Christ! For I am thrilled to preach that eveyrone who believes is saved - the Jew first, and then people everywhere!
Footnote: Salvation comes to us through the Jewish people in our Lord Jesus Christ. The promised salvation message came historically to the Jew first, but by priority and privilege our obligation of love continues to bring the sweet message of Yeshua’s grace to our Jewish friends.
MacArthur Study Bible Notes
1:16 I am not ashamed. He had been imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:23, 24), chased out of Thessalonica (Acts 17:10), smuggled out of Berea (Acts 17:14), laughed at in Athens (Acts 17:32), regarded as a fool in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:18, 23), and stoned in Galatia (Acts 14:19), but Paul remained eager to preach the gospel in Rome—the seat of contemporary political power and pagan religion. Neither ridicule, criticism, nor physical persecution could curb his boldness.
Be Right - How to be right with God, yourself, and others - By Warren W. Wiersbe
The origin of the gospel: It is the gospel of Christ (v.16a)
The operation of the gospel: It is the power of God (v.16b)
The outcome of the gospel: It is the power of God unto salvation (v 16c)
The outreach of the gospel: "to everyone that believeth: (vv.16d-17)
Page 24-25
Some more on the power of God ...
"Why be ashamed of power? Power is the one thing that Rome boasted of the most. Greece might have its philosophy, but Rome had its power. The fear of Rome hovered over the empire like a cloud. Were they not the conquerors? Were not the Roman legions stationed all over the known world? But with all her miltary power, Rome was still a weak nation. The philosopher Seneca called the city of Rome, "a cesspool of iniquity"; and the writer Juvenal called it a "filthy sewer into which the dregs of the empire flood."
"No wonder Paul was not ashamed: He was taking to sinful Rome the one message that had the power to change people's lives. He had seen the gospel work in other wicked cities, such as Corinth and Ephesus, and he was confident that it would work in Rome. It had transformed his own life, and he knew it could transform the lives of others. "
Vines Expository Bible Notes
First, we are not ashamed of the gospel because it’s a message of salvation by the power of God (1:16). The word power has the idea of inherent capacity. The Greek word gives us “dynamic,” “dynamo,” and “dynamite.” The Romans understood power. Their fierce armies ruled the known world through overwhelming brute force. They may have known the power of Caesar, but did they know the power of God?
In addition, it was not just any power of God. God’s power seen in His creation (1:20) was also the power of God “to salvation” (1:16). Thus, Paul’s focus to the Romans was God’s power to save. The Romans undoubtedly asked the obvious question: saved from what? Paul offered assurance that God could show them (1:19). He then unfolded the scroll of sinful behaviors toward which every person gravitates.
Wendy's thoughts on related scriptures
Romans 1:16 NKJV - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
For everyone who believes.... This made me think about 'The Blessing' songs from around the world that have come from the COVID-19 Times. For example - The New York Blessing, when at about 2:06 - Christians of different nationalities start singing in their 'native' language.
Romans Chapter 1:17
Be Right - How to be right with God, yourself, and others - By Warren W. Wiersbe
"The gospel reveals a righteousness that is by faith. In the Old Testament, righteousness was by works, but sinners soon discovered that they could not obey God's law and meet His righteous demands. Here Paul refers to Habakkuk 2:4: "The just hall live by his faith," This verse is quoted three times in the New Testament: Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38. Romans explains "the just"; Galatians explains "shall live"; and Hebrews explains "by faith." There are more than sixty references to faith or unbelief in Romans, because the only say a sinner can become just before God is "by faith." (Page 26)
MacArthur Study Bible Notes
1:17 righteousness of God. Better translated “righteousness from God.” A major theme of the book, appearing over 30 times in one form or another, righteousness is the state or condition of perfectly conforming to God’s perfect law and holy character. Other terms from the same Gr. root also occur some 30 times and are usually translated “justified,” “justification” or similarly. Only God is inherently righteous (Deut. 32:4; Pss. 11:7; 116:5; John 17:25; 1 John 2:1; Rev. 16:5), and man falls woefully short of the divine standard of moral perfection (3:10, 23; Job 9:2; Matt. 5:48). But the gospel reveals that on the basis of faith—and faith alone—God will impute His righteousness to ungodly sinners (see notes on 3:21–24; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8, 9).
Matthew Henry's Commentary
"It is said to be from faith to faith,
from the faithfulness of God revealing to the faith of man receiving (so some);
from the faith of dependence upon God, and dealing with him immediately, as Adam before the fall, to the faith of dependence upon a Mediator, and so dealing with God (so others);
from the first faith, by which we are put into a justified state, to after faith, by which we live, and are continued in that state: and the faith that justifies us is no less than our taking Christ for our Saviour, and becoming true Christians, according to the tenour of the baptismal covenant;
from faith engrafting us into Christ, to faith deriving virtue from him as our root: both implied in the next words, The just shall live by faith. Just by faith, there is faith justifying us; live by faith, there is faith maintaining us; and so there is a righteousness from faith to faith.
Faith is all in all, both in the beginning and progress of a Christian life. It is not from faith to works, as if faith put us into a justified state, and then works preserved and maintained us in it, but it is all along from faith to faith, as 2 Cor. 3:18; from glory to glory; it is increasing, continuing, persevering faith, faith pressing forward, and getting ground of unbelief.
To show that this is no novel upstart doctrine, he quotes for it that famous scripture in the Old Testament, so often mentioned in the New (Hab. 2:4): The just shall live by faith. Being justified by faith he shall live by it both the life of grace and of glory. The prophet there had placed himself upon the watch-tower, expecting some extraordinary discoveries (Rom. 1:1), and the discovery was of the certainty of the appearance of the promised Messiah in the fulness of time, not withstanding seeming delays. This is there called the vision, by way of eminence, as elsewhere the promise; and while that time is coming, as well as when it has come, the just shall live by faith. Thus is the evangelical righteousness from faith to faith—from Old-Testament faith in a Christ to come to New-Testament faith in a Christ already come.
Joyce Meyer - The Everyday Life Bible
"Romans 1:17 speaks about the whole issue of faith. It says that we shall live by faith. The King James Version of this verse says the righteousness of God is revealed, "from faith to faith." In other words, we can go from faith to faith. I spent many years going from faith to doubt to unbelief and then back to faith. I lost a lot of precious time unitl I became consistent in my faith walk. Since then, I have tried to practice being confident in all things, with God's help.
"You can have consistent and confident faith too. Ask God to help you resist the enemy's attack when he tries to rob you of that faith. Learn to go from "faith to faith:" with overcoming confidence."
Page 1800
Wendy's thoughts on related scriptures
Romans 1:17 AMP - For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written. "The just and upright shall live by faith."
So can faith grow?
Luke 17:5 AMP - The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith [our ability to confidently trust in God and in His power]."
Some other thoughts on growing faith..
Three ways scripture teaches us we can increase our faith (Crosswalk.com)
What should I do to increase my faith?
(Compellingtruth.org)
Romans 1:17 PHILLIPS - I see in it God's plan for imparting righteousness to men, a process begun and continued by their faith. For as the scripture says, 'The just shall live by faith.'
Living by faith is a process - God starts it, and if we stick with Him and continue to seek after Him our faith grows.
Romans 1:17 TPT - This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God's righteousness - a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living by faith. This is what the Scripture means when it says: "We are right with God through life-giving faith!"
The revelation of God's righteousness - moves us - grows us.
Worship Song - Evidence by Elevation Worship
Romans 1:17 NLT - This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life.
Accomplished by faith - What does faith look like?
Hebrews 11:1 NLT - Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
Hebrews Chapter 11 - great examples of faith ... Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses' parents, Moses, The people of Israel, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.
Romans 1:17 The Message - God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: "The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives."
"Really lives"
QUESTION FOR US - are we really living?????
John 10:10 NIV - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 14:12-14 NIV - Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in teh Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Worship Songs
What's next?
Some questions to consider:
1. What did God say to you when studying this passage?
2. What does that mean for how you live your life? (ie is there something you believe God wants you to do differently?)
3. How can we as a lifegroup support you?