1:16-17 What do we learn from what Paul says here?
1:16-17 What do we learn from what Paul says here?
Paul declares here that the gospel of Christ is the power of God to save every one who believes.
There is no plainer truth than this in scripture, which clearly refutes the teaching by some in the church that God has already determined who will, and who will not be saved. Ro 1:16-17 means exactly what it says: every person who believes in the gospel of Christ is saved by the power of God.
The power of God to save every one who believes, is His righteousness revealed in the gospel on the ground of faith in Christ as the absolute condition of salvation (CP Mk 16:16; Jn 3:14-18, 36; 1Jn 5:1). Faith alone is the source of new life in Christ, and it is by this faith that God's righteousness - His grace and mercy - is received by the repentant sinner (CP Ro 3:21-26; Eph 2:4-8; Php 3:8-9).
From faith to faith in Ro 1:17 means that Christians grow from one level of maturity in Christ to another the longer they walk in His righteousness and continue in His word. This righteousness is unattainable by any merit of man's own, or on any other condition than that of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith to believe in Christ is wrought in men's hearts by the hearing of the gospel and the operation of the Holy Spirit to convict sinners of their need of a Saviour (CP Jn 16:7-11; Ro 10:17; 16:25-26; 1Cor 12:3; Eph 1:3; 1Pe 1:23-25).
There is nothing implied in any of those scriptures that only certain people are chosen for salvation and others are not, as some in the church teach. Every one who believes in the gospel is saved. When Paul said in Ro 1:16 that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ he meant that he never feared the prospect of it ever failing those who believed in it (CP Ro 9:33; 10:11; 2Ti 1:12; He 7:22-25).
God will never let down or put to shame those who place their confidence in the gospel for their salvation.
See also comments on Mt 11:28-30, 13:10-11, 20:16; Jn 3:14-15, 3:36, 6:37, 12:37-40, Ac 2:37-38, 13:48, 28:23-29; Ro 3:24-26(A), 8:28-30, 9:7, 9:10-13, 9:14-18, 9:19-21, 10:14-17, 11:2, 11:4, 11:7-10, Eph 1:3-6, 1:11-14, 2:8-10, 1Th 1:4; 2Ti 1:8-9; 1Pe 1:2.