These two verses are the thesis of Paul’s letter to the Romans, and therefore very important. Paul first says that he’s not ashamed of the gospel. It’s easy for Christians to be tempted to be ashamed of the gospel because it is so contrary and opposed to all other worldviews. Paul, unlike other so-called “apostles,” proclaimed even the hard parts of the gospel when so many thought it silly or scandalous.
Paul goes onto say that he’s not ashamed of the gospel (even though it seems so odd to many) because in it is the power of God to save people from their sins. It sets people free precisely because it is the means through which individuals who were once estranged from God are reconciled to him. Because of Jesus, our trust in God restores what is is lost when we sin: the life-giving divine presence. When people are reconciled to God, God’s righteousness is revealed because his promises to Adam, Eve, and Abraham are fulfilled, and his purposes for the creation restored.
