Bible Study Romans Part 25-I Am Not Ashamed

Feeling pressured to keep your faith quiet? Romans 1 refuses to let the Gospel shrink into a private opinion. We walk through Paul’s words to the church in Rome and slow down on two phrases that hit hard: “I am debtor” and “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” Instead of treating Christian responsibility as dark, unpleasant toil, we argue that Paul’s urgency flows from grace and love, echoing the line, “the love of Christ constraineth us.” 

Along the way, we unpack striking Biblical imagery like the goad and “kicking against the pricks” to show what spiritual resistance does to the soul. Then we move into Romans 1:16-17, where the Gospel is described as the power of God unto Salvation and where core Christian doctrine begins to sharpen. We also address why Romans has shaped church history, fueling the conviction that the authority of Scripture outranks church preference when it comes to Salvation, righteousness by faith, and truth. 

Finally, we look at why Paul chose the word "ashamed" at all, including the literary device of litotes and the real social risk of following Christ in the first century. The same dynamics show up today whenever the Gospel collides with culture, pride, and “fluid” ideas of truth. Listen, share this with someone who feels isolated for what they believe, and if this study helps you, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find it.

Transcript

Why God’s Word Matters

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Welcome to the program Study in the Chapel. God's Word is supreme at Chapel Ministries. We consider it absolutely essential to a proper relationship with God. We study it, we love it, we rely on it every minute of every day. The following program is an edited recording of the regular Bible studies we hold. And we decided to share these with you in the hope that you too will be able to find inspiration, encouragement, and ultimately salvation through discovering Christ in Scripture. Our intention is to travel all the way through the Bible. It will be a challenging journey, but one that will undoubtedly bring you to a decision. Through this study, you will be faced with either believing or rejecting what God has said to us. It is our intention to provide you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision about God and his word. We strongly encourage you to listen intently and diligently, because though at the moment you may not realize it, these things are truly a matter of life and death. In fact, these are matters of eternal life and eternal death. Never treat what God has said lightly. There's truly nothing more important to you. Now join us as we seek God's will through his inspired word.

Romans 1:14 And The Debtor Mindset

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We are going to start at the 14th chapter tonight. I read out of the King James, please read out of the Bible that you have in front of you. If you did not bring a Bible with you, I ask that you follow along on the screen. But really, you should have a Bible with you anytime we do these Bible studies. Here we go. Romans 1:14. I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. Now, I want to linger here just a little bit longer. We're learning so much about Paul and about our own responsibilities toward God. We're learning what we must do with the grace that we've been given. And here is one of the reasons I want to linger for just a moment. I think that so many have completely misunderstood this idea of the constraint that Paul feels about spreading the gospel. They picture it too often in a dreary light. They think Paul sees himself as being under this tremendous burden that somehow there's this lash being applied to his back that he's telling us that he's being goaded on. And by the way, the metaphor of a goad is used regularly in the Bible. And I wonder if everyone here actually knows what it is. I was well into my 40s before I knew. In fact, much of what the Bible says didn't become obvious to me until only about 20 years ago. So I'm always sensitive to the fact that there are many others who may have been as poorly taught as I was. The goad is a very good and very appropriate symbol, in my opinion. A goad. Now I'm a city guy, so I have no real frame of reference for this, but I am told that a goad is a long stick that has a pointy bit on the end, maybe made out of bone or metal or wood or something. And this stick is used to encourage, shall I say, oxen and other livestock to move or plow or drag or whatever these beasts do. The farmer or whoever has this stick will strike the animal, the point the end to the on the creature, and he reacts in such a way as to avoid getting another smack. It's brutal and it's nasty, and I don't like to think about it too much. I understand that it's necessary, but it still seems a little gruesome to me. But what's worse is described to us in the book of Acts as kicking against the pricks. Mounted on the edge of a horse-drawn cart or some other animal-powered conveyance. There are these little metal plates that have sharp little horns or points sticking out of them. They are there to prevent, well, discourage the animal from bucking or kicking with its back legs when frustrated or resisting doing the work the handler wants it to do. If the animal kicks, its hooves or whatever hit these spikes, causing painful injuries. Injuries, those that is kicking against the pricks. These types

Goads And Resisting God’s Will

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of devices, the ones we're describing, are in place to force the creature to work, to do whatever the taskmaster wants it to do. They're used because the animal is resistant and stubborn and must be made to perform its duty. These things are designed to break the will of those that refuse the orders of those for whom they work. That's why, by the way, it's used quite often in the Bible. Human beings are sometimes resistant to doing the things God wants them to do. Now, there are so many drab souls who see their Christian duty as nothing more than dark, unpleasant toil. If God gave them a get out of jail free card, they'd jump at it. If they could somehow run away from the oppression of a father who only wants to steal the pleasure out of life, if they could be guaranteed that they wouldn't burn in hell for turning their back on what they see as a miserable and cheerless life, they'd gladly take it. And unfortunately, I think a lot of men in the pulpit feel that way. Many professors in seminary spread this gloomy view of the Christian life. Many biblical scholars who can only see bondage and despair coming out of the pages of scripture. It's what they, it's that type who think that everyone that God got a hold of in the Bible only complied with his demands out of fear for their eternal soul. What's your point, John? There are some scholars who comment on this verse and say that Paul was acting as one under the obligation of law. Of course, there's no law that says a man must go to Rome and spread the gospel, but that Paul was only acting as if he was so compelled. That when he said he was a debtor to everyone, basically, that that was an expression of his perceived legal obligation or something. That he was not, that he was acting not out of love, but out of self-preservation. He wasn't thinking of a world in desperate need of a savior, but rather he was only thinking about saving his own skin, as it were. Please don't buy into that. And if that's how you feel about your own responsibilities toward God, I beg you to spend more time in this book. Go deeper into scripture and concentrate on the loveliness of Jesus. Focus on the love God sheds abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And reorient your heart so that it can feel only the motivation that springs from a desire to explain and express and expose the wonderful grace of God. And if you do, I'm sure you're going to be able to exclaim, like Paul did in his second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 14, for the love of Christ constraineth us, for the love of Christ is pressing me forward. It urges me. The love of Christ has captured me, and it is sending me out to spread its influence. We have so much to learn from this man, Paul.

Duty Driven By Love Not Fear

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Okay, back to Romans. I just didn't want you to sell Paul short as so many others have. Now I'm going to go back to verse 8 because I want you to hear the heart of a man devoted to his Savior, Romans 1.8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey, a clear journey, an obstacle-free journey by the will of God or from the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be strengthened, you may be established. That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith, both of you and me. Verse 13. Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, but was let hitherto. I was prevented hitherto, that I might have some fruit among you also as among other Gentiles. I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. So as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. How comforted those Romans must have been to hear these words from this wonderful servant of Christ. Then he says something really incredible. Verse 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. We are now getting into some very important Christian doctrine. We are about to encounter concepts that at one time set the world ablaze. We are now strolling onto a battlefield like no other. The scene of conflict that has shaped the church as we know it today. And let me say, I suspect I'm going to lose some of you before we're through. There will be those that not only disagree with how I teach this section, but criticize me, chastise me, and maybe even demonize me. And frankly, how you react to, well, actually, the rest of this letter

Paul’s Prayer And Care For Rome

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really depends on your view of the authority of Scripture. And I say that because Scripture is very explicit about these things. And I will, like I always do, teach it right from Scripture. So there will be little opportunity for you to think what I have to say is of my own invention, nor will you be able to accuse me of propping up some church tradition or ecclesiastical viewpoint or readily accepted take on spiritual things. So as I said, if you don't like what I have to say, it's because you don't like what God has to say. Ah, so you're some sort of spokesperson for God, are you? Well, I wouldn't say spokesperson, but I am relaying the thoughts of those who are his spokespersons. The letter to the Romans is the dividing line between those who want to hear from God and those who want to hear from the church. As a matter of fact, this New Testament book has been used by many of history's most important Protestants, people like John Kelvin, Charles Spurgeon, and the most famous Protestant of them all, Martin Luther, have all used the contents of this letter to push back against the notion that the church has the authority to decide who does or who doesn't go to heaven. The letter to the Romans was one of the most important tools that the reformers used to make the case that what God says about salvation is what matters. If what your church tells you about the path to salvation differs from what we're about to discover, you're going to either feel liberated or you're just going to get really mad at Paul and probably me. So back to it.

Not Ashamed And Scripture’s Authority

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Paul speaking, verse 16 of the first chapter of the letter to the Romans. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Now let's deal with that first part before we get into the meat. What Paul says here sounds rather awkward to us, at least it would appear so at first. He says he is not ashamed of the gospel. Clearly, he's not. Well, here Paul is being rather clever and yet profound. The way he puts this must have had an impact, especially in those days and in that place, meaning the first century and in that pagan capital of Rome.

Litotes And Paul’s Bold Understatement

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You see, here Paul is using a literary device known as a litotease. And though it's it sounds foreign, and it especially sounds foreign the way Paul is using it, you might be surprised at how familiar you are with it already. So Litotees is defined this way quote, a conscious understatement in which emphasis is achieved by negation. Huh? As I said, I think you're already familiar with this very common figure of speech, so don't worry too much about the fancy definition. Say, for example, I called you and said, be down in 15 minutes. I want to take you for a spin in my new car. Of course, you agree because I'm fun. 13 minutes later, you hear an obnoxious horn going off near the front of your building. You look out the window and you see it's me, and immediately come down. You head out the door of your building, and then your mouth kind of does one of those things because you you see that I'm sitting in the driver's seat of a 1924 Rolls-Royce Phantom One. I say, What do you think? And you say, not bad. Now, I wouldn't ask you what you meant, would I? In fact, I'd be a little disappointed if you said it any other way. Because I know that you used a conscious understatement in which your emphasis was achieved by negation. Paul, how do you feel about the gospel? Well, I'm not ashamed of it, I can tell you that. Litotes. And apparently, this is something he likes to do. He's done it before in his writings. One time he described his hometown of Tarsus as no mean city. And every time I read that word, I want to say Taurus. It's Tarsus. So if I say Taurus, forgive me, I mean Tarsus. So he said at one time that Tarsus was no mean city. It's a little bit of a modified Lito Tis, but it's essentially the same. Tarsus was a very prominent place in Paul's day. In fact, it was the provincial capital of the Roman territory of Cilicia. It was also known for its great center of learning, even boasting itself as the birthplace of Athenodorus Cannonidus, a tutor of none other than the first Roman emperor Augustus. Of course, Tarsus was no mean city. Paul was using Litoes. Paul will sometimes use this literary device to make a point. But still, is that the only reason he used the word ashamed? I mean, from a marketing perspective, not a good idea. But as he so often does, Paul is at the same time employing a little ingenuity. He purposely used the word ashamed, well, the Greek counterpart, which is episcun. And it means exactly the same thing as our word, to feel shame for something. In this, believe it or not, Paul is exhibiting exceptional leadership. Listen to me.

Social Pressure Then And Now

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To be a first century Christian was no cakewalk. Not that it is now, but in those days, becoming a follower of Christ carried with it significant risks. Now, at the moment, we're not talking about physical risks. The persecution under Nero was still a few years away, but that was nonetheless an ever-present threat. But the risk that almost all Christians faced in that first half of the first century was primarily social, which we should not, by the way, underestimate. Ancient societies were very tightly woven because every citizen, in one way or another, relied on every other citizen. This is largely why the threat of banishment was always so effective. Going it alone is tough now, but nearly impossible in Paul's day. You made a point to get along with your neighbors and local institutions because they were all vital links for you and your family's survival. Well, opting to be a Christian was almost certain social suicide in those first few centuries. Granted, it's sort of that way now, and perhaps that's why this message is so important to all of us. Nonetheless, the newness of the belief system or the fact that their leader and founder was executed as a criminal, or maybe because they refused. To worship any other way, which at that time was extraordinarily unusual. You see, the religious practices within the Roman Empire were very permissive and very often blended many different faiths, which is something Christians would never do. And along with the other factors just mentioned, or a combination of them and others, meant it was sometimes rather difficult within society to admit that you're a Christian, to the point that many felt ashamed. They were ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Even Paul's protege, Timothy. Now we haven't talked much about him yet, but he was a very important person in the early church. At one point, Paul even had to mildly rebuke him, him for this attitude toward the good news. We find that in the first chapter of Paul's second letter to the man, verse 8. Quote, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me of, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. Now I say mildly, because first of all, it is obviously a mild rebuke, but also because it would seem that this was not so uncommon. And some even say that Paul himself may have been tempted to feel a little shy about his association with the gospel. No, there's no record of him ever hiding his faith. Yes, the Bible tells us time and again that Paul boldly proclaimed his fealty to his Savior. But to say anyone is immune to the temptations of the devil is equally unscriptural. And perhaps in his heart, Paul knew how easy it was to succumb. And then perhaps that more than any other reason is why Paul uses this somewhat enigmatic statement. I am not ashamed of the gospel. He's letting these Romans know he's doing his best to stand up to the temptation, the social pressure to turn his back on the gospel. I'm sharing this with you in detail because I know how you feel. I know how it feels to be so isolated in the way you view the world. And sometimes you don't want to stand out. Sometimes you don't want to be looked down upon for the things that you believe. And sometimes you fall to the pressure. I know it. So did Paul. So did Timothy. So did those early church members in Rome. And Paul's saying this in an attempt to let everyone understand their plight. He wants them and us to know that this is a part of the Christian life. But we should all resist it consuming us. It's strong language befitting a harrowing situation. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. He wants to strengthen these beloved Christians and you.

Why The Cross Offends Everyone

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Listen, 99% of the people won't see this thing all the way through. They won't allow anyone to convince them that they can't handle their own eternity. They refuse to listen to the gospel and actually get to the point that they hate it as well as the person who tries to help them to see it. They look down on those who live for the cross and regard them as fools. And they'll do their best to make that person feel that way about themselves. And as we both know, it sometimes works. Well, none of this is new. It was happening in Paul's day, too. In fact, he put it quite plainly to the Corinthians. You talk about a pride-filled people, they were always getting themselves in trouble with their self-expression of religious power power. He said to them, but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. And you know, I can't help but to think that once again, Paul is targeting a few of the Jewish converts in Rome with this a shame talk. The Jews that accepted Christ were especially reviled by their own people, and there was no chance of reconciling with one's family after becoming a Christian. Trust me, even if they were allowed back into their ancestral homes, there was no talking about the gospel around a dinner table. And Paul, of all people, knew that sting. So you're saying the Messiah was just some low-born carpenter? Isn't he the same crazy guy who threatened to tear down the temple? Yeah, mom, but he didn't mean it that. Hey, shut hush you. We know what he meant. And wait, wasn't he tried and convicted of some horrible crime? I mean, you don't get nailed to a Roman gibbet for jaywalking. You're telling me God's anointed would allow that to happen to himself? Well, Dad, he actually planned it that way. Besides, he did it for us. What? For me? What do I need some schmendric from Nazareth to help me for? Nazareth. It's like the other guy said, nothing good ever comes from Nazareth. Honestly, son, you should be ashamed of yourself. Well, you know what, Dad? For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. And that's another thing. Those smarty pant Greeks snicker when we mention the gospel. You see, the gospel is a list of facts we believe in. The egghead crowd doesn't like that sort of thing. It makes things seem so black and white. They don't like yes or no, on or off, right or wrong, good or bad. They like to think things are, to use a gross modern word, fluid. Morality is on a sliding scale, so is truth, apparently. Those ancient Greeks and their present-day counterparts prefer that we treat Christianity as nothing more than a philosophy, not some set of cold hard truths. They like philosophy because no one has to really commit to just one. I mean, it's only philosophy, merely a guide for living, nothing too serious, something we can pick and choose from. If you don't like today's philosophy, no problem. A new one will be around soon enough. One that'll be more fashionable than the one we're all following at the moment. But you know the gospel's nothing like that. It's not transitory, it's accusatory. It's not malleable, it's not situational, it's too clear. All that pressure makes one embarrassed to speak freely. You know we have the same problem today, don't we? Once again, we see what the Bible is saying is still applicable. Aren't you getting tired of that yet? Lots of people are. It's what Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones says about this whole thing. The presence of the gospel tests us. You know, not too far from here in coal mining country. They used to bring a canary down into the mine with them as a piece of test equipment. If anything noxious was about to was about, the canary would die. Bring up the gospel in just about any setting, even among people you go to church with and see how quickly the mood dies. Listen, I repeat, the gospel will never be acceptable to the world. As we often quote 1 Corinthians 2 14, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Here in this letter, we'll read later on Romans 8.5, for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Do you know what the word enmity means? Enmity is defined as positive, active hatred. This isn't just, you know, disregard. This isn't shrugging off, waving off, doing one of these things. This is intentional animosity, purposeful hostility. This is actively seeking to destroy. Let me tell you, get in a debate with someone about the origin of life. Just strike up a conversation about Adam and Eve or the six-day creation and watch the sparks fly. The person you're talking to will do their best to shut you up. And if you're really brave, tell someone God's position on homosexuals in the pulpit. Yikes. Or tell them that God's people are the Jews and He loves them, and it's His idea that they occupy that land. Step back on that one. Wear a helmet, even.

Introspection And Closing Encouragement

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Well, we're not done with this yet, but we've already been at it a long time. Let's pause here for now. But I do want you to think about this verse. Do a little introspection about where you stand, and we'll pick it up right there next time. See you then.

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We hope this study has blessed you. God's word is a great treasure, and it's our belief that a thorough, purposeful study of it will bring all of God's children to an understanding of his eternal plan of redemption. It is our prayer that this will be so for all of our listeners. Please join us again soon. New content is being added all the time, so make sure you check back often. For more information on Chapel Ministries, including our YouTube channel and podcasts, please visit www.chapelontheweb.com. And if God has laid it upon your heart to share materially with us, we encourage you to follow the links to our Secure Giving page. Please note, Chapel Ministries is not an IRS registered nonprofit organization, and your donations to this program are not tax deductible. It's our hope that you do not rely on taxing authorities to decide for you who is worthy of your generosity.