Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, etc..] The reason why he was so ready and willing to preach it, even where he ran the greatest risk of his character and life, was, because it was “the Gospel of Christ” he preached, and he was not ashamed of it. This supposes that some were, though the apostle was not, ashamed of the Gospel; as all such are who hide and conceal it, who have abilities to preach it, and do not: or who preach, but not the Gospel; or who preach the Gospel only in part, who own that in private, they will not preach in public, and use ambiguous words, of doubtful signification, to cover themselves; who blend the Gospel with their own inventions, seek to please men,…”

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel--(The words, "of Christ," which follow here, are not found in the oldest and best manuscripts). This language implies that it required some courage to bring to "the mistress of the world" what "to the Jews was a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness" (Co1 1:23). But its inherent glory, as God's life-giving message to a dying world, so filled his soul, that, like his blessed Master, he "despised the shame." for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth--Here and in Rom 1:17 the apostle announces the great theme of his ensuing argument; SALVATION, the one overwhelming necessity of perishing men; this revealed IN THE GOSPEL…”

“For I am not ashamed ... - The Jews had cast him off, and regarded him as an apostate; and by the wise among the Gentiles he had been persecuted, and despised, and driven from place to place, and regarded as the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things 1 Corinthians 4:13, but still he was not ashamed of the gospel. He had so firm a conviction of its value and its truth; he had experienced so much of its consolations; and had seen so much of its efficacy; that he was so far from being ashamed of it that he gloried in it as the power of God unto salvation. People should be ashamed of crime and folly. They are ashamed of their own offences, and of the follies of their conduct, when…”

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel - To the world, indeed, it is folly and weakness, Co1 1:18; therefore, in the judgment of the world, he ought to be ashamed of it; especially at Rome, the head and theatre of the world. But Paul is not ashamed, knowing it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth - The great and gloriously powerful means of saving all who accept salvation in God's own way. As St. Paul comprises the sum of the gospel in this epistle, so he does the sum of the epistle in this and the following verse. Both to the Jew, and to the gentile - There is a noble frankness, as well as a comprehensive sense, in these words, by which he, on the one hand, shows the…”

“1:16 Paul consistently emphasizes that the Good News is for everyone. He also insists that God first chose the Jews to be his people, made promises to them, and gave them a unique place in the continuing plan of God (3:1-8; 9:1-5). They have a special responsibility to respond to the Good News and will be judged first if they turn away (2:9-10).”

“I am: Psa 40:9, Psa 40:10, Psa 71:15, Psa 71:16, Psa 119:46; Mar 8:38; Luk 9:26; Co1 2:2; Ti2 1:8, Ti2 1:12, Ti2 1:16; Pe1 4:16 the gospel: Rom 15:19, Rom 15:29; Luk 2:10, Luk 2:11; Co1 9:12, Co1 9:18; Co2 2:12, Co2 4:4 \*Gr: Co2 9:13; Gal 1:7; Ti1 1:11 for it is: Rom 10:17; Psa 110:2; Isa 53:1; Jer 23:29; Co1 1:18-24, Co1 2:4, Co1 14:24, Co1 14:25; Co1 15:2; Co2 2:14-16, Co2 10:4, Co2 10:5; Col 1:5, Col 1:6; Th1 1:5, Th1 1:6, Th1 2:13; Heb 4:12 to every: Rom 4:11 to the Jew: Rom 2:9 Romans 1:17”