Gospel Power
I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
Romans 1:15
Ancient Rome had its own version of “the gospel”. According to the poet Virgil, Zeus, king of the gods, had decreed for the Romans a kingdom without end or boundaries. The gods had chosen emperor Augustus as divine son and saviour of the world by ushering in a golden age of peace and prosperity.
This, however, was not everyone’s idea of good news. For many it was an unwelcome reality enforced by the heavy hand of the emperor’s army and executioners. The glory of the empire was built on the backs of enslaved people who served without legal personhood or property at the pleasure of their masters who ruled over them.
This was the world in which Paul introduced himself as a servant of Christ (Rom 1:1). Paul had once hated the name of the Jesus Christ, and His followers. Now Paul changed by God's grace, is proclaiming, sharing and spreading the Gospel of the Saviour Jesus, Who Himself had suffered for admitting to being the king of the Jews and the Saviour of the world.
This was the Good News Paul would explain in the rest of his letter to the Romans. This Gospel was “the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (v 16). Oh, how it was needed by those who suffered under emperors, and more so Caesar! Here was the news of a crucified and resurrected Saviour—the Liberator who conquered His enemies by showing how much He loved them.
Read
Romans 1:1-7 & 14-17.
Prayer
Loving God, thank You for the Gospel. Give me the love and boldness to share the Gospel with those around me. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
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