The year was A.D. 58—our Lord had ascended into...

The year was A.D. 58—our Lord had ascended into Heaven just 25 years earlier—when Paul wrote this letter from the town of Corinth. He was writing to a strong Roman church, known far and wide for her genuine faith. And yet, throughout this letter, Paul’s heart goes to the Jewish dilemma—why were so many of his kinship not accepting the truths of Jesus Christ? Click on the link at the end of this briefing to read Romans 11.11-24, but let us bear in mind the theme of “Romans”, captured in this piece:

A special interview with Paul of Tarsus, conducted by Antony Pucci of the Times. Dateline: Florence, Italy

Antony: Paul, I read a quote of yours the other day, in which you said, and I quote: ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel.’ Were those your words?

Paul: Yes, that is precisely what I said.

Antony: Isn’t that an unusual remark to make?

Paul: No, not at all…most of the popular Roman and greater Italian culture scoff at the gospel of Jesus Christ, at Christianity, in general.

Antony: If that is the case, they can’t be all wrong . . . perhaps you have put too much stock in what you call the “good news” of Jesus Christ…

Paul: Don’t be daft, man. The gospel is not some sweet fairytale to warm your heart at night--it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes

Antony: For everyone?

Paul: First for the Jew, then for the Gentile. It is all about God’s power, Antony. And here’s the thing, we do not receive the good news of the gospel by anything we do, or because of keeping the Ten Commandments . . . actually, the gospel has set us free from the tyranny of the Law. Rather than being dependent on our goodness, in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed . . . in fact, it is a righteousness that is by faith from first to last; just as it is written,

“The righteous will live by faith”

Antony: Why, Paul, that sounds much too good to be true! But if I understand you correctly--we can be made righteous through our acceptance of the gospel, right?

Paul: That’s right, Antony—and we access that through our faith—through putting our trust in who Jesus is and what he has done—which is the Good News of the Gospel! I can see being ashamed of bad news . . . I can see apologizing for a weak, uncorroborated story, but remember that the Jesus of the Gospel arose from the dead! More than 500 people saw him alive after that; if not, no one would be talking about him, the ‘gospel’ or ‘good news’. This is a solid story, Antony. You are going to get a lot of recognition for breaking it here in Florence.

Romans 1.16-17 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

These two verses form the theme of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Their meaning is as important today as it was 2000 years ago. Perhaps, a modern-day rendering of them is in order:

Please turn your attention to Jeremy Camp’s song: “Not Ashamed”* Click on link: http://www.facebook.com/l/28f9eT5Mt3Cw6dwYU0rup7jLePw/www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y-lAcb3QCA

Before signing off here today, I should like to make a personal note about Christianity: while it is based on the historical life and death of Jesus Christ, Son of God, and backed up by many other evidences, one thing is still required by all who would claim the name: FAITH.

Pastorwoman Christine DiGiacomo on special assignment with the Times. Our “thanks” go out to Antony Pucci and Paul, formerly known as Saul the Rabbi, of Tarsus.

Lord, we believe. Help thou our unbelief!

* from ‘WE CRY OUT: the worship project’, 2010, Jeremy Camp

Romans 11.11-24 http://www.facebook.com/l/28f9esZpJlZC5b553Jq7qAUuE2Q/www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%252011.11-24&version=NIV

Jeremy Camp "Not Ashamed"www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y-lAcb3QCA" style="color: #3b5998; text-decoration: none;"> www.youtube.com Song & Lyrics for Jeremy Camp's song "Not Ashamed" from the We Cry Out : The Worship Project