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Romans 1:16-17 (16c)
Today we will take a look at Romans 1:16c. In this very powerful verse 16 we have learned that we should not be ashamed of the gospel but stand tall in it as does the Apostle Paul (Romans 1:16a). We have learned that in the gospel of Christ “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” (Romans 1:16b). But Paul takes it a step further by proclaiming in Romans 16c (NKJV), “for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” This seems to go against the universal inclusion of salvation for “everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16b) and is stated in this same verse. So we must ask, “How can it be to say these two things in the same statement and not be contradictory?” It is believed that the Apostle Paul is speaking of, “the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16a, b) from the historical viewpoint. In other words, he is speaking for inclusion of the Jews (of which are God’s chosen people of the Old Testament in being an example to the world of God’s sovereignty), and of the Greek (Gentile) to whom the promise is extended through faith in Christ Jesus as is the historical message in which God has been striving to show/teach to His people Israel, that through their example of faith in God the whole world will see that God is the one and only Almighty true God of heaven. The Law of the Old Testament was given with the example to show all of humanity that salvation cannot be earned through one’s works as Abraham was declared righteous prior to the Law being given through Moses, but that Abraham was declared righteous through believing in God (Genesis 15:6). Once the Law had time to prove man’s ineffectiveness to gain salvation through it due to sin, God sent His one and only Son to live a pure and sinless life in fulfillment of the Law, and through His undeserving death as He was not confined to death as He did not sin, and death is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23), but He died on the cross for all of humanity that in His death paid the penalty in His innocence that conquered all sin, and in His resurrection proved His power over sin, death, and Satan as the death that He died to sin because of the disobedience first from Satan is not strong enough to hold Him, so He arose from the grave victorious over sin, death, and Satan. In His fulfillment of the requirement, He offers to “everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16c).
This is a promise of salvation through the power of God in the gospel of Christ Jesus for everyone who will believe in Him.
John 3:16-17 (NIV) proclaims, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 5:1-2 (ESV), “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” And in Galatians 3:26-28 (HCSB), “for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Dear LORD,
Thank You for saving us all from sin, death, and Satan that we all may live eternal in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. In Jesus name I pray, amen.