The Gospel

In his letter to Rome Paul told them he was obligated to bring them the gospel and he tells why.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." (Rom 1:16-17)

Now you and I could discuss a variety of reasons that Paul might not be ashamed of the gospel, but I'd imagine that "In it the righteousness of God is revealed" probably wouldn't have been our first guess. The mystery only deepens when Paul explains how the gospel reveals the righteousness of God with "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth" (Rom 1:18). Note the word "for" at the beginning there. Paul explains how the gospel reveals God's righteousness by telling us that God's wrath is revealed against those who suppress the truth about God. Now, Paul, how in the world does that reveal God's righteousness?

The first answer I came up with was that Paul was explaining the bad news before he offered the good news. The worse the bad news, the bigger the good news, and Paul certainly lays on bad news. From chapter 1 verse 18 all the way through chapter 3 verse 20 Paul goes on and on about the sin problem. In chapter one, it's about natural man, the rebel. "That's okay," some might answer, "we're pretty good." The first half of chapter 2 is about the "pretty good." You know, the nice people, the well-behaved, the socially acceptable, the basically moral. Yeah, they're all sinners, too. "Sure," another group might answer, "but we're religious, so we're okay." Sorry. The last half of chapter 2 is about how even religious folks are sinners. Strike three, as it were. We're all out.

In chapter 3 Paul responds to the anticipated objections. 1) "Isn't there advantage to being one of God's chosen people, the Jews?" Yes. You have God's Word. 2) Doesn't the fact that people sin nullify the faithlessnes of God? No. God is faithfully keeping His promises. Then the third objection.

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? (Rom 3:5-6)

And there, dear reader, is Paul's first explanation of how the sin problem reveals God's righteousness. Yes, it's in the bad news. Yes, that bad news is about as bad as it gets. How is God's righteousness revealed in that? God judges sin. God judges the world. God does what is right. God does what is just. The wrath that is revealed is actually the righteousness of God, revealed in the bad news, with more good news to follow -- there is salvation through the propitiation of Christ's blood, making God both just and justifier (Rom 3:21-26). Now that is good news -- the gospel.

We think of the gospel as "good news" in the sense that we're saved. Paul thinks of the gospel as God's righteousness on full display. For some that righteousness, that justice, that "do what is right" is demonstrated in the judgment of sin. For others that righteousness is manifested in grace and forgiveness apart from works. Both are part of God's righteousness. Both are revealed in the gospel. The gospel, in brief, says, "We've all sinned and are under God's judgment, but we can be saved by faith in Christ's shed blood on our behalf." Both parts are right there. Both parts show God as right ... every time.