According to Romans 1:16, what is the gospel the power of God unto?
Romans 1:16 declares the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation. It is not unto church membership, baptism, communion, tithing, or good works; those may have their place but do not produce salvation. The gospel is God's generating power that brings spiritual life to those who believe.
Les explains that Paul, in Romans 1:16, says he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Les uses the illustration of a car battery: when jump cables come from a highly charged battery or a generator, outside power flows into the dead battery, and it has life, infused from another source. In the same way, the gospel is that generating power. Les emphasizes that it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone, and it does not say to join the Church, get baptized, take communion, tithe, or do good works. Those things are in their rightful place, but they have nothing to do with salvation. Les says believing means totally entrusting our eternal destiny to the Word of God, to the power of the gospel.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
More Questions
How does Romans 1:16 describe the gospel in relation to salvation?
In Romans 1:16 the gospel is the power of God unto salvation; it is the generating power that brings life to a spiritually dead person, just as outside electrical power revives a dead car battery.
Who receives salvation according to Romans 1:16?
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, so salvation through the gospel is for everyone who believes, not just for a particular group.