Romans 1:16

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 

Jesus Christ and him crucified is the power of God in salvation.  This is the gospel that Paul explains thoroughly in the Book of Romans.  Paul told the philosophers at the Areopagus [Acts 17] that God gave proof of this power by raising Jesus from the dead.  This gospel brings salvation to all who believe.  All of the Old Testament pointed to this gospel of spiritual salvation.  Jesus Christ is the focal point of all of history from Adam until he returns in glory.  While the nation of Israel had a central role in God’s gospel plan, God never intended that they, as an entire nation, would be the recipients of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ [Rom. 9]. 

Through the person and work of Jesus Christ the gospel secures a holy nation of believers from every tongue and tribe.  This holy nation is called the church or the body of Christ and all the credit, honor, and glory goes to Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament and Old Covenant pointed the way to the fulfillment of God’s power and plan to glorify his son, Jesus Christ.  This is the gospel and Paul lays it out in Romans.

Since Paul is not ashamed of the gospel, it would be a serious mistake for anyone who claims to be a Christian to be ashamed, impugn, marginalize, or contradict Paul and the book of Romans.  Jesus Christ said that he would be ashamed of anyone who was ashamed of him or his words when he comes back in glory [Luke 9:26].  Romans contain the words of Christ through the revelation received by Paul and to reject them is to come under the warning of Jesus.