Romans 1:16 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

For I am not ashamed, &c.— The Apostle here enters upon his subject, by affirming the excellency of the Gospel, as a scheme of goodness calculated for the salvation of mankind, Romans 1:16-17 and then shews what need the Gentile world had of the mercy of God, as they stood obnoxious to his wrath for their idolatry, and abominable wickedness, which are described at large, Romans 1:18-32. This was proper to convince and awaken the Gentile, and to engage his attention; for this was proof enough, even to the wisest philosopher, how defective and erroneous he was in the knowledge of divine things, and how ineffectual any thing that he had framed was to reform himself or the rest of mankind. But the Apostle has his eye too upon the Jew, and it is his design to point this black description at his conscience. Nothing would enter more readily into the thoughts of the Jew than the corruption of the Gentile world, which he would immediately and strongly condemn, and so would be duly prepared for the application in the next chapter: for what if his nation was not a whit better in their morals than the heathens? How could they, with any conscience or modesty, arrogate all the divine mercy to themselves, or pretend that other men were unworthy of it, when they had done as much or more to forfeit it than others. See on chap. Romans 2:1. St. Paul calls the Gospel the power of God. The original word Δυναμις signifies frequently a moral power; either, first, objectively, as the power of evidence and motives to effect and influence the mind, Mark 9:1.Acts 4:33. 1 Corinthians 1:18. Secondly, subjectively it signifies capacity, virtue or good dispositions in the subject acting, Matthew 25:15.Luke 1:17. Acts 1:8. Hence we may conclude, that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation, either as it is the effect of his great love and goodness. [his divine POWER hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3.], or as it is admirably adapted to enlighten our minds and sanctify our hearts, or both. There is a noble frankness, as well as a very comprehensive sense, in the last words of this verse; to the Jew first, &c. by which St. Paul, on the one hand, strongly insinuates to the Jews their absolute need of the Gospel in order to salvation; and on the other, while he declares to them that it was also to be preached to the Gentiles, he teaches the politest and greatest of these nations, to whom he might come as an ambassador of Christ, both that their salvation also depended upon receiving it, and that the first offers of it were every where to be made to the despised Jews. See Doddridge.