The True Gospel                       by John MacArthur

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“Paul is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. All the learned religionists, all the philosophers of Rome do not intimidate Paul. They did not intimidate him in Athens. They did not intimidate him in Corinth. They did not intimidate him in Ephesus. They did not even intimidate him in Jerusalem. And they aren’t about to intimidate him here. He is proud of the gospel. He is overjoyed at the privilege of proclamation. He is utterly and absolutely eager to preach Jesus Christ. And even though it is a stumbling block to the Jew and foolishness to the Gentile the gospel is still the power of God unto salvation to all that believe and Paul is not hesitant to preach it.

He has been imprisoned in Philippi. He has been chased out of Thessalonica. He has been smuggled from Berea. He was laughed at in Athens. He was seen as a fool in Corinth. He was nothing but an irritant and sore spot in Jerusalem. He was stoned while in Galatia. And yet he will be eager to preach the gospel at Rome also.

I guess all of us would like to be able to identify with Paul in that same way. But the fact is for you and for me very often we are ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I don’t think we’ll confess that, I don’t think weld state that, I don’t think we easily admit that but that’s the way it works out. Because in those times when we could speak we don’t speak. When those times come when we could be bold we are not bold. We face the hostility of the world. We face the unimpressiveness of the gospel. It talks about sin and blood and death. And it sounds so foolish and so silly to men, and we’re afraid of what they might think and so we tend to be silent when we should speak.

But Paul calmly viewed the distain of the unbelievers. He understood the contempt and the ridicule of those who rejected Christ. He faced death itself for the gospel but never once did he become ashamed of Christ.”