In these two verses Paul establishes the theme of his letter, namely that "the righteousness of God" + faith = righteousness = life. Paul writes concerning the gospel, a news-report that tells us of the righteousness of God, of his faithfulness to his promises. God is now seen to be vindicating the right; redressing the wrong, and delivering, from the power of evil, all who believe. Paul says he is not ashamed of this message, for, as he explains, it is the instrument God uses to save sinners.

v16a. As apostle to the Gentiles, Paul was obliged to preach to Greeks etc. and for this reason he wanted to come to Rome to preach. This he is happy to do, for he is not ashamed of the gospel, rather, he is proud of it.

v16b. The gospel is God's means by which his power operates to rescue lost humanity from eternal judgement. The message does this via its content, namely, the account of the life and teachings of the person of Jesus Christ who through his victory on the cross and in the empty tomb, is freely able to offer the results of his obedience to all who ask (all who rest on Jesus' promise of life contained in the message, all who trust, all who believe.) The "every one" makes the point that the gospel is for both Jew and Gentile alike. The gospel is the means of salvation for both Jew and Gentile.

v17a. In the gospel, "the righteousness of God is being revealed." The "righteous/justice" word-grouping in the Bible often has an ethical sense, especially in the Old Testament; God is a "right" God. Yet, more importantly there is a dynamic sense to the word. God is not just a God who "is right", but he is a God who "does right." Our God is a God who keeps his promises, he is a covenant-keeping God, a faithful God, a righteous God. This is why the psalmist will sometimes parallels "salvation" with "righteousness"; the righteousness of God is expressed in the vindication of his people, in the salvation of his people. So then, "the righteousness of God is the activity in which God saves his people by rescuing them from the oppressors and delivering them from sin", A.M. Hunter. The gospel reveals (offers to the lost) an opportunity to share in God's promised intentions for the world (ie. to share in "the righteousness of God") and by sharing his intentions, as a gift of grace appropriated through faith in Christ, be counted as righteous before him. It is when we are righteous before God, possessing an eternal right-standing in his presence, that we then gain life eternal, cf. Rom.5:17, 10:3, 1Cor.1:30, Phil.3:9. Our free access to God's blessings in the gospel, says Paul, is "from faith to faith", that is, it derives from the faithfulness of God and is appropriated by the faith-response of his people.

17b. Paul supports his argument by quoting Hab.2:4b, "he who is righteous by faith shall live", rather than the NIV, "the righteous will live by faith". The original idea of this verse concerned the political survival of Israel through steadfast loyalty to God. Paul takes this idea and develops it. The person who stands right in the sight of God is the person who, through their faith in Christ, have tapped into the righteous intentions of God revealed in the gospel. Such a person will "live", live in the sense of possess eternal life with God.

When John Wesley grasped the full meaning of St. Paul's doctrine of justification by grace through faith in 1738, the fire of the "Great Awakening" was kindled. The occasion was a prayer meeting in Aldersgate St. London, at which Martin Luther's "Preface to the Epistle to the Romans" was read. Wesley, like most other Anglican clergy at the time, had forgotten the substance of the gospel. He was a pietist; staying a believer and progressing in the Christian life was a matter of effort - obedience to the law of God. Wesley had forgotten that through faith in Christ he was totally acceptable to God; he stood approved in the sight of God.

At that time, the English church was a dry and cold affair and so most of the revivalists left and formed Wesleyan congregations. Some of those who grasped the full meaning of the gospel and its power to effect salvation for the lost, remained in the Anglican church rather than leave it and join with their "Methodist" friends. They were called "Evangelicals" - believers loyal to the gospel of God's grace, and loyal to the "reformed catholic faith" (Anglicanism). They could remain committed to the Anglican church because they understood that the gospel itself is the power of God for the salvation of the lost, not institutional organisation. This understanding of the gospel was to fire many other churches and has continued to do so up till today. For example, the Seventh Day Adventist church has only recently been shaken by a confrontation with the doctrine of justification by grace through faith.

Believers who understand the sovereign grace of God, need to stand up to those who feel duty bound to reinvent their church institution so as to "assist" Christ in building the kingdom. Believers who understand the doctrine of justification can point beyond form, structure, organisation..... to the power of the gospel. God achieves the salvation of the lost through the faithful proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the message that even now, through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, God is keeping his promise to gather a people to stand right with him in eternity. This blessings is freely available to all who ask Jesus.

It is often argued that worship-form can hinder the gospel. Is this true? Discuss what does hinder the gospel.