Romans 1:16 (ASV)

Passage

For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Nearby Context

Romans 1:14 I am debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

Romans 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also that are in Rome.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:17 For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "believeth", "ashamed", "gospel", "power", "salvation", "first", and "greek". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "believeth" and "ashamed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "So as much as in me is..." into verse 17's "For therein is revealed a righteousness of...", so "believeth" and "ashamed" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "believeth" and "ashamed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.