Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 1:16-17: Questions and Answers

What are the two reasons Paul gives for not being ashamed of the gospel according to Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul gives two main reasons for not being ashamed of the gospel in Romans 1:16-17. First, because it is the message of salvation: "I am not ashamed, says the apostle. I'm not here to propone just a new idea or to put a new philosophy, a good idea, before you. I've come to tell you about real deliverance, salvation in all its fullness." Second, because it is God's own way of salvation: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, says the apostle, for it is the power of God unto salvation... It is God's way, God's own way of saving men."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define salvation in its fullness?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines salvation as having three main components: "It delivers us from sin, it completely reconciles us to God and restores our communion with God, and it restores to us again the hope of glory." He emphasizes that salvation must be understood in relation to man's original state in Eden and the consequences of the fall. Salvation is the complete deliverance from the guilt, power, and pollution of sin, restored fellowship with God, and the hope of eternal glory.

What are the three aspects of being delivered from sin according to the sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, salvation delivers us from sin in three ways: 1. Deliverance from the guilt of sin: "Salvation first and foremost is deliverance from the guilt of sin. We are under the wrath of God, under the condemnation of the law, and something must be done about that." 2. Deliverance from the power of sin: "We need to be delivered also from the power of sin. For the trouble with us is not simply that we are guilty. A further trouble is that we are all slaves to sin." 3. Deliverance from the pollution of sin: "I mean sin in the nature. I mean that every part of us is polluted... my nature itself is twisted and perverted."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain salvation in relation to time?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains salvation in three time dimensions: 1. We have been saved (past): "There is an aspect of salvation which is already complete and never needs to be repeated and can never be undone." This includes justification and being dead to sin. 2. We are being saved (present): "There is a sense in which it isn't complete... There is the problem of sin in the life of the believer still." This is the progressive element of salvation. 3. We shall be saved (future): "There is a future reference to it... 'Now is our salvation nearer than when we believe'... our glorification, which is an essential part of salvation, is beyond this world and beyond this life."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean when he says the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation"?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "power of God" doesn't simply mean that the gospel is very powerful. Rather, it means "that this is God's way, God's own way of saving men." He clarifies: "The Gospel, says Paul, isn't that it is the announcement of what God has done in order to save us." This means that the gospel is not merely instructions on how we can save ourselves, but God's active intervention in human history. Lloyd-Jones states: "It's God's salvation. And when we realize that, we can see how the apostle not only wasn't ashamed of this, he was ready to stand before anybody, anywhere and tell them about this."

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize the pollution of sin?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes the pollution of sin because he notices it's often left out of doctrinal statements: "I notice that often people forget this... they talk about the guilt and the power, but they forget the pollution. And you know, in many ways the most terrible thing of all about sin is its pollution." He defines pollution as "sin in the nature," meaning "every part of us is polluted" and "my nature itself is twisted and perverted." He stresses this aspect because complete salvation must address not only guilt and slavery to sin but also this internal corruption that makes us "unclean" and "unholy."

How does the gospel differ from Greek philosophy according to the sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasts the gospel with Greek philosophy by noting that philosophy "tends to begin and to end merely with ideas" and doesn't transform people: "The tragedy is this, that it tends to begin and to end merely with ideas. As I say, it can be most interesting and intriguing. You have this theory and that theory. You play with terms and concepts, but the question is, are you any different at the end?" By contrast, the gospel is about salvation, not mere ideas: "This isn't mere talk, it isn't mere philosophizing. It isn't a new idea that he's got and he's going to put up against the others, not at all. This is salvation."