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

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

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, when Paul says the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation," he doesn't merely mean it's a message about God's power or a description of what God has done. Rather, it is God's actual power actively working salvation in believers. Lloyd-Jones explains: "Here he is telling us how God has prepared and made and produced and is working out his salvation in us. Now you see, that's something different. The gospel is God's way of saving us. It is God's power producing salvation in us. It is God, if you like, working his salvation in us." The gospel is God's dynamic activity that produces the complete work of salvation from beginning to end.

What are the reasons Paul gives for not being ashamed of the gospel according to this sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies five reasons Paul is not ashamed of the gospel: 1. It is gospel/good news 2. It has reference to salvation (comprehensive, not merely forgiveness) 3. It is God's way of salvation, not man's invention 4. It is a powerful gospel - "the power of God unto salvation" 5. It is a gospel for all people - "to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek"

The sermon particularly emphasizes the fourth and fifth points, showing how the gospel's power makes it effective and universally applicable.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones illustrate the power of the gospel using a prescription analogy?

Lloyd-Jones uses the illustration of a medical prescription to explain how the gospel functions as God's power. He notes that the Greek word translated as "power" was sometimes used for our word "prescription" in ancient texts. He explains: "You go to your doctor when you're ill and having diagnosed you, he writes out a prescription... there's tremendous power in that prescription." Like a prescription contains the potential healing power through the medicines it describes, the gospel contains and communicates the healing power of Christ's work applied by the Holy Spirit. He adds: "The relationship between the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the application of that work by the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel, the word, is something like that."

What makes the gospel's power certain to succeed according to this sermon?

The gospel's power is certain to succeed because it is God's power, not human effort. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes: "Because it is God's power, what God has determined is certainly and surely being brought to pass, and shall be brought to pass." He references Romans 8:28-30 to show the unbreakable chain of God's saving work: those whom God predestined, He calls; those He calls, He justifies; those He justifies, He glorifies. Lloyd-Jones states that nothing can stop this work once it begins: "When this work of God starts in a man, nothing's going to stop it. It's guaranteed to end in glorification." He further quotes Romans 8:38-39 to show that nothing can separate believers from God's love in Christ.

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize that the gospel is for "the Jew first, and also to the Greek"?

Lloyd-Jones explains this phrase in two ways: 1. Chronologically/historically - salvation began with the Jews as God's chosen people, and the gospel was first preached to them before going to the Gentiles 2. More importantly, he says it emphasizes that Jews need the gospel just as much as Gentiles do

Lloyd-Jones states: "There were many who might have said and did say in those days that this gospel was only for the Gentiles, that the Jew being a Jew, didn't need it. But the Gentiles, being outsiders of God, might need it. Oh, no, says Paul. This is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first. He needs it as much as anybody else." This understanding is essential for grasping Paul's argument in Romans 2-3, which shows that Jews, despite having the law, are as lost as Gentiles without the gospel.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones apply the universal need for the gospel to his contemporary audience?

Lloyd-Jones applies this principle to challenge those who think they don't need conversion because of their religious background. He says: "I know many people still who seem to think and to say that only certain people need to be converted. They say, 'Surely you don't preach to us... We've always been brought up in chapels, taken to Sunday school since we were children.'" Lloyd-Jones counters this by saying "to the Jew first" means even the most religious person needs the gospel's saving power just as much as anyone else, perhaps even more because of their self-righteousness. He emphasizes that "everybody needs this salvation" regardless of background, and that "there is no difference in the sight of God between a murderer and the most self-righteous person."