What does Paul mean when he says he is "not ashamed of the gospel"? ("Gospel" is a translation of the Greek term "evangelion" which means literally "good news." Used by Paul, the term means specifically the good news of Christ's power to save mankind - more about this further on.) Why should he be ashamed of this gospel?
One of the difficulties in reading Paul is his use of rhetoric - that is, his use of turns of speech that are aimed at having an effect on the audience, but which may be confusing to the modern reader. By writing "I am not ashamed of the gospel," Paul gave this passage a little shock effect. This was super understatement: his readers knew Paul was utterly devoted to spreading the gospel.
There are two very important points in this passage:
First, that Jesus' message (and power to save) are not intended just for the Jews, but for all mankind. The traditional Jewish messiah had only a secondary role concerning the Gentiles; his primary role was to restore the Jews and Jewish sovereignty in the Holy Land. But if Paul is declaring that the messiah has come for the sake of all mankind, why does he write "first for the Jew, then for the Gentile"?
Second, a very revolutionary doctrine, that the "righteousness" by which a person is saved has nothing to do with that person's actions, but only with his/her faith. Faith in what? you may ask. This will be spelled out in Romans chapter 3 further on.
The verse from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk (Hab. 2:4) used by Paul reads as follows: "Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith." According to traditional Jewish interpretation, such faith ("emunah") meant a general reliance on God's justice and mercy. Paul is transforming the meaning of this word, as we will further see.