1:16 power of God. There are six Greek words translated “power.” This one is dunamis, meaning “effective ability to accomplish an intended purpose.” The gospel proclaims and produces salvation in everyone who believes it.

1:16 to the Jew first. Paul’s custom, as he entered a new city, was always to go first to the local Jewish synagogue to preach the gospel. However, the Jews for the most part, in every city from Jerusalem to Rome, rejected it. This had been especially true at Corinth (Acts 18:6,12), the city from which he wrote these words to the Romans. Finally, when this happened also at Rome, his final words to the Jews there were “that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:28). Several years later he wrote to the church at Colossae, that in Christ “there is neither Greek nor Jew” (Colossians 3:11; see also Galatians 3:28). In fact, in none of Paul’s later epistles, written after his rejection by the Jews at Rome, is there any relevant reference to the Jews at all. After this point, Paul apparently treated all alike, both Jews and Gentiles.