romans.bible/romans-1-16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.-Romans 1:16
Paul was not ashamed of the message of the gospel. In fact Paul was eager to boldly tell everyone that he encountered the gospel message. Why was Paul not ashamed of the gospel message and why was so eager to boldly tell everyone the gospel message? It is because the gospel message had changed his life. The first time we encounter Paul is at the stoning of Stephen where this is said about Paul (who at that time was called Saul), “Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58 NIV). Then we are told this about him, “And Saul approved of their killing of him” (Acts 8:1 NIV). After this we are told that the first great persecution of the Church began and it was led by the man we would later come to know as Paul.
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.-Acts 8:3 NIV
However, this is not the end of the story of Paul, because he has a face to face encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. And it was this face to face encounter with Jesus that changed his life.
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am, Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”…Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here-has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.-Acts 9:1-6, 17-19 NIV
The gospel changed Paul’s life and it was because it changed his life that he was not ashamed to boldly spread it throughout the world. And it is for this reason that you should not be ashamed of the gospel either.