In an honor/shame society, shame was very serious and there were many surface reasons to be ashamed of the gospel, but Paul defiantly proclaims he is not ashamed of the gospel in the theme verse of Romans:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel , for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH [Habakkuk 2:4].'" (Romans 1:16-17)