Paul's Accurately: Living A Christian Life

Paul of Tarsus (originally Saul of Tarsus) is widely considered to be central to the early development and adoption of Christianity. Many Christians view him as an important interpreter of the teachings of Jesus. Little is known of the birth and early childhood of Paul, then known as Saul. It is known in the scriptures that he was born in the city of Tarsus (Acts 22:3) located in the Roman province of Cilicia around the year 5 A.D. Saul left his home during his early adolescence and was taken to Jerusalem for his formal education in the most prominent rabbinical schools of that day. Young Saul had the privilege to be trained by Gamaliel, the most outstanding

Baptism has many inextricable ties to the beliefs that are held so very tightly by the Christian church and its adherents. It is one of the many traditions of the faith that seeks to express aspects of the religion that are essential to its practice. Baptism is linked to beliefs about: spiritual rebirth through Christ who seeks to cleanse and purify each individual from their sins, admission into the Christian Church and its mission, faith in the Holy Trinity, particularly in the power of the Holy Spirit which seeks to bring knowledge of God to the world as well as the need for salvation from eternal damnation as emphasised in Lewis Sperry Chafer’s book Major Bible Themes which states that: “...baptism when practiced can be no more than an expression of faith and the hope...that the child will ultimately be saved.” Baptism also highlights the Christian beliefs based on faith and repentance-reconciling with God and accepting one’s role as His son/daughter, participation in the life, death and resurrection of Christ by being able to partake in celebrating His sacrifice for mankind, and finally the forgiveness of sins- turning towards a life filled with God’s guidance and righteous presence.

Paul’s letter to the Romans is known as one of his greatest theological works. It has been passed down for thousands of years and is still just as relevant today as it was in Paul’s time. How exactly is it relevant the modern day Christian may ask? What with its harsh language that includes strong sentences such as “the wages of sin is death” (6:23) and “the wrath of God” (1:18) one may say that the times have changed. Some may say that these issues in Paul’s time are acceptable in society today. Jesus is all loving not wrathful. What exactly is the Christian to think? The purpose of this short essay is to examine how the Book of Romans relates to the Christian in the twenty-first century and how it helps to shape his worldview.

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, therefore a predetermined path of righteousness or condemnation is contradictory to the core values of Christianity, as it eliminates the need for the will to be saved by Christ. This shows that God does not control our actions, in hopes that we live in accordance to him.

Ultimately, when an individual responds to their baptismal call, a community of Christian believers are united under the goal of guiding the initiated. Thus, this attained unity allows the faith to prosper like a living religion. Furthermore, re-birth from sin is intrinsically connected to the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is a fundamental belief throughout Christianity, though it is practiced differently. “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” (CCC, 1213). Regardless of the denomination, all baptism rituals symbolise beliefs in the Christian faith, all involves water. Some denominations, like Lutheran practice the sprinkling of water over the head of an initiate, while Pentecostals, practice immersing the head of the initiate in the water. Thus a reminder that, “Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”, for individuals who have been initiated that they made a commitment to the teachings, practices and life of of the community. The baptised should live a life of faith as modelled on the example of Jesus, who forgave their sin. The last belief derived from Baptism, is the believed in the Trinity. Through the guidance and support of the Holy Spirit, an individual's is able to carry out God’s word, and evangelise and spread the message of Jesus. “One will come more powerful that I, and he

Paul’s letter to the Romans is of his greatest theological works, passed down for thousands of years and still as relevant today as it was in Paul’s time. How exactly is it relevant the modern Christian may ask? What with its harsh language that includes statements such as “the wages of sin is death” (6:23) and “the wrath of God” (1:18), one may say that current times have changed. Some may say that the issues Paul addresses are acceptable in today’s society. What exactly is the Christian to think? The purpose of this short essay is to examine how the Book of Romans relates to the Christian in the twenty-first century and how it helps to shape his worldview.

Paul knew the importance of this meeting. He had already been in this before more than once maybe twice. As he sat in complete silence, his last encounter with Principal Sweet played in his mind over and over again.

In the first part of this letter, Paul has given instructions on how to get to heaven. Here, he tells us what we should be doing on our journey there: rescue the lost and help others with their burdens.

A major situation confronting Paul during ancient times was trying to make sense of the barriers between Jews and Gentiles. Ultimately, the solution to breaking the barrier comes through Christ alone. Christ died for all humankind not just one kind. This view of Christ as the true solution is also the answer to the oppositions in the book of Romans. Two major oppositions are seen in Romans 8:1-11, between good and evil and spirit and flesh. Paul, who confronts many issues in Rome, cannot resolve these oppositions. Rather, "he proclaims liberation from the existential rupture in human nature, formulated by means of the figures that express opposition between flesh and the spirit, through participation in Christ." Romans 8:1-11 proves that living in the Spirit results in ultimate freedom and everlasting life. This freedom in the Spirit then means that the bondage of the law of sin and death is released.

In Romans 1-8 Paul is writing to teach the doctrine of Christ. Although Paul goes into much more depth in these eight chapters, his message ultimately boils down to the following sentence. We have all sinned and deserve death, however, through the redemption and sanctification of Christ we have been saved and should now lead, Christ centered lives of faith.

In a contemporary Christian environment one of the most prominent practices to have a significant contribution to Christianity as a living religious tradition is Baptism. Baptism is of utmost importance for most Christian denominations. It has profound significance for the individual who is baptised and is also important for the Christian community as a whole. As a sacrament of initiation, Baptism calls its adherents to become missionary Disciples of Christ. It is through baptism that one’s faith journey begins and Christians are called to follow and live their lives in the light of Christ.

I chose Christian Living as the principle of Titus 2:11-14. These simple words are able to convey the entire passage. As Wilkinson explains, it is the “single point of emphasis.” It simplifies and expresses the two major concepts seen in the text. First, is the idea that there is a special group of people who are set aside by God. These are the Christians. They have accepted the grace of God. In addition, they see Jesus as God and Savior. He is their Redeemer, has purified them, and they await His return. Second, these people are different so they should live differently. This statement will market the principle in a biblical manner. Followers are to represent Christ and live according to godly values. They should have a life of sensibility, righteousness, and good works. Walter L. Liefeld explains that the passage shows that the grace that saves the believer actually reorganizes their lives and teaches them how to live. That idea often opposes the culture of the world which urges individualism and self-centeredness.

Apostle Paul was not always a preacher of Christianity, Paul’s parents were Jewish as well as Roman citizens. Paul was to be a Rabbi though his future plans changed, on Paul’s journey of scorning Jesus, he had a vision in which Jesus asked why Paul scorns him, then commissions Paul to preach his message to the Gentiles who received mercy through Jewish unbelief. Around A.D. 56-58; Apostle Paul wrote the Romans, verses 8:26-30 states, “26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

It seems strange that so little is known biographically about one of the most important figures in Christian history, but this only serves to add to the mystery and grandeur surrounding the Apostle Paul of Tarsus. Much, however, is known of the time after his conversion to Christ and what he did to contribute to Christianity in this period, and it is this that leaves a greater legacy than the simple facts of his life. The contributions that he made towards the cause of Christ and the spreading and formation of Christianity are what he is perennially remembered for.

First Peter has been called by some the "epistle of hope." The book of First Peter is a very encouraging and also doctrinal text for Christians today. It tells us to have courage in our daily lives as Christians and gives us reasons why we should have perseverance. First Peter also tells us how we should treat each other in our relationships as brothers and sisters in Christ. As we strive to live with God by our side, this book also tells us that suffering will occur in our lives and how we should deal with those struggles. This book of only 105 verses is filled with words that give a remarkable sense of hope.