[Skit: Paul Rosenberg]
[Intro: Eminem]
As many of you know, I began a journey to find myself quite awhile ago. Below is my final draft of an analytical writing assignment from an English Composition 1 class I took Spring 2024. I was inspired to finally post this for you all to read after listening to the new Eminem album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), as he battles his alter ego "Slim Shady" and seemingly killing him off.
I wasn't sure what to think of it all, and then "Temporary" came on and the tears started to roll down my face in a hyperventilating cry. There really are two sides to the same coin.
An Explanation of Paul’s Letter to the Romans
Paul’s Letter to the Romans references the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the historical figure, Jesus Christ and his divine mercy. Paul’s purpose in writing this letter to the Romans is to introduce himself before a visit he plans to make in order to share the knowledge and excitement he has for the Christian belief system. Paul the Apostle has such a strong conviction in the miracle of Jesus that he ordains himself chosen by God to push the Christian agenda (Rom. 1:1). Located within the section of Paul’s letter regarding prayers of thanksgiving, Paul states, “For I want very much to see you, in order to share a spiritual blessing with you to make you strong” (Rom. 1:11). Paul sees Christianity as a tool of empowerment and wants very much for the Romans to acknowledge this. The Christian religion essentially promotes the idea that one should model their lives after Jesus Christ by striving to be good, and discourages getting even with any foul actions of another human being (Rom. 12:17). The primary purpose of Paul’s Letter to the Romans is to convert Rome to Christianity based on the idea that the conversion of their population, through compassion, would strengthen the empire.
The introduction of Paul’s Letter to the Romans is prominently discussing the fulfilled prophesy of Jesus Christ and the dedication Paul has to sharing that knowledge as he encourages the Romans to take part in Christianity with him. Paul explains, “The Good News was promised long ago by God through his prophets, as written in the Holy Scriptures. It is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: as to his humanity, he was born as a descendant of David; as to his divine holiness, he was shown with great power to be the Son of God by being raised from death” in order to give the Romans a history on where Christianity originated from and why the belief system is based in a miracle (Rom. 1:2-4). Paul states, “Through him God gave me the privilege of being an apostle for the sake of Christ, in order to lead people of all nations to believe and obey” in reference to Jesus Christ being the miracle that motivates him to make the conversion of others a life mission (Rom. 1:5). Paul goes on to reveal, “And so I write to all of you in Rome whom God loves and has called to be his own people: May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace” as a hopeful invitation for the Romans to join him in a more positive way of living (Rom. 1:7).
As the letter written by Paul the Apostle progresses to the section explaining God’s judgement, one can identify the main idea within this topic as revealing the imperfections of humanity, the perfection of God, and the results of accepting or rejecting a change of heart for the better in this life and the afterlife according to the Christian belief system. Paul writes, “For God will reward every person according to what he has done” in an effort to address the active stubbornness and hostility he sees within not only the Roman Empire, but also humanity, and express why patience over judgement from one human to another will preserve one from eventual downfall (Rom. 2:6). Paul points out to the Romans, “Surely you know that God is kind because he is trying to lead you to repent” in an effort to persuade the population on the idea that Christianity is an elevated way of thinking leading to deeper personal strength and growth when practiced (Rom. 2:4). Paul presents with great pride, “For God judges everyone by the same standard” to suggest to the Romans that all humans are created equal and only through the labor of acceptance and love could an individual and community truly thrive in a long-term scenario (Rom. 2:11).
Reading forward into the segment pertaining to the future glory within Paul’s Letter to the Roman’s one can establish the common theme as being an explanation of how faith in God through the practice of Christianity will transform the pain of the present into a less painful future through the generational multiplying of converts. Paul relates, “I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared to all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” to cultivate a sense of hope inside the hearts of the Romans (Rom. 8:18). Paul the Apostle imparts to the Romans, “For it was by hope that we were saved” to draw attention to the need to keep a positive vision of an ideal world living under the rule of a loving God so that one’s daily good deeds feel valuable (Rom. 8:24). Paul asserts, “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him” to reiterate the importance of giving one’s full devotion to modeling the life of Jesus Christ in an effort to be the best version of oneself and in turn create a more unified world for the future (Rom. 8:28).
The final instructions contained in Paul’s Letter to the Romans reveals the requirements for maintaining God’s glory once achieved. Conclusively, the overall concept consists of remaining in fellowship with other Christian converts and rewarding those who choose a life not parallel to that of the Spirit with distance. Through loyalty to God by way of committing oneself to the Christian belief system, the idea is that one gains peace and puts their trust in God to handle those that refuse to believe and continue to embrace a life of chaos. Paul reports, “I urge you, my brothers: watch out for those who cause divisions and upset people’s Faith and go against the teachings which you have received. Keep away from them” in order to separate believers from non-believers and advise the Romans on how to create peace within as well as a more peaceful world for the present and future (Rom. 16:17). Paul reveals, “By their fine words and flattering speech they deceive innocent people” to warn of how the evil of Satan operates (Rom. 16:18). Paul contends, “And God, our source of peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet” to reassure the Romans that through Christianity one must trust in God to fight evil as the only responsibility of oneself is to live in accordance to God through good works (Rom. 16:20). However, contrary to Paul’s vision that the belief system of Christianity would lead to a future of glory, the fall of the Roman Empire immediately followed the widespread conversions and ultimately led to the Dark Ages. This historical evidence lends to the idea that perhaps it is through more than divine mercy and compassion alone that cause a people to thrive. The diversity of polytheistic religion not just in ancient Rome prior to Christianity, but in general, may give societies a more advanced ability to gain an awakened understanding of different archetypes and the god-like power within oneself to attain and maintain true glory in a long-term scenario.
Works Cited
Romans. Holy Bible. King James Version. Oxford UP, 1972.
Ryliškytė, Ligita. “God’s Mercy: The Key Thematic Undercurrent of Paul’s Letter to the Romans.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol. 81, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 85–105.
She’s back!!!!