Argumentative Essay On Christianity

Time and again, the question of how one is truly justified and made righteous has been heatedly debated on by many. The difference in cultures, beliefs and religions has caused a distinction on how people view justification, which at its very root is the reality of one’s divine salvation from eternal damnation. For some, they believe that action – that is, works and good deeds – is all it takes to be considered just. Some others would argue that doing rituals and following tradition are far more important. Others can go on and on and talk about countless different efforts that they would deem significant in order to be considered just, however the Scripture provides an abundant source of passages that oppose to the idea of laboring for your

It is this same Paul who was once called Saul, an infamous Pharisee who was known for persecuting Christians. Take note that this was during a period only a short while after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Christ’s followers were only beginning to grow in number and a great deal of people then were still committed to the Jewish beliefs. And so here comes Paul (Saul then), still a Jewish devotee who is overflowing with zeal and is very dedicated to serving God, too dedicated, as a matter of fact, that he was convinced that he honors God’s name by persecuting those who believe in this “Christ” who at that time, after having claimed that he supposedly is the Messiah and the son of God, was accused of being a blasphemer and a heretic. It was only when he was on his way to Damascus to drag off even more Christians to persecute and send to prison that Paul discovered his true calling. He was struck blind by a great light that flashed from heaven, got his sight restored 3 days later by a disciple named Ananias, got baptized, and eventually received his mission to proclaim God’s name to the Gentiles and to the people of

In Romans 4:1-12, Paul talks about how men are justified not by their actions but rather through their faith. Likewise, most of the other chapters of the epistle are centered on that idea. Paul explains to the Romans that they shall be considered righteous, not because they blindly follow the law like what some Jews do, but because they put their faith in God. In Romans 2:28-29a, Paul states, “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.” Does this imply then that Jews are at a disadvantage? Not at all. Peter Richardson, in his book “Paul’s Ethic of Freedom,” says that Christ’s redemption has destroyed the barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles, hence there are no more distinctions and one is no longer higher than the other – God now sees them as one and deals with both of them alike. Paul proves his point even further in the next chapter when he states in Roman 3:22-24 that “righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ