Paul’s View of Evil

Paul’s View of Evil

Paul’s perception of sin is that it is acquired from birth and that it can be inherited. This means that everybody is a sinner. Human beings have always strived to lead upright lives to please God, but they have never achieved the uprightness and glory that the almighty wanted for his people, as Paul explains in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Paul’s perception about Evil or sin is consistent with the Psalmist’s view of sin in the Old Testament: “Behold, I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” One cannot fail to notice the universality of sin from Paul’s teachings. To a more significant extent, he relies on the texts of the Old Testament to teach about Evil. For instance, he refers to the Psalmist’s explanation of sin (Psalms 51:5) in Romans 5:12: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all people because all sinned.” This verse echoes the universality of sin and Paul’s thoughts that all humans are short of God’s glory. But despite this, all hope is not lost because humans can turn to Jesus for salvation. As he explains in Romans 5:20: “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more”. He proceeds to explain that humans can only be freed from the chains of sin by embracing Jesus Christ.

I would say that I agree with Paul’s perceptions of sin because I think Evil is transmittable. I agree with him because I have seen some families where children end up like their parents. For instance, if parents are alcoholics, the chances of one of their children ending up like them are high. We all live in a sinful or evil society; hence, we are also likely to sin. Similarly, grace and righteousness are transmittable. Therefore, humans can lead righteous lives by associating with honest people and following Jesus. Paul echoes this in Romans 5:19 when he states that: “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

Jesus as Paul’s Hero

Paul’s description of Jesus hints at the fact that he considers Him to be his hero. For example, his view that Jesus is a peacemaker suggests that by accepting Jesus and believing in him, humans can experience internal peace with God Almighty. Paul also describes Jesus as a deliverer in Galatians 5:1. He urges the Galatians to hold firmly the freedom that his hero had granted them and to exercise caution, lest they become slaves of sin again.

Additionally, Paul refers to his hero as a redeemer in Titus 2:14, where he explains that He sacrificed himself at Golgotha to free humans from the captivity of sin. Paul uses many other words or phrases to describe his hero in the epistles: “Destroyer of Death, Giver of Life, King of Kings, Son of God,” etc. Paul’s descriptions of Jesus suggest that by accepting him, human beings are freed from their woes and sorrows; failure to accept him means that one is destined for hell.

My Parents as My Heroes

I earlier explained that I do not consider myself to be religious, but I do have great respect for other people’s religions. Almost all my friends are Christians. However, I view my mother as my heroine and my father as my hero. While Paul’s description of Jesus as his hero is based on religion, my explanations are based on my personal experiences with my parents. Since we were young, they have always stood by us and supported us, even when we are on the wrong. For us to get educated, they had to sacrifice a lot.

Our parents ensured that we lacked nothing, even if it meant borrowing money from relatives and friends. When anyone of us fell sick, they ensured that we got the best medical attention. For instance, there is a time when I was to be operated on, and my parents were very broke that they planned for fundraising to raise the money needed for my operation. They are always my best friends, and they gave me moral support during my worst moments. They are always concerned about my tomorrow. They did not raise me religiously, but they are my heroes because of the sacrifices they made for me.

The end of Evil

Paul explains in Romans, chapter 5, that the death of Jesus on the cross was designed so that humankind can be saved from the chains of sin. He explains that sin entered the world because of one man and that only one man would mend the broken relationship between God and mankind: “In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all.” The daughters and sons of Adam and Eve were utterly helpless before God’s son sacrificed Himself on the cross for their sins.

Paul further explains that through sins, human beings get separated from God, and that sinful people are God’s enemies. However, God’s undying love made him send His Son to be sacrificed for the broken relationship between God and human beings to be repaired: “Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life?” This means that humans are only safe from sin when they accept Jesus and agree to be baptized, as Paul explains in chapter six of the book of Romans. In baptism, humans die with Christ and resurrect with Christ. Baptism symbolizes the end of a sinful life and the beginning of a new life: “We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” According to Paul, humans can only be saved from their Evil or sinful nature when they allow Jesus to guide their lives. Their acceptance of Christ is symbolized through baptism, which symbolizes the crucifixion and resurrection of the Christ (the end of sin and the onset of righteous lives).

Paul’s description of the end of Evil and contained in chapter six of the book of Romans is akin to the notions depicted in “The Matrix” film. The philosophical ideas in the movie had huge impacts on the hearts of many who watched it. The oriental philosophies portrayed in the film are said to be referencing Christianity. Analysts of the film suggest that it was intended to reveal to humans how they are being controlled and to give them the hope of a savior who would free them from systems that are currently controlling them. Neo is presented as Jesus’s allegory; he is created by machines so that he can keep human beings under control. Neo leads a double life; he works as a computer hacker at night and n office worker at night. He leads his life, knowing that something could be wrong with society. He, therefore, spends much of his time trying to fathom what could be going on. Later on, he meets Trinity and Morpheus, who are members of a resistance movement that wants to expose the secrets of the human world.

The film depicts a human society that is so dependent on artificial intelligence robot. Eventually, the machines retaliate against the humans who created them. Neo’s name means “new” and is symbolic of the “chosen one” in the bible. In other words, Neo’s name symbolizes a savior, which is similar to Paul’s description of Jesus as a savior. One can tell from watching the movie that there is a similarity between Jesus and Neo, starting from his unconditional love for Trinity. In Christianity, the doctrine of Trinity points to the fact that the nature of God is in three persons. In the bible, the birth of the Messiah was prophesied – the birth of a savior who would free humans from the chains of sin.

Similarly, the arrival of a savior who would destroy the matrix is also propagated in the film.  After Neo is assassinated, he resuscitates but with new powers: he can ascend to the sky, the way Jesus ascended to the heavens after his resurrection. Neo is also sacrificed for mankind in the 3^rd movie of “The Matrix” series. Several other references in the film have a close similarity to the bible: a traitor names Cypher similar to the biblical Judah, Nebuchadnezzar Ship, and a city called Zion.