2 Kings 25: The final downfall of the southern kingdom, Judah. Nebuchadnezzar and his people destroy everything there. What happens with the Ark of the Covenant though? A quick Internet search revealed that there is no real clear indication as to what happened with the Ark.
Romans 5: Paul starts this chapter with a short overview of things up to that moment (I think). He then goes into a comparison between Adam and Jesus. He reminds us that sin is because of Adam’s failure which led to death. This stayed that way until the Law, but sin continued as did death. Jesus’ sacrifice for us made us righteous. I’m pretty sure Paul refers to this as grace. Therefore, even though death is still a part of life, following Jesus leads to eternal life.
Just as a side note, I wonder how much people knew about Jesus Christ at the time Paul’s letters were written. According to scholars, the first Gospel (Mark) was written around 70 CE. The earliest of Paul’s letters was written around 50 CE. This wasn’t a time of widespread communication like we have today. So how much did they actually know?