What is your doctrinal understanding of the person of Jesus? Be sure to include Scripture references either in text or as footnotes.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: The Doctrine of the Person of Jesus: Understanding His Nature and Identity
Introduction:
The person of Jesus Christ is central to Christianity, as he is believed to be the Son of God and the Savior of humanity. Understanding the nature and identity of Jesus is crucial for believers to grasp the significance of his life, teachings, and redemptive work. This essay will explore the doctrinal understanding of the person of Jesus by examining his divine and human nature, as well as the biblical evidence supporting this understanding.
I. The Divine Nature of Jesus:
A. Jesus as the Son of God:
John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (1)
Jesus himself claimed to be the Son of God (John 10:36) and demonstrated divine authority through his miracles and teachings.
B. Jesus as fully God:
Colossians 2:9 affirms, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” (2)
Jesus possessed divine attributes such as omnipotence (Matthew 28:18), omniscience (John 16:30), and eternality (John 8:58).
C. The Trinity:
The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that Jesus, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is part of the one true God.
Matthew 28:19 states, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (3)
II. The Human Nature of Jesus:
A. Jesus as fully human:
John 1:14 declares, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (4)
Jesus experienced human emotions, physical limitations, and temptations (Matthew 4:1-11; John 11:35; Hebrews 4:15).
B. Jesus’ birth and lineage:
Jesus was born to Mary, a human virgin, fulfilling prophecy (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).
He also belonged to the lineage of David, as foretold in Scripture (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Matthew 1:1).
III. The Hypostatic Union:
A. The Hypostatic Union explained:
The Hypostatic Union refers to the union of Jesus’ divine and human nature in one person.
This doctrine emphasizes that Jesus is both fully God and fully human simultaneously.
B. Support for the Hypostatic Union:
Philippians 2:5-8 speaks of Jesus emptying himself and taking on human form.
Hebrews 2:14-17 highlights that Jesus became like his brothers and sisters in every way, sharing in their humanity.
Conclusion:
The doctrinal understanding of the person of Jesus reveals his divine and human nature, emphasizing his unique identity as the Son of God and the Savior of humanity. The biblical evidence supports the belief that Jesus is fully God and fully human, united in one person through the Hypostatic Union. Grasping the nature of Jesus is essential for Christians to appreciate his role in redemption, his example for living, and his promise of eternal life.
References:
New International Version (NIV).
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
