Theology 1: Christian Vision of The Human Person (Unit 1)
Theology 1: Christian Vision of The Human Person (Unit 1)
Theology 1: Christian Vision of The Human Person (Unit 1)
Heidegger – A philosopher that stated that death is the end of a being. (Death is the continuation of our life. When we die, our soul
will continue to exist.)
Teleology – composed of two Greek words, “logos” meaning “study, discourse, or word”, and “telos” meaning “end, purpose, or
goal” which studies the end or purpose of beings.
Plato and Aristotle – Two philosophers that stated that everything has its final end.
Potency – came from the Greek word “potens” which means “power”.
Potentialities are known as the possibilities while actuality is known as the end. Human person is also a potentiality that
needs to be actualized. The human person is in search of his fulfillment. Greek philosophers like Plato and his student Aristotle, try to
explain this in their anthology (study of human person). Both of them singled out happiness as the ultimate end of the human person,
the purpose of his or her action. Happiness is “eudaimonia” in Greek.
“Our hearts are restless, until they find rest in you.” – St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) in Confessions.
“No mission is activated and no identity is clarified apart from Christ.” – PCP II
1. Plato (HAPPINESS)
He was the Greek philosopher that had two statements towards the teleology of a human person: the first one is the statement in
which the purpose of a human person is happiness and everything under where we live in are temporary and is under the World of
Matter which is a subcategory of Plato’s two proposed worlds: the World of Matter and the World of Forms and Ideas. Only the soul
can attain essential happiness.
Plato had a negative view of the body. Soul is imprisoned in the body, as he said. For him, the soul should escape the body in
order to learn the imperfect World of Matter and search the World of Forms and Ideas where the soul can experience perfect
happiness. Essential or authentic happiness can be achieved by using the body as a vessel of the soul by being virtuous as if preparing
for true happiness found in the World of Forms and Ideas, not by death, more so suicide. The practice of virtues will help the soul
have a foretaste of the true eudaimonia. Virtue is “arête” in Greek.
PLATO’S DUALISM
We can experience imperfect happiness (pleasures that we experience here on Earth) in the World of Matter. Essential happiness
is found in the World of Forms and Ideas.
The second explanation is that all of us really do have souls but are incomplete. In order for us to be happy, we need another soul
that of which the context of having a soul mate now exist. However, Christian philosophers insisted that only God could only fill our
incomplete souls.
2. Aristotle (PERFECTION)
He was a philosopher that explained the potencies and actualities of a human person that is also pointed towards happiness. But, it
was stated that in order to be happy, we need to perfect our nature as human beings, and it is to become rational beings. Therefore, a
human person’s actions are governed by reason. Animals, however, are not rational beings for they are governed by their instinct.
He merged and supported Plato and Aristotle’s ideas but never really dealt with their meanings. He stated that it is in happiness
and perfection found in God because God created man in His image, by that we are His children, and must perfect His purpose on us.
God is the eternal, supreme happiness that the human person should strive for. We want to experience this perfect happiness in beatific
Before seeing God, we must come to encounter Jesus Christ first. Jesus Christ is the one who will truly manifest the reality of
God in our life. (John 14:6) Jesus is the answer in our humanity and in knowing the invisible God.
Thomas – “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Philip – “show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
SCHEMA OF REDEMPTION
“God, infinitely perfect and blessed in Himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make Him share in His own
blessed life. For their seasons in every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek Him, to love Him with
all His strength.” – CCC
“To be human being means to come from God and to go to God.” – YOUCAT
Schillebeeckx began using St. Augustine’s analogy of a community of love to explain the relationship of the 3 persons in the
Holy Trinity. Father is the lover who loves the son who is the beloved. We can understand the lover by reading the Bible. The Holy
Spirit is the bond of love that makes the 3 persons united as one. The Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit) means that there
are 3 persons and 1 God but these functionalities, does not simply in relation to a single being of God because in actuality they are
unified. The love between the 3 persons of the Holy Trinity cannot be overflow. God wants to share the love within the community of
love (Holy Trinity). This is why out of that sheer love, the world and everything in it came to being. (Lt. Exitus, come from God) God
is perfect, He doesn’t need anything to be happy, but He wants to share His happiness to His entire creature.
Yet there is only one creature who is created in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) who has the ability to love God in
return and Adam and Eve are the best representations of our humanity. The human person knows how to love and is invited to share
the love of the Holy Trinity in heaven. Even though, we are created in God’s image and likeness, we are not gods. It is a sign to
always choose what is good and godly. However, sin makes us forgetful of our original good state. It hinders us to go back to the love
of God. (Lt. Reditus, go to God) After the sin of Adam and Eve, humanity had malice, thus sin is equivalent to our separation from
God because they are hiding from Him. The tree of knowledge of good and evil depicts free will. It is the tree of choice. Our free will
is imperfect that is why we reject His command. In the beginning we did not do anything. God remained faithful in us and took the
intention to save us from our slavery of sin and fangs of death by giving His Son (John 3:16).
“This kenotic process shows us how God became man (the mystery of incarnation). Jesus humbled himself to redeem our
fallen nature.” – Aquinas, De Rationibus Fidei, 7
He sent His begotten Son through kenosis (self-emptying). God took off His divine clothes and chose to be man so that we
would have an example in living a true human life. because of His example, He told us to live a life full of loving. He even
summarized the two greatest commandments.
1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have any other gods besides me.
2. Do not put thy Lord’s name in vain.
3. Keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honor thy father and thy mother.
5. Thou shall not kill.
6. Thou shall not commit adultery.
7. Thou shall not steal.
8. Thou shall not bear false witness against neighbors.
9. Thou shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. Thou shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
*1-3: LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL, AND MIND; 4-10: LOVE OTHERS AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF. 4:
ONLY COMMANDMENT WITH A CONSEQUENT BLESSING.
The greatest love according to Jesus is to love others by offering our life to them. Therefore, Jesus’ Paschal Mystery, His
passion, death, and resurrection, showed His obedience to the Father’s will. His earthly examples become the beacon that will guide
our path towards the Kingdom of God, the central theme of His mission on Earth. Disobedience only came to Jesus at his time of
death in the Garden of Gethsemane in which He prayed, but at the end, He let His Father’s will be done upon His life. Moreover, Jesus
already knew that He will die under the prophecy of Isaiah, but never really knew the way. Cross did not gave meaning at all, lest it is
Christ’s passion on the cross. The cross only symbolized pain, suffering, and death.
Jesus’ deeds and words expressed His being God. The theologian Schillebeeckx points out that Jesus is God, in human way.
Jesus’ miracles points towards His divinity. Jesus is God who walks on Earth. Schillebeeckx also elucidates that Jesus is man, in
divine way by living a moral life and by redeeming our nature as man (moral action). Jesus’ humanity is the solution to the
problematic nature of man. Man is created in God’s image and likeness. Sinfulness is just a tendency which we can overcome if we
turn our gaze to God thtough Jesus. If we want to be true human, we must be true Christians. Jesus is true God and true man. This
perfect union of two natures is explained in the doctrine of Hypostatic Union. Man is in need of salvation (Colossians 1:13-14).
MIRACLES OF JESUS
We are capable of sinning but we also have the capable of doing good. The tendency or the bottom line is motive or the thing
that we instill in our hearts and minds. Thus we can live a moral life through Jesus as our living example.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JESUS AND ADAM (IN THE LETTERS OF ST. PAUL)
Baptism – a story that tells us that Jesus Christ is the Beloved Son, submerged into water by John the Baptist: “This is my Son, to
whom I am well pleased.”
For Filipinos, there are two special images that are devoted to them: (1) The Sto, Niño, and (2) The Black Nazarene. Filipinos
are very close to the Black Nazarene because Filipinos are suffering people. They see that there is a God who also suffers. Filipinos,
are then close to the Sto. Niño because we are called as children that are innocent and we consider children as lucky. Some even
considered it as a divine doll but it is not tolerable. We devote Sto. Niño because we want to be childlike: “ Let the children come to
me, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.”
In the mystery of incarnation, we gaze upon Christ who revealed God in a human way and exemplified how it is to be man in
a divine way. Through His incarnation, we gleam that absolute plan of God that from Him we come and to Him we shall and must
return. As humans, Christ is the exemplar–He represents what is excellent and perfect in us. He also represents humanity in it “ought
to” state and He was able to show that in His words and deeds. We need to turn our gaze to Jesus so we can know the Father and have
an example for us human persons. But WHO IS JESUS? The best way to know Jesus is through reading the Bible specifically the
Gospels in which are the Heart of the Scriptures.
Gospels are known collectively as Synoptic Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke had similarities while John is different. Every
gospel has a symbol, and these symbols are given by Ezekiel and are also read in the Revelation. This is composed of cherubim (4-
winged creature: man, lion, ox, and eagle). St. Jerome further explains there as an explanation of the first part of the Scriptures.
“The first living creature was a lion, symbolizing His effectual working; His leadership, and royal power; the second was like
a calf (ox), signifying His sacrificial and sacerdotal order; but the third has, as if were, the face of a man–an evident description of
His advent as a human being: the fourth was like a flying eagle, pointing out the gift of the Spirit hovering with His wings over the
Church. And therefore, the Gospels are in accord with these things, among which Christ Jesus is seated.” – St. Iranaeus, Adversus
Haereses
“The first face of a man signifies Matthew, who began his narrative as though about to man. The second is Mark, in which
the voice of a lion roaring in the wilderness is heard. The third, the calf which prefigures that the evangelist Luke began with
Zachariah the priest. The fourth John the evangelist, who, having taken up eagle’s wings and hastening towards higher matters,
discusses the Word of God.” – St. Jerome, Preface to the Commentary of Matthew
Matthew presents Jesus as a humble and meek man (true human being) yet He is the King who is foretold by the prophets. He
was the one depicted as the New Moses. It spoke about the genealogy of Jesus: from Abraham to David, and from David to Jesus (40
generations). In every Simbang Gabi, the genealogy of Jesus is being read at the second day.
Mk. 1:2-3: The prophecy of Isaiah of the precursor was fulfilled in the person of John the Baptist.
Mark presents Jesus as possessing great authority (although His theme can also be seen in the other synoptic gospels as well.)
John the Baptist became like a lion telling to prepare the way of the Lord. In Mark, Jesus is also the Messiah. However, there is a
problem in understanding the term “Messiah”. This is known as the Messianic Controversy. This speaks of the followers of Jesus who
thinks that Jesus is the Messiah who will save Israel from the Romans. Most of them are Zealots. One of the apostles is known as
Simon the Zealot. Therefore, Mark is not an apostle of Jesus, but an apostle of Hitar. Mark is the oldest Scripture among the four
gospels. Messiah means “The Anointed One” or “Mesias Christus”. The meaning of the name Jesus is “God saves”.
Lk. 1:5-25: Begins with the story of the High Priest, Zechariah, and the birth of John the Baptist.
© Sir Ser’s Presentation and Lectures
THEOLOGY 1: CHRISTIAN VISION OF THE HUMAN PERSON (UNIT 1)
The first part of Luke tells about Zechariah the High Priest, the father of John the Baptist. The reason why the ox is the
gospel symbol is because oxen during the past were number one sacrificial offering. Therefore, Luke represented Jesus as the High
Priest (Hebrews 5:6), and the High Priest who illuminated Jesus is the High Priest Melchizedek of Israel. Jesus is both the offeror
(High Priest), and the offeree (Lamb of God; Willing Victim)
7 “I’AM”’S
1. I am the bread of life. (6:35, 48) 5. I am the resurrection and the life. (11:25)
2. I am the light of the world. (8:12, 9:5) 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life. (14:6)
3. I am the gate. (10:7) 7. I am the true vine. (15:1, 5)
4. I am the good shepherd. (10:11, 14)
“Jesus was and is God, the second Person of the Godhead, equal to the Father in every way, one with the Father in nature.”
(Exodus 3:14)
The 7 “I’AM”’S are congruent to the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14), the name of God which is Yahweh.
The Rich Young Man is translated in 3 gospels except John as Jesus portrays as a good teacher. The man asked Jesus about
the secret to everlasting life which is to give up all of our possessions and to follow the commandments. One added commandment is
“thou shall not defraud”. It is only an expansion of the Ten Commandments called the Mosaic Law. Mosaic Law is giving specific
details of the commandment.
Jewish people don’t drink blood, don’t eat pork, seafood, particularly no scales, and strangled animals. More laws of the Jews
include the Circumcision Law, Levirate Law, and many more. Levirate Law explains that it is a type of marriage in which the brother
of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother’s widow. The term levirate is a derivative of itself of the Latin word “levir” meaning
“husband’s brother”. Jewish are known to have a patriarchal society.
Legal separation remains to be married, but they make their separation legalized through issuing custodies and they will not
re-marry. Annulment is done to investigate if there is really marriage that has happened between couples. Divorce is also a legal
separation by a court or by other competent body that is to dissolve one’s marriage with someone.
It tells that the state should not have a state religion. The state moreover, should not favor, nor discriminate, any religion. And
lastly, the state can only meddle if a certain religion had done any civil case.
JESUS CHRIST SHEDS LIGHT ON THE MYSTERY AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
“In fact, it is only in the mystery of the word incarnate that light is shed on the mystery of man. For by Hs incarnation, the
Son of God has united Himself in some fashion with every person.” – Gaudium et Spes
The dignity of man lies on being created in the Image and Likeness of God, because of all visible creatures, only man is
capable of knowing and loving His creator.
“Every human being is an irreplaceable and non-substitutable person, a kind of good that cannot be treated as an object of
use or as a means to an end.” – JPII, Love and Responsibility
“For in Christ and through Christ, we have acquired full awareness of our dignity, of the heights to which we are raised, of
the surpassing worth of our humanity and of the meaning of our existence.” – JPII, Redemptor Hominis
“Christians, recognize your dignity, and now that you are about to share in God’s own nature, do not return to your former
base condition by sinning. Remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Never forget that you have been
rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of the Kingdom of God.” – CCC 1691
Being redeemed by the blood of Christ means that Christ had seen something in us; therefore to Christ, we are all precious in
His eyes like gems. All is left is for us to be purified by our sufferings and our problems (testing of faith).
“Since the initiation belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification,
at the beginning of conversion.” – CCC 2010
“Made by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the grace needed for our
sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life.” – CCC 2010
We are all Christians. The grace of Jesus (redemption) does not contradict in terms of good works. If we are saved, we must
remain intact to Him, and that is the sign of being born again by Christ. We are born again, especially baptized not only by water, but
by the Spirit and presence of God.
The foundation of the dignity of a human person is the soul. Those who are rational thinkers have dignity. Animals are not
rational thinkers, and therefore, do not have dignity. In terms of moral actions, not all legal are moral. The Christian point of view is to
always do good and what is fitting. Love is a rational activity. Human beings in their loving can be faithful. There are things that we
consider moral or immoral. Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial and constructive. If we found ourselves in a
tedious situation, be the person to remove ourselves from the big picture.
1. Open and relational (687) - we need people to deeply know ourselves. We need other people to perfect our humanity to
survive.
2. Conscious beings (688) - inclined with reason (rationality) and awareness.
3. Embodied spirits (689) – composition of body and soul (human person).
4. Historical realities (690) – includes the past, present, and the future; beginning and the end. Humans are spatial beings.
5. Unique yet equal (691) – all of us are bodily and rational beings and dignified individuals, created in the image of God and
likeness, capable of loving. We have different personalities and opinions.
The Church was instituted by Christ to perpetuate His presence on Earth. The birth of the Church began at the time of the
Pentecost (Holy Spirit). After this, His apostles began to preach the gospel, which is located in the book of Acts. We can fulfill the
purpose of the Church through the Sacraments to make real the spirit of Jesus in us.
“The Church have always wished to serve this single end: that each person may be able to find Christ, in order that Christ
may walk with each person, the path of life.” – John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis 11
The church must be a reflection of Christ to others towards holiness. It must be the wellspring of holiness of those who are
faithful on Earth. Holiness is the highest vocation of a human person. In St. Matthew’s gospel, Jesus identifies himself with those who
are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, strangers, or in prison. (Mt. 25:40) Christians believe that Christ is mysteriously present in the world
© Sir Ser’s Presentation and Lectures
THEOLOGY 1: CHRISTIAN VISION OF THE HUMAN PERSON (UNIT 1)
in a hidden way, and by that He sends His Holy Spirit to be the agent in the righting of wrongs and of the remedying the injustice, as
well as in the healing of the nations. One day Christ will return in glory; we do not know the time but we should live in waiting and in
praying.
Christ promised that He would be present whenever two or three gather in His name (Mt. 18:20). When the churches
gathered together they were urged to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5b) and to live lives of
holiness. The holiness of Church is the perpetual resource for her members who recognize their need of conversion and sanctification.
To be Jesus’ disciple, one must be holy. (Mt. 5:48) The church’s responsibility is to make us holy. Discipleship is the way to follow
Christ.
HOW TO BE HOLY?
OLD TESTAMENT NEW TESTAMENT
Fulfillment of the Covenant (Noah, Abraham, Moses) Follow the Commandments (Jn. 14:15; 15:10, etc.)
Carry our own crosses (Mt.16:24)
The covenant to Noah is to never again send a great Listen to God’s Word and be a witness of it (Mt. 12:48;
flood to destroy humanity through the symbol of a Mk. 3:25); Lk. 8:21)
rainbow.
Holiness should not be associated plainly to religious and holy things, and to holy people. Holiness can be perceived in our
relationships. Having good and holy relationships will make us holy. God made us stewards, by being caretakers His co-creators. It is
because we are rational beings. Human love in marriage is chaste and faithful love.