PL_LESSON 1: JESUS CHRIST AS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD

Philosophy

means love of wisdom

Philosophy

Scientia rerum per causas prima sub lumine rationis naturalis

Philosophy

It is through education that the human person cultivates virtues and receive the gift of being Good actualizing the truth of being the image and likeness of God

Theology

means the study or word of God

Theology

science about God

Theology

Scientia de Deo ex revelatione acquisita

Theology

the science of beings in their ultimate reasons, causes, and principles acquired by the aid of human reason alone

Magisterium

we do not invent ideas but understand revealed truth coming from, taken care by

Tradition

came first before the scripture

Theology and philosophy

two way streets in order to arrive at the truth

PLATO

Truth is the beginning of every good to the gods, and of every good to man

PLATO

Truth is always good. No one should turn away from this. When one discarded truth, they live a lie.

WINSTON CHURCHILL

The truth is the best defense. It is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is

MAHATMA GANDHI

Truth is the substance of all morality. It is by nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it shines clear

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Truth is certainly a branch of morality, and a very important one to society

Good

Absolute

God’s Morality

Important to Society

Therefore, truth is

TRUTH

There is a crisis of truth (scams, fake news)

Aletheia, literally “unforgetting” or “uncovering”

Truth In Greek

“Veritas,” from the noun “versus,” meaning “true.”

Truth In Latin

TRUTH

"Disclosure" or "revealing"

TRUTH

Conformity to fact or actuality, a statement proven to be or accepted as true

TRUTH

Equation of thought and thing (according to Philosophy) – adaequatio rei et intellectus

TRUTH

Resides formally, or as such, in the intellect which rightly judges a thing to be what it really i

truth, God

To seek is to seek

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

said that ‘Veritas est adaequatio rei et intellectus”

truth

is the conformity between the thing and the intellect

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

What we know matches what really is. The mind must conform to reality, not the other way around

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

Truth is not subjective. It is not about feelings or opinions, but aligning ourselves with the way things truly are

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

Truth can never be forgotten. According to him, if a reality conformes into your head, seen, visible that is truth

ABSOLUTE TRUTH

Inflexible reality

ABSOLUTE TRUTH

Fixed, invariable, unalterable facts

ABSOLUTE TRUTH

Universal truth

ARGUMENT FROM MOTION

Prime mover

ARGUMENT FROM MOTION

The first and more manifest way

ARGUMENT FROM MOTION

Certain and evident to our senses, that in the world some things are in motion

ARGUMENT FROM MOTION

From our experience of motion in the universe, we can see that there must have been an initial mover

ARGUMENT FROM MOTION

Things do not begin moving on their own 

ARGUMENT FROM MOTION

Therefore, it is necessary to arrive at a First Mover, put in motion by no other, and this everyone understands to be God

ARGUMENT FROM MOTION

Order of motion in nature. There must be a first mover or unmoved mover or an ultimate source of change in things

ARGUMENT FROM CAUSALITY

First efficient cause or uncaused cause

ARGUMENT FROM CAUSALITY

In the world of sense, we find that there is an order of efficient causes 

ARGUMENT FROM CAUSALITY

It is necessary to admit a first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God

ARGUMENT FROM CAUSALITY

It is impossible for a being to cause itself; there must be a first cause, itself uncaused 

ARGUMENT FROM CONTINGENCY

Independent being or necessary being

ARGUMENT FROM CONTINGENCY

The third way is taken from possibility and necessity 

ARGUMENT FROM CONTINGENCY

Because objects in the world come into existence and pass out of it, it is possible for those objects to exist or not exist at any particular time 

ARGUMENT FROM CONTINGENCY

However, nothing can come from nothing; this means something must exist at all times – God

ARGUMENT FROM DEGREE OR GRADATION AND PERFECTION

Perfect being

ARGUMENT FROM DEGREE OR GRADATION AND PERFECTION

The fourth way is taken from the gradation to be found in things 

ARGUMENT FROM DEGREE OR GRADATION AND PERFECTION

There are different degrees of goodness in different things

ARGUMENT FROM DEGREE OR GRADATION AND PERFECTION

Following the “Great Chain of Being,” which states that there is a gradual increase in complexity, created objects move from unformed inorganic matter to biologically complex organisms 

ARGUMENT FROM DEGREE OR GRADATION AND PERFECTION

Therefore, there must be a being of the highest form of good – God

ARGUMENT FROM DEGREE OR GRADATION AND PERFECTION

Differing grades of perfection of being lead to the conclusion that there must be a perfect being, the source of being in everything else

ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN

Intelligent being

ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN

The fifth way is taken from the governance of the world

ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN

All things have an order or arrangement that leads them to a particular goal

ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN

Because the order of the universe cannot be the result of chance, design and purpose must be at work 

ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN

Implies divine intelligence on the part of the designer – God 

ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN

Also known as the things without intelligence act for the sake of ends. Things without intelligence cannot work for the sake of an end unless a higher intelligence is directing them

SAINT AUGUSTINE

Just like Him, we know in our hearts that, because God has made us for Himself, our hearts can never find rest until they rest in Him

SAINT AUGUSTINE

My heart is restless until it rest in Him

SAINT AUGUSTINE

Truth is NOT there to make us comfortable

EDWARD SCHILLEBEECKX

According to him, God is a personal absolute in whom is found the reason for our existence, and therefore, He is a being who gives absolute meaning to our lives.

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW

Presents Jesus as the promised Messiah, the coming King 

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW

Very Jewish in its message, revealing Jesus as the Star that would come out of Jacob, the Scepter that would rise out of Israel, and the One who would sit on David’s throne 

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW

The Gospel gives great revelation of the Kingdom to come 

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW

Jesus’ genealogy is recorded from Abraham to Joseph, making Jesus the legal heir to the throne of David 

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW

Presents Jesus as the greater Moses

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MARK

Presents Jesus as the suffering servant, prophesied in Isaiah 53

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MARK

Jesus humbled Himself and came to do the will of His Father and to reveal the amazing love and grace of God 

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MARK

Presents Jesus as a new start for humanity, bringing the mystery of God’s new creation crashing into the present

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MARK

There is no genealogy recorded because a servant’s genealogy was insignificant and not worthy of being recorded 

THE GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE

Presents Jesus as the Son of Man, a messianic title from the prophecy of Daniel, and as the son of David

THE GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE

Focuses on Jesus’ humanity and beautifully details the announcement of His incarnation and His birth

THE GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE

The only Gospel that gives a glimpse into Jesus’ childhood years

THE GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE

The genealogy begins with Joseph, as the husband of Mary, and traces Jesus’ ancestry through Mary’s bloodline from the line of David (making Jesus the biological heir to the throne of David), and all the way back to the first man, Adam 

THE GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE

Highlights how Jesus is God’s royal servant from the book of Isaiah who brings God’s light to the nations

THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN

Presents Jesus as the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit

THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN

Beautiful in revealing Jesus’ divinity

THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN

The genealogy records are short, but complete, in recording Jesus' co-existence with God the Father from everlasting 

THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN

Glorious in revealing the riches of our salvation

THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN

Focuses on Jesus’ claim to be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who became human to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves

1. Old Testament

2. New Testament

Two Parts of Bible

Lion

 first living creature was like this, symbolizing His effectual working, His leadership, and royal power; “the second was like a calf,” signifying His sacrificial and sacerdotal order; but “the third had, as it were, the face as of a man”

Lion

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

ST. MATTHEW

Represented by a divine man because the Gospel highlights Jesus’ entry into this world, first by presenting His family lineage 

ST. MATTHEW

Shows that the New Testament is full of promises and prophecies, and they are all pointing to Jesus

ST. MARK

Represented by the winged lion, references the Prophet Isaiah when he begins his gospel

ST. MARK

Also signified royalty, an appropriate symbol for the Son of God

ST. MARK

Young man who personally saw a lot of things that Jesus said and did

ST. LUKE

Represented by the winged ox, which was used in temple sacrifices 

ST. LUKE

For instance, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem, an ox and a fatling were sacrificed every six steps

ST. LUKE

Begins his Gospel with the announcement of the birth of St. John the Baptizer to his father, the priest Zechariah, who was offering sacrifice in the Temple 

ST. LUKE

Includes the parable of the Prodigal Son, in which the fatted calf is slaughtered, not only to celebrate the younger son’s return, but also to foreshadow the joy we must have in receiving reconciliation through our most merciful Savior, who as Priest offered Himself in sacrifice to forgive our sns

ST. LUKE

Reminds us of the priestly character of our Lord and His sacrifice for our redemption

ST. LUKE

Educated doctor and wrote his gospel based on a lot of his own research and traveling with Apostle Paul

Ox

symbolizes sacrifice of animal wash away the sins of people.

ST. JOHN

Represented by the rising eagle

ST. JOHN

The Gospel begins with the “lofty” prologue and “rises” to pierce most deeply the mysteries of God, the relationship between the Father and the Son, and the incarnation

ST. JOHN

engages the reader with the most profound teachings of our Lord, such as the long discourses Jesus has with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, and the beautiful teachings on the Bread of Life and the Good Shepherd