Paradise Lost - Part 1

Paradise Lost provides a new perspective on the fall of man as described in Genesis 3. Beginning just after Satan and the other fallen angels’ expulsion from Heaven, it chronicles the events that eventually culminate in man’s removal from Eden. In the first third of the book, Satan and his cohorts discover their new dwelling place and decide what to do now. They have a council in which is decided that they will continue to war with God but will do it by disfiguring the rumored new creation called Earth and its inhabitants, man. Satan volunteers to find Earth and scout out how best to put their plan into action; he does not allow for questions. Beginning his journey, he weasels his way out the gates of Hell and across the chasm guarded by Chaos and Night and into the outer skies of creation.

As Satan makes his way towards earth, the Father sees him and tells his Son of man’s eventual fall. Understanding that man must be condemned for his treason against the Father, the Son asks for grace to be extended to them. The Father agrees and asks for a volunteer who will act as man’s sacrificial offering. No one answers except the Son. Then all of Heaven rejoices. Here is their praise of the Son: “Thee next they sang of all creation first, / Begotten Son, divine similitude, / In whose conspicuous cont’nance, without cloud / Made visible, th’ Almighty Father shines, / Whom else no creature can behold;” (III.383-87).

This abruptly caught my attention because of the first two lines, “of all creation first, Begotten Son.” This is the Arian heresy, that the Son was not the same as the Father but the first of all creation. To me, to have the idea that Jesus was the first of creation is to have an inadequate sacrifice for man’s transgression. It would be like sacrificing the lamb; it is just the death of one created thing for another. Though it is great and wonderful that the Son has chosen to die on man’s behalf, I don’t think that his death will be enough if he is not also divine.