Michelle Agbotui
Dr. Dougherty
Core 179F
December 4th 2018
OUTLINE
Human Nature
The two texts chosen are “Augustine’s Confessions” and “The Gospel of Matthew”. While Augustine focuses on how as humans we are able to choose between good and bad, Matthew also explains that if we portray the good qualities God wants us to, we will choose good and avoid the bad. However, they both agree on human nature as naturally finding pleasure in sin.
I. Pleasure in Sin.
a. Matthew talks about the works of the flesh and how as humans we are easily tempted to sin.
He talks about this in chapter 18, verses 7-9. “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it
is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!...”
1. Although sin comes naturally to us, it is up to us to seek repentance and ask God for
forgiveness because He is always open to accept and forgive us. An example is the two
disciples of Jesus, Peter and Judas. Peter denied Jesus and let his sins convict him but he
still went back to seek forgiveness because he knew he would be forgiven but Judas ended
his life in guilt and fear. He chose to be bad.
b. According to Augustine, we are all equally free to choose good or bad. In chapter viii, he
explains why he stole the pears. “I found pleasure in the crime itself enhanced by the
companionship of my peers”. He stole the pears just for the sake of stealing, for he did
not even l...
