Is John Milton's Paradise Lost biblically accurate?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

John Milton was a Puritan who infused his writing with his faith. His epic poem Paradise Lost, written in the seventeenth century, consists of twelve books depicting Satan's fall from heaven and Adam and Eve's sin in Eden. Milton took poetic license, filling in details the Bible does not give, but he did not contradict the Bible either. The title of the poem alludes to its focus: the Fall. The Bible recounts the Fall in Genesis 3, including the aftermath, which included pain, toil, and death. A key character in Paradise Lost is Satan, who is presented accurately as an arrogant, evil being who tries to garner worship that belongs to God alone (Matthew 4:9). Milton also refers to “one greater Man,” Christ, whom Milton says “Restore[s] us”; this coincides with Scripture (Genesis 3:15; John 3:16). Readers should enjoy Milton’s poem for what it is, but look to the Bible for an accurate account of biblical events.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The first three lines of Milton’s epic poem say, “Of Man's first disobedience and the fruit / Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste / Brought death into the world, and all our woe.” Genesis 3 is the biblical account of the events Milton alludes to in those lines, and Book IX is the more detailed account. Despite God’s direct command to Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17), they disobeyed (v. 6). The “woe” caused by their disobedience was, for Eve, the pain of childbirth and subjection to her husband; for Adam, the fall resulted in arduous toil as the land resisted his efforts to work it (Genesis 3:16-19). Most of all, the Fall brought death to humankind as God forbade them access to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The fourth and fifth lines of Paradise Lost mention “one greater Man,” who would “Restore us and regain the blissful seat.” This is, of course, Christ. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
• Paul notes, “For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).
• The title of Milton’s poem is about the “woe” that the Fall brought onto all creation (e.g., sin and death, increased toil as the land resists efforts to work it, pain in childbirth for women). Paul alludes to this in Romans 8:20-21: “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
• A famous line from Milton’s poem that many mistakenly think is in the Bible is from the character of Satan: “Better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven.” Even though that line is not in the Bible, the arrogance and hubris shown in it fits with the Bible’s depiction of Satan. For instance, in Matthew 4:9, Satan tries to tempt Jesus to worship him, which shows Satan’s attempt to gain for himself what belongs only to God.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Roses are red, violets are blue . . . Simple ditties like this and Hallmark cards are the closest many today get to reading poetry. Unless it was a homework assignment in English class, you probably haven’t read John Milton’s seventeenth century Paradise Lost, considered by many to be the greatest epic poem written in English.

The archaic English in Milton’s poem can challenge today’s readers. But if you can manage it, you’ll likely recognize two things: It contains lots of fiction about the biblical accounts, but the content is based on biblical principles and characterizations. Milton was a Christian, and that comes through in his poem.

Christians should be so familiar with the true Bible accounts that we can read or view fictional accounts and distinguish fact from fiction.

UNDERSTAND

• John Milton’s Paradise Lots is a seventeenth century epic poem that depicts Satan’s fall and Adam and Eve’s sin.
• Paradise Lost contains some accurate details and some fictional content, but nothing in it contradicts the Bible.
• Believers can enjoy Milton’s poem but should rely on the Bible for an accurate account of Satan and the Fall.

REFLECT

• What are some fictional works about biblical content that you have enjoyed?
• When engaging with fiction that depicts biblical accounts, how do you ensure that you can distinguish facts from the author’s imagination?
• What criteria do you use when determining if you should consume certain fictional content?

ENGAGE

• What are some potential disadvantages of believers’ exposure to popular fictional content about Bible events/people?
• How can we be discerning about fictional depictions of biblical content?
• What are some benefits of believers engaging with fictional content like Paradise Lost?