The problem of suffering: a third option?
Oversimplifying a situation promotes distorted understandings. When it comes to suffering and thoughts about God, I wonder just how grossly oversimplified our analyses might be.
When grappling with whether the God of the Bible can exist since human suffering occurs, the problem of suffering is often reduced to two divine qualities: God’s love and God’s power. Scripture does portray that God is both love as well as all-powerful.
The question is therefore raised, if God is both love and all-powerful, why hasn’t God stopped suffering? Is it because God does not really love? Or might it be that God does not have the power? Some will assert that one or the other characteristic cannot be true about God because suffering exists.
Oversimplification leads to faulty conclusions. When it comes to describing the transcendent Creator from the created’s limited perspective, oversimplification is ever near.
Might there be additional characteristics of God impacting the reality of human suffering? Consider this. Scripture reveals God is intentional, not mindless nor passive. From prophecies revealing how God planned to work in large and small ways to affirmations how God intends for praise to result from his work, God is intentional (Ephesians 3:9-11).
To assume that God’s love and power must eliminate all suffering involves assuming that suffering never serves a purpose! Yet, this is not what we discover within scripture:
… we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living. Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, so that we would not trust in ourselves but trust in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8,9);
… to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 5:8,9);
… we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope” (Romans 5:3);
… by his wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
If God’s love and power had removed all suffering, Christ would not have horrifically died for our sins. Yet, Jesus’ death upon the cross did occur. The reason he suffered and died was not because God was either powerless to stop it nor because God does not love. There was a larger purpose at hand.
After Job’s rants and accusations had exhausted the limits of his human understanding about God and human suffering, Job finally acknowledged,
“I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted;
you asked, ‘Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge?’
But I have declared without understanding
things too wonderful for me to know (Job 42:1-3).
It would be wise to avoid thinking we understand if we oversimplify a transcendent Creator. To limit the problem of suffering to two qualities of God would seem to be an inadequate way to frame God and human suffering.
- Scripture’s cosmic language - 2025-01-15
- The problem of suffering: a third option? - 2025-01-15
- Genesis 15:6 and saving faith - 2025-01-01