Theodicy - The Problem Of Evil

Posted by David Puffer on Sunday, June 10, 2018

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:13-15

It is inevitable that at some point in your Christian walk, somebody will ask you about the integrity of God.

That is, how do you deal with the tension between the goodness and omnipotence of God, and the existence of evil?

This is an ancient question and is the subject of a theological study known as “Theodicy”.

Theodicy is a branch of systematic theology that attempts to show that God is not responsible for evil.

In the early church, Augustine, the fourth century theologian, attempted to explain evil as part of the creation that is necessary for its greater good.

That sounds a little like what the Apostle Paul was accused of in Roman 3:8 which says, “.... Let us do evil that good may come”? —as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say....."

Some misguided souls propose that evil should be done so that God could bring some good from it. 

Also the New Age idea of balance or yin and yang - the idea that without adversity we could not appreciate peace and providence.

This shows a woeful misunderstanding of such passages as Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28

It may also have been the cause behind the “Ranters” movement in 17th  century England who claimed that a believer is free from all traditional restraints, that sin is a product only of the imagination, and that there is no need for salvation.   

This is called Antinomianism - rebellion.

Variations of the question of evil run from philosophical curiosity to theological contention.

Here is an example of the latter by a university professor:

DOES EVIL EXIST?

A university professor challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?

A student bravely replied, "Yes, He did!"

"God created everything?" the professor asked.  “Yes, sir," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists. 

And according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil."     

The student became quiet before such an answer.

The professor was quite pleased with himself, and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the faith in God is a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question, professor?"

"Of course," replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" 

The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact, sir, cold does not exist. 

According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is, in reality, the absence of heat. 

Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat. 

All matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. 

We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong, sir. 

Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is, in reality, the absence of light. We can study light, but not darkness. 

In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wave lengths of each color. 

You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. 

How can you know how dark a certain space is?  You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct?

Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally, the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. 

It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the   world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. 

Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold -- a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. 

Evil is not like faith, or love, that exist just as does light and heat. 

Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. 

It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young student's name -- Albert Einstein.

This incident may, or may not, be true.  However, it does serve to illustrate a point. 

The professor in the account was obviously hostile to the whole idea of God. 

His purpose wasn’t to honestly understand this theological puzzle.  It was rather an attack on the existence or integrity of God. 

I call such people intellectual vandals because they attempt to destroy what they don’t understand and have nothing of any value to put is its place.

But let’s look at the question of evil in contrast to an all powerful  and loving God. 

What is the solution to this as a legitimate question?

Did Albert solve the puzzle? 

Let’s get something straight right from the beginning – God is good and He is not the author of evil!

That is, He does not create calamity or adversity - both are inherent in this fallen world. 

Just as light is conducive to life and darkness is the absence of light, God is the source of life and all that is good.

So it is quite appropriate that “evil” is “live” spelled backwards; because like the Devil, it is the opposite of life.

I believe that Albert made some good points, but in truth, evil most definitely does exist.

The answer to this question, as usual, lies in understanding the meaning of the words involved.

There are two words that are often used interchangeably in the Bible and in our language – evil and wickedness.

In the OT the Hebrew word for evil is “ra”;  and the word for wickedness is “rasha”.

In the NT the Greek word for evil is “Poneros;” and the word for wickedness is “Kakos.”

Now, as I said, these words are often used interchangeably.  This is one of the reasons for the confusion.

But the sense of the word “evil” in either language is “adversity, affliction, limitation.”

The sense of the word “wickedness” in either language is “rebellion and lawlessness.”

So it is true, as Albert said, that evil is the result of the absence of God in human thought and activity.

But, more than that, when we see that it is the product of human resistance to God’s will, we must realize that Satan, not God, is the author of evil.

Putting it as simply as I can, wickedness and evil are related but not the same thing.

Wickedness (rebellion) is the cause, and Evil (adversity and disaster) is the result.

It just makes sense that Ra follows Rasha; that is, evil is the result of wickedness and both have their origin in Satan.

Satan is the author of wickedness and finds an ally in the human nature that Adam received when he turned from God.

Goodness is from God and is defined as that which is beneficial or in the case of mankind, that which is man-friendly or philanthropic.

Conversely the adversity and affliction that results from wrong thinking is opposed to life and in the case of man is hostile to humankind or misanthropic.

Adversity and disaster are not from God – both are inherent in the choices we make that oppose God’s guidance.

God tells us in Jer 29:11, “… I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD,  thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

In Deut 30:19 God says, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have  set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live…”

It is God’s choice that we be content and grow in the image and likeness of His Son. 

He chooses for us Life, and that, more abundantly.

No, our gracious God is not the author of adversity and destruction. 

Nor is He the author of  rebellion. 

He is not a God of contradictions.

He offers us a sound mind and freedom from the cause of sin and death.

God’s choice is for us. 

He made the first choice in eternity past - the choice to come to this fallen place and to take upon Himself the curse of Adam. 

2 Corinthians 5:21 declares,He who was without sin, became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God.”  

In Christ, God chose to die in our place and restore us to fellowship Him.  

God desires relationship with man; He tells us that He loves us with an everlasting love and then proved it by subjecting Himself to the adversity and limitations that you and I have inherited from Adam. 

There is true mystery in the method that God used to cancel the Adamic curse and restore man to relationship with Him. 

But it is sufficient to know that, in Christ, He has given us the means to rise above the wickedness and evil of this world and live in agreement with Him. 

God represents everything that is wholesome and agreeable to human life. 

To oppose Him is to invite suffering and despair both of which are what is left when we are separated from God and walk in darkness.

James 1:17 assures us that, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation, neither shadow of turning.

This is an all powerful and all knowing God who is the very definition of goodness and grace who wants only the best for you and me.

And He has proven it by His Cross.

He was willing to die for us. 

Are we willing to live for Him?

And here is the conclusion in a proverbial nutshell:

God is good. 

God created man in His image.

God loves man and desires intimacy with him.

Relationship demands volition, that is , free will.

So God gave man the freedom to choose.

Choice carries with it the possibility of error.

Wrong choice results in adversity and affliction.

Hence, God is not the author of evil.

It is mans’ opposition to God’s guidance that is the source of evil in the world.


Amen.




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