# A Biblical view on how to deal with the problem of evil?



## jwright82 (Mar 13, 2010)

As a very amatuer apologest I have come accross the problem of evil a lot. I have often wondered on the best way to deal with it and give a reason why to whomever is asking the question. In studying Van Til's method of apologetics I believe I have some good insights and practical advice to offer up for discussion and criticism, so here goes nothing.

In his book The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis gives several reasons why God might allow evil to happen, I have heard and read many other examples of people trying to explain why God allows evil. But I wondered if there was any Biblical basis for this, the short answer is no. Nowhere, to my knowledge, does God ever explain why he allows evil. In fact 2 examples of God being faced with the existential questions of evil show a pattern that gives us an insight into how to deal with this question: Elijah and Job.

In 1 Kings 19: 1-18, we get a good glimpse into how to handle this situation. The story is that Elijah has to run for his life and he flees into the wilderness and a cave. It was here that the existential struggles of his situation took over and he cried out to God, he said all the prophets were dead and he alone was left and the they seek to take his life. 

Now comes the interesting part, does God give Elijah a detailed itenerary on His plans or claim that it is man's free will that led to this? No in fact in verses 11-18 God reoreints Elijahs view of things. He first revealed his Glory to Elijah which reminded him of who he was talking to. It was only after he reminded Elijah of who he was talking to that He revealed his plan and a count of who the Lord had researved for Himself. But God gives no exlination for why He allowed such evil to take place.

In Job we see a similer story. After all these terrible things happen to Job and he talks with his friends he is able to confront God. It is here again that God never reveals why He allowed such things to happen, as if He owed anyone an explination, He only questioned him in a way that reminded him of who he was talking to. God is the creator and He owes no one any explination at all. He simply reminds them of who He is. 

Some practical things to take away from this are this:
1. We should never try to explian why God allows something to happen.
2. We should point out that such knowledge is impossible to know unless God reveals it.
3. I think we ought to bring in the cross of Christ to show that only in Christ has God promised that "all things work for the good for those who love Him" (I can't remeber where this verse is but I think we all know it). Without Christ there is no hope, Christ is the answer to our existential struggles about evil.

This is obviously easier said than done. Thes are broad principals to be applied not exact formulations. But tell me what ya'll think.


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## eqdj (Mar 13, 2010)

James,

The best I've read in this was Calvin Beisner's “The Potter’s Freedom” in Tabletalk, June 2006, 8-11.
He expanded that article for the Christian Research Journal 30(5) (2007), 24–26 and 29–30 as "God and Evil: A Contradiction in the Christian Faith?" and made it available here http://www.ecalvinbeisner.com/freearticles/God&Evil.pdf


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## Scott1 (Mar 13, 2010)

A couple ways to approach dealing with, accepting this overwhelming topic:


1) "finitum non capax infinitum" The finite cannot grasp, contain the infinite.

As created beings, we do not have the characteristics of our Creator. He is infinite, omniscent, omnipotent, omnipresent. We, His creatures are limited. We could not even contain all the variables as to why God or does not do certain things. Not even possible. We must acknowledge that when we judge something.

2) Theology of concurrence

Man has free will. God has free will. God's will is more free than man's. God is in no way limited by the (secondary) free will actions of His creatures.

On a secondary level, man freely does evil- he intends it for evil and it is evil in God's sight.

But on a primary level, God uses, even ordains, that every one of those free will actions by His creatures accomplishes His ends. And those ends, are by definition "good."


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