The Problem of Evil

“God cannot exist because evil does” or “I want nothing to do with a God that permits evil”:

The flow of the argument

God can prevent any evil.

God will prevent evil as far as he can.

God is perfectly powerful and good.

So, if God exists, there will be no evil.

There is evil.

Therefore, God doesn’t exist.

Responding to this argument

The Bible makes clear that evil exists (#5).

God can prevent evil (#1)

God is perfectly powerful and good (#3)

It doesn’t necessarily follow from God’s perfect goodness that he will prevent every evil he is able to prevent. (#2)

The fact that God does permit evil does not require we conclude that He is not perfectly powerful and good.

God is always just in His ways with people, but does not always make the reasons for His ways clear to people.

Theodicy

theos = God

dikaios = just

Refers to a justification of the ways of God in His dealings with men. This is an effort to demonstrate God’s reasons for permitting evil.

Inscrutability

No one knows God thoroughly enough to conclude that God does not have good reasons for permitting evil, but because God is good, we can only assume that He does have good reasons for permitting evil.

It should be noted here that both of these approaches can be used to explain the problem of evil with no biblical basis. We therefore need to be careful, as always, that whatever we do say is informed by what we understand the bible to teach.

The “Greater Good Theodicy”

Combining the ways of theodicy and inscrutability

God’s purposes are always good, both for Himself and for people.

God often brings about His good purposes by way of various evils.

God often does not clarify the relationship between His good purposes and the various evils associated with those purposes to people.

Case Studies

Job

God demonstrates His worthiness to be served for who He is rather than for the earthly goods He supplies (see Job 1:11; 2:5).

Job 1:11 ESV

But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”

Job 2:5 ESV

But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.”

God leave Job in the dark about what He is doing. Job is ignorant of God’s purposes and confesses his ignorance to God (see Job 38-39; 40-41; 40:3-5; 42:1-6)

Job 38:4–5 ESV

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?

Job 40:3–5 ESV

Then Job answered the Lord and said: “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.”

Joseph

God intends the great good of the preservation of His people from famine to come to pass through the betrayal of Joseph, his sale into slavery and suffering unjust accusation and imprisonment (see Gen. Gen. 45:5-7; 37; 39)

Joseph is able to see that the evils that befell him were part of the sovereign plan of God (see Gen. 50:20).

Genesis 50:20 ESV

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Jesus

God brought about His plan of redemption by way of various evils.

Scheming (Matt 26:3-4, 14-15)

Matthew 26:3–4 ESV

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.

Matthew 26:14–15 ESV

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.

Pilate’s cowardice (Matt 27:15-26)

Matthew 27:15–20 ESV

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

Matthew 27:26 ESV

Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Roman injustice (Matt 27:27-44)

The people involved were ignorant of the fat that God was using them to accomplish His divinely prophesied redemptive purpose by the cross of Christ.

Some Conclusions

God is sovereign over evil and uses it to accomplish His purposes.

People are unable to always understand or knowHis ways or the means of His ways.

People are not able to know enough about others’ situations or about God’s purposes to to always understand what role evil (sin) may have played in the outcomes of their lives.

Rom 11:33-36.

Romans 11:33–36 ESV

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

To the extent that God has not spoken about a particular event in history, his judgments are unsearchable, and his paths are beyond tracing out. But that does not mean there is not a greater good which justifies God’s purposing of that event.