Theodicy: Why We Should Critically Examine the Scriptures

“Why? Why do we suffer?
Are we alive, here just to hurt?
Inside pain is the author,
Something to hide,
Nothing to gain.”

(Demon Hunter, “Chemicals” from Exile, 2022 Weapons MFG)

It may be the greatest questions humans could ask. If you had the opportunity to ask God one question, what would it be? Some would beg, “Why did you put us here?” or “What is the meaning of life?” But if we are being honest with ourselves, there is one question constantly burning in the back of our minds: “Why do we suffer?” Even if you do not believe in God or hold the Christian faith to be true, this question has plagued you at one point or another. And you are far from alone.

In the realms of philosophy and theology, this particular question has a name: the problem of suffering. An answer given to this question in defense of God’s allowance of pain is called a “theodicy,” a term coined by the English philosopher and theologian John Hick.¹ Consider the following summation by profound biblical scholar D.A. Carson:

“If God is both omnipotent and perfectly good, how can he permit such evil? If he is willing but not able to check the suffering, then he is not omnipotent; if he is able but unwilling, he is not perfectly good. The implication is that the very existence of evil calls into question the existence of God.”²

This is a brief explanation of the problem of suffering. Now, to clarify, a distinction must be made between the philosophical, theological, and biblical problems of evil. They each essentially ask the same question, but the point of divergence is where and how we answer such questions. The goal at Living by the Logos is to address each of these perspectives to some degree; however, I want to zero in on the biblical problem of suffering. I am not making a case for or against the existence of god(s). I am not attempting to determine which religion offers the best response to the problem. No, I am primarily concerned with the biblical problem of suffering. What do the Hebrew and Greek Testaments employ to address this problem? That is the underlying question on this blog.

Theodicy: What is the problem?

Let’s step back for a moment and examine the structure of the problem of suffering. We have posed the question: “Why, God, do you allow suffering?” See below for the logical set up of this problem.

• Truth #1: God is omnipotent and omniscient.
• Truth #2: God is omnibenevolent.
• Truth #3: There is suffering in the world.

The Bible holds to each of these truths. I will give one example for each, beginning with the omnipotence and omniscience of God. If you have attended church or had any involvement in Christianity, you know that one of the foundational beliefs is in that of an all-powerful, all-knowing god. But what does the Bible say? Take the following passage into consideration:

He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit. (Psalm 147:3-5, New International Version, Zondervan, 2011).

This is the God of the Old Testament. He is not only identified as a healer, He is the Creator and Sustainer of life. In addition (or should I say as a result?), He essentially knows everything about everything and everyone. Let us call this Biblical Truth #1.

Additionally, Scriptures proclaim this mighty God is also a god of infinite love. Surely you are familiar with John 3:16, a great example but one I will not use here due to its simplicity and familiarity. Let’s consider another verse from the book of Psalms: “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ps. 86:15). Let us not dwell on the truthfulness or honest of the psalmist here, but instead consider the implications of this verse. The psalmist writes of a compassionate god, abounding in love. Numerous verses in the Psalms corroborate this concept by identifying His love as “unfailing” (36:7; 109:26). Thus, we have identified Biblical Truth #2: the God of the Bible is an all-loving god.

Theodicy: The reality of suffering

If anything, it seems crazy to ask but if you take this problem seriously, it is necessary. Pause for a brief moment. Inhale while counting to four, hold and count to seven, and exhale until you have reached eight. Now I ask, is there suffering in this world? Did you even need that breath to answer the previous question? If you consider yourself a rational being, you likely answered “yes, yes, and yes.” Great! You are not an alien! But once again, we are concerned with a different perspective. Repeat the previous breathing technique. Now ask yourself, does the Bible believe there is suffering in the world?

Many scriptural examples come to mind. The Israelites, Job, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the list goes on and on. According to the Bible, all of these people have endured trivial hardships! But in keeping with the solidified pattern, consider Psalm 88. My personal favorite of all the Psalms. I invite you to read the full chapter; odds are, you never read this one in church. I have included the closing stanza below:

From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
    I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
Your wrath has swept over me;
    your terrors have destroyed me.
All day long they surround me like a flood;
    they have completely engulfed me.
You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
    darkness is my closest friend. (Ps. 88:15-18).

Darkness is my closest friend. Clearly, this psalmist is in a state of dire agony. There is little commentary that even needs to be offered in light of the topic of this blog post (we’ll save it for another day). We can easily conclude that Biblical Truth #3 is as follows: YES, the Bible believes there is suffering in this world.

The truths posed in the problem of suffering are each attested to in the Bible (even in one book itself!). Now that we have each of these truths, simply add them together. If God is all-powerful, of course He is all-loving! If God is all-powerful, certainly He possesses the ability to inflict suffering upon His Creation! But how can He be all-loving, while simultaneously allowing natural disasters to claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of individual people, with hearts, souls, and desires?

Conclusion

What we have here is an apparent contradiction that humanity has attempted to resolve throughout its course. From the shepherds penning psalms in the Old Testament to great contemporary theologians who have devoted their lives to the knowledge of the Almighty, humanity has fought to answer this question. Is it even possible? I will not answer that question here. I will, however, make a charge. There is a contradiction when you add these truths together. How do we make sense of it? Can we? I am not charging you to solve the problem. I am, however, begging you to formulate your response. Whether you are a believer or not, you have been given the ability to problem-solve. Find your answer. Ask these questions. Build your case against God or religion, or determine your theodicy. You have that power, whether it was given to you by a deity or nature.

For me, God is on trial, and we are in the courtroom. Let’s examine the evidence He has claimed to give us: the Bible, the Logos. I cannot say whether it is truly His Word, let alone that it is living or perfect. But I can help you navigate this enormous book, a foundational resource in our world. Am I an expert? By no means. But I have and continue to examine the Text with these questions raging in my mind and soul. Whether you agree with me or not, I hope that you will join me on this adventure as we attempt to formulate a biblical theodicy. I do not believe the Bible solves the problem. And I certainly do not believe Christianity or the church, which use and abuse (more so the latter) the same Text could ever find a consistent answer. But as I have stated already, it is a journey. And we have only just begun.

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1. Encyclopedia Brittanica Online, s.v. “Theodicy,” accessed March 14, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/theodicy-theology.

2. Carson, D. A.. How Long, o Lord? : Reflections on Suffering and Evil, Baker Academic, 2006. ProQuest Ebook Central.