John Piper - Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

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The experience of human suffering has perplexed minds ever since the fall. For Christians, the question of suffering rises to a new level of importance because of our belief in the sovereignty of our loving and merciful God. In Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, John Piper and friends tackle some of the hardest and most significant issues of Christian concern, producing one of the most honest, faithful, and helpful volumes ever made available to thinking Christians. It is filled with pastoral wisdom, theological conviction, biblical insight, and spiritual counsel. This book answers one of the greatest needs of our timesto affirm the sovereignty of God and to ponder the meaning of human suffering. We need this book.

R. ALBERT MOHLER, JR.
President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Louisville, Kentucky

For all who dont live a charmed life, for all who have given themselves to the point of exhaustion, for all who have been betrayed by pious back-stabbers, for all who wonder if they can even go on, Suffering and the Sovereignty of God will be green pastures and deep, still waters. The wisdom of this book stands forth like a kind friend, pointing us to the Crucified and Triumphant One, who says, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

RAYMOND C. ORTLUND, JR.
Senior Pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church
Nashville, Tennessee

With courage and honesty, this book squarely faces some of the toughest challenges for Christians. The writers combine utter faithfulness to Scripture with unassuming authenticity. They write as people whose minds have been shaped by Gods Word and whose lives have been formed in the crucible of suffering. This book will challenge you to believe that God is truly sovereign, not just in the safe haven of theological inquiry, but also in the painful messiness of real life. You will be encouraged to live more consistently by Gods grace and for his glory.

MARK D. ROBERTS
Senior Pastor, Irvine Presbyterian Church
Irvine, California

Most Christians readily rationalize away Gods role in personal and human suffering. In an effort to protect Gods moral nature and his being the source of only that which is good, an understanding of his sovereignty is diminished as well as the glory he derives when we recognize his victory over all that is evil. John Piper and Justin Taylor have collaborated with a number of other writers to communicate a refreshing perspective on Suffering and the Sovereignty of God. This is not another theological volume that complicates what appears to be an irreconcilable paradox; it is a book that grows out of practical experience and applies Scripture to a realistic world where we all live.

JERRY RANKIN
President, Southern Baptist International Mission Board

Suffering and the
Sovereignty of God

John Piper | Justin Taylor

EDITORS

CROSSWAY BOOKS

A PUBLISHING MINISTRY OF
GOOD NEWS PUBLISHERS
WHEATON, ILLINOIS

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

Copyright 2006 by Desiring God

Published by Crossway

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Jon McGrath

Cover photo: photos.com

First printing 2006

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AT are the authors translation or paraphrase.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from TheNew American Standard Bible. Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture references marked NIV are from TheHoly Bible: New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

Scripture references marked NLT are from TheHoly Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Ill., 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked RSV are from TheRevised Standard Version. Copyright 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the authors.

Library of Congress Cataloging-In-Publication Data

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God / edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 13: 978-1-58134-809-5 (tpb)

ISBN 10: 1-58134-809-6 (tpb)

1. Sufferingreligious aspects Christianity. 2. Providence and government of God. 3. Godomnipotence. 4. Theodicy. I. Piper, John, 1946 . II. Taylor, Justin, 1976.

BT732.7.S835 2006

231'.8dc22 2006018431

ML 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To
The white-robed army of martyrs
... until the number of their fellow servants and
their brothers should be complete.