Christopher W. Morgan - Suffering and the Goodness of God

When people are hurting they need biblical answers, not platitudes. Here the editors and authors have thoroughly combed the Scriptures to give us the answers we need in tough times. This book should help both those who are suffering and those called upon to comfort and encourage others in their suffering.

Jerry Bridges, author, Trusting God Even When Life Hurts

The skeptic chides: If God is good, he is not God; if God is God, he is not good. With Scripture to answer the pain of real-life questions, and with real-life pain to question Scripture, these theologians address the hardest questions with honesty, tenderness, and deep truth.

Bryan Chapell, President, Covenant Seminary

Those who read this book will thank the gifted team of authors for their careful, biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical engagement with the problem of suffering and evil. This timely book addresses these crucial and challenging issues with clarity, conviction, and pastoral sensitivity. Readers will be strengthened, edified, and encouraged. I highly recommend this most important book.

David S. Dockery, President, Union University

Morgan and Peterson have assembled a fine community of biblical scholars and theologians, all committed to Christ and the church, to address the problem of suffering. There are no easy answers to this problem, but there are plenty of wrong answers, misunderstandings, and confusion. This bookthis communitywill point you in the right direction.

Stephen J. Nichols, Research Professor of Christianity and Culture,

Lancaster Bible College

This volume should be warmly embraced by readers anxious to receive realistic good news from the Bible on this perennially-important subject. The writers are biblical, pastoral, reflective, and honest. I am grateful for their helpful and theologically-rich analysis.

Paul R. House, Associate Dean and Professor of Divinity,

Beeson Divinity School

Chapter by chapter, the authors root and ground their reflections in Scripture, modeling how to move from biblical exposition to a biblical theology. The reflections are not only theoretical and necessary but also practically engaging. There is much wisdom in this work, and it is my prayer that it will become must-reading for every serious Christian who wants to learn afresh how to handle Gods Word rightly for todays church and to proclaim the gospel powerfully to todays world.

Stephen J. Wellum, Professor of Christian Theology,

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Suffering
and the
Goodness
of God

THEOLOGY IN COMMUNITY

A series edited by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson

Volume 1

Suffering and the Goodness of God

Suffering and the Goodness of God
Copyright 2008 by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson
Published by Crossway Books
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 for by USA copyright law.

Chapter 7 originally published in The Doctrine of God, copyright 2002 by John M. Frame (P&R Publishing), pp. 16082.

Chapter 8 originally published in The Many Faces of Evil, copyright 2004 by John S. Feinberg (Crossway Books), 20714.

Cover design: Jon McGrath
First printing 2008
Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked kjv are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked nasb are fromThe New 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 The Holy 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 rsv are from The Revised 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.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-58134-859-0

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-0478-5

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-0479-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Suffering and the goodness of God / Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, editors.

p. cm.(Theology in community)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-58134-859-0 (hc)

1. SufferingBiblical teaching. 2. TheodicyBiblical teaching. 3. BibleCriticism, interpretation, etc. I. Morgan, Christopher W., 1971 II. Peterson, Robert A., 1948 BS680.S854S84 2008

231'.8dc22

2008011652

TS 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To our parents, Bill and Karen Morgan and Arthur (deceased) and Marjorie Peterson

Contents

Theology in Community

As the series name Theology in Community indicates, theology in community aims to promote clear thinking on and godly responses to historic and contemporary theological issues. The series examines issues central to the Christian faith, including traditional topics such as sin, the atonement, the church, and heaven, but also some which are more focused or contemporary, such as suffering and the goodness of God, the glory of God, the deity of Christ, and the kingdom of God. The series strives not only to follow a sound theological method but also to display it.

Chapters addressing the Old and New Testaments on the books subject form the heart of each volume. Subsequent chapters synthesize the biblical teaching and link it to historical, philosophical, systematic, and pastoral concerns. Far from being mere collections of essays, the volumes are carefully crafted so that the voices of the various experts combine to proclaim a unified message.

Again, as the name suggests, theology in community also seeks to demonstrate that theology should be done in teams. The teachings of the Bible were forged in real-life situations by leaders in Gods covenant communities.

The biblical teachings addressed concerns of real people who needed the truth to guide their lives. Theology was formulated by the church and for the church. This series seeks to recapture that biblical reality. The volumes are written by scholars, from a variety of denominational backgrounds and life experiences with academic credentials and significant expertise across the spectrum of theological disciplines, who collaborate with each other. They write from a high view of Scripture with robust evangelical conviction and in a gracious manner. They are not detached academics but are personally involved in ministry, serving as teachers, pastors, and missionaries. The contributors to these volumes stand in continuity with the historic church, care about the global church, share life together with other believers in local churches, and aim to write for the good of the church to strengthen its leaders, particularly pastors, teachers, missionaries, lay leaders, students, and professors.