[Taken from the God Papers  by Walter R. Dolen
 Copyright © 1977-2003 by Walter R. Dolen and/or BeComingOne Church]

Paradoxes on God and the "Problem of Evil"

Paradoxes

¶ gp9»  We will use the Bible to ascertain the essence of God. But the Bible seems to be highly contradictory. How can God be love (1John 4:8), and also a killer? In scripture the Lord says, "I kill and I make alive; I wound, and I heal" (Deut 32:39; 1Sam 2:6). Yet the Bible says that the God is good to all (Pss 145:9). How can God be good to all and also a killer? How can God predestinate some to wrath and destruction ( ), and some to mercy and glory (Rom 9:21-23; Eph 1:4-5; etc.)? Not only is God love, but He is all powerful (Gen 17:1; Rev 1:8). In his all powerfulness He even created evil: "I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things" (Isa 45:7). These are some of the Biblical paradoxes of God. Just how can God be love and also a killer, or how or why has He created evil? According to the Biblical definition of love (1Cor 13:4-8), killing or evil isn't one of the qualities of love. Yet, according to the Bible, God is love and in someway has killed and in someway has created evil.

Most known attempts to negate these paradoxes of God have failed. Some call the problem of these paradoxes, the "problem of evil." But the only true description of the true God must explain these paradoxes. If one's explanation of God does not, then his god is not the God.

Problem Of Evil

¶ gp53» God is almighty. With His great power God created all; God made all. But do you understand what all includes? "All" not only includes the good, but "all" also includes the wicked, their evil, and even the waster or spoiler and his destruction (It is impossible for the God to have created good without having created evil, for good and evil are comparative qualities. See GP7; see "Free Will" paper [NM9]). All power not only includes all the power of good, but also the power of evil. The true God would not have all the power if he did not in some way also have all the power of evil. This is "the problem of evil" that the theologians write about. The power of evil is somehow included in God's power as scripture indicates, for God in someway or somehow even kills and wounds (Deut 32:39, see below). We must become aware of all scripture concerning the true God. You cannot understand the real God without knowing all attributes concerning God.

God's Connection with Good and Bad

• The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. [Prov 16:4]
• I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil [Hebrew- ra  Strong's # 7451]; I, the Lord, do all these things.' [Isa 45:7]
• The Lord kills, and makes alive. [1Sam 2:6]
• Behold, I have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the spoiler to destroy. [Isa 54:16, NKJV]
• Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. [Deut 32:39, NKJV; also note 1Sam 2:6]

Negative Aspects of God:

¶ gp54» killing kings,

Pss 135:10, 136:18, 145:20

• of bringing evil on Job,

Job 1:6-12, 2:1-8, 42:11

• somehow causing drought, or floods,

Job 12:15

• destroying nations, and making the leaders of the world go mad,

Deut 28:28; Job 12:23-25; Dan 4:28-35

• sending curses and confusion; He plagues some with diseases, etc.,

Deut 28:15-68

• killing Er, Onan, the firstborn of Egypt, the Pharaoh and his army, Korah his family and men, Israelites, Amorites, Uzzah, and so forth for various reasons,

Gen 38:7,9-10; Exod 12:29, 14:16-19,24-27; Num 16:1-35,41-50; Josh 10:6-12; 2Sam 6:6-7, 24:1-15

• The "anger" of God and/or the "wrath" of God, or some "angel that destroyed the people" are pictured in the Old testament scripture as bringing "all the curses that are written in this book [the Bible]," and destroying such cities as Sodom and Gomorrah or even destroying 70,000 Israelites (Gen 19:24-29; Deut 29:20 with Deut 29:23; 2Sam 24:1,15-16; see "God's Wrath" paper [PP4]).
• And God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.' [Gen 6:13]

¶ gp55» Outside of the question of natural disasters, some of the evil God somehow brings upon mankind is because of mankind's evil (Deut chap 28; Josh 24:20; etc.). We are not saying here that the evil brought on each man is directly proportional to each man's sin (Luke 13:1-5).

God Predestinates Wrath and Mercy

¶ gp56» God somehow, through his great power, predestinates this evil of man, and predestinates those of evil to wrath and destruction. Contrariwise, God predestinates others for mercy and glory.

Scripture shows God predestinating some to evil and wrath:

¶ gp57»

• Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, [Rom 9:21-23, NKJV]
• For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. [Jud 1:4, NKJV]
• The Lord has made all things for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. [Prov 16:4, NKJV]
• And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. [1Pet 2:8, NKJV]

Some chosen to be good:

¶ gp58»

Eph 1:4 -- Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will [Eph 1:4-5, NKJV; see Rom 9:21-23 above and "Predestination" paper (NM8)].

All generations chosen:

¶ gp59»

(from Hebrew text): [Lord] who has appointed and done, calling forth the generations from the beginning. [Isa 41:4]

Predestination is very difficult to understand

¶ gp60»

Paul said: "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: 'I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?' " [Rom 9:16-19, NIV]

No one resists God's will. As we said this is very difficult to understand. But after you have read all of the God Papers, it will be easier for you to understand. Not only will it be easier for you to understand, but you may see WHY God has made this creation the way he has.

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