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Suffering in This World Volume 17 · Number 4 Winter 2013 Editor-in-Chief: R. Albert Mohler, Jr. Sufering Editor: Stephen J. Wellum 2 Editorial: Stephen J. Wellum Refections on Living in Light of Sin and Evil. Associate Editor: Brian Vickers Book Review Editor: Gregory A. Wills 6 Robert L. Plummer Assistant Editor: Brent E. Parker Te Role of Sufering in the Mission of Paul and the Mission Editorial Board: of the Church Randy L. Stinson Daniel S. Dumas 20 Christopher W. Morgan Gregory A. Wills Sufering According to James Adam W. Greenway Dan DeWit 34 James M. Hamilton, Jr. Timothy Paul Jones Sufering in Revelation: Te Fulfllment of the Messianic Woes Jef K. Walters Steve Waters 50 Russell T. Fuller James A. Smith, Sr. Te Book of Job and Sufering: A Sermon Typographer: Britany Loop Editorial Ofce & Subscription Services: 56 Robert V. McCabe SBTS Box 832 Navigating Life in a World that has Been Scared by the Fall: 2825 Lexington Rd. Refections on Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 and Living in a World of Sufering Louisville, KY 40280 (800) 626-5525, x 4413 72 Te SBJT Forum Editorial E-Mail: [email protected] 84 Book Reviews Yearly subscription costs for four issues: $30, individual inside the Te Southern Baptist Journal of Teology is published quarterly U. S.; $55, individual outside the U. S.; $45, institutional inside by Te Southern Baptist Teological Seminary, 2825 Lexington the U. S.; $70, institutional outside the U. S. Opinions expressed in Road, Louisville, KY 40280. Winter 2013. Vol. 17, No. 4. Copyright Te Southern Baptist Journal of Teology are solely the responsibility ©2013 Te Southern Baptist Teological Seminary. ISSN 1520-7307. of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editors, members Second Class postage paid at Louisville, KY. Postmaster: of the Advisory Board, or the SBJT Forum. Send address changes to: SBTS, Box 832, 2825 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40280. Tis periodical is indexed in the ATLA Religion Database® a product of the American Teological Library Association, 300 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60606, [email protected], www.atla.com. Editorial: Refections on Living in Light of Sin and Evil Stephen J. Wellum iving in this fallen world, we all face sufering viewpoints must frst explain, given their overall L and evil. One of the most common questions view, how they can even account for the distinc- asked by non-Christians is how we, as Christians, tion between good and evil. What is the basis for explain the existence of evil and cope with it. objective, universal moral standards if, for sake Christians also are not immune to these questions of argument, naturalism is true? Naturalists will and it is for this reason we have devoted an entire ofen raise the problem of evil against Christians, issue of SBJT to the topic. Our goal is to think but in so doing, they assume a clear distinction through what Scripture says on the subject and between good and evil and that objective evil how we, as God’s people, are to live in this fallen exists, which their own view cannot explain. Tus, world between the comings of Christ. In this in order to get their argument of the ground, nat- expanded editorial I ofer fve refections on what uralists, ironically, have to borrow parasitically we call the problem of evil which will serve as an from Christianity which can account for the dis- entrée into the other articles and forum pieces. tinction between good and evil tied to God as the First, as an important apolo- standard. In this way, as a number of Christian Stephen J. Wellum is a Professor of getic point, it is not only Chris- thinkers have pointed out, many non-Christian Christian Teology at Te Southern tian theology which must worldviews, including naturalism, have a “problem Baptist Teological Seminary and editor wrestle with the problem of evil; of the good” since without the God of the Bible of Southern Baptist Journal of Teology. every worldview, Christian and there is neither good nor evil in an objective and He received his Ph.D. from Trinity non-Christian alike, must also universal sense. The same could be said about Evangelical Divinity School, and he wrestled with it, albeit for dif- other non-Christian views but my point is simply is the author of numerous essays and ferent reasons depending upon this: everyone must wrestle with the problem of articles and the co-author of Kingdom the specifc view in question. For evil in light of their own worldview claims. For through Covenant (Crossway, 2012). example, naturalistic/atheistic Christians, our problem is not accounting for the 2 SBJT 17.4 (2013): 2-5. distinction between good and evil. We can make ness even in a greater way in Christ. All of this is sense of our moral revulsion and condemnation to say that the God of the Bible stands absolutely of wicked actions. Our challenge is to make sense opposed to sin and evil. Te same Scripture which of why God plans and allows sin and evil, pain teaches that God foreordains all things, including and misery. In answering these questions, we are sin and evil, also teaches that sin and evil are an driven back to Scripture and its entire storyline abnormality, an intrusion and a distortion of his which unfolds God’s plan of redemption in Christ. good world, which God alone can remedy by the Second, the Bible’s storyline takes seriously incarnate Son, his cross work on our behalf, and the distinction between “creation” and the “fall” the power of the Spirit to transform us. Further- and thus the present abnormality of this world. more, even though it is true that God makes use A helpful and common way of thinking through of evil in order to bring about his good purposes, the storyline of Scripture is by the grid: creation, Scripture never concludes that evil and sin are less fall, redemption, and new creation. When think- than what Scripture says they are. Evil remains ing about the problem of evil, and specifcally the evil: totally, radically, and absolutely, and God thorny question of the origin of evil and its rela- stands completely against it as the entire storyline tionship to God’s plan, the distinction between of Scripture makes abundantly clear. “creation” and the “fall” is utterly essential to Many application points could be drawn from maintain. Scripture is clear that God created the this point, especially when we confront the real- universe “good” (Gen 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31) and ity of evil and suffering in this world. However, that everything from his creative hand was good. the main point is that since Eden and this side of No doubt, Scripture teaches that sin and evil are the consummation, all of us live in an abnormal part of God’s plan, but Scripture never concludes and fallen world, and none of us escape this abnor- that God is responsible for evil, nor does it con- mality. Ultimately, when we sufer it is due to the clude that a strong view of God’s sovereign rule present condition of this world. Tis is why all suf- entails this conclusion. fering is not related to a specifc sin, as the book Instead, Scripture distinguishes “creation” of Job makes abundantly clear. Yes, it is true that and “fall” and it roots this distinction in history. some suffering may be due to our sin (e.g., Acts Sin entered the world by our creaturely act of 5; 1 Cor 11; cf. Heb 12), but it is not always the rebellion, first in the angelic realm and then in case. Sufering frst is part of the present condition the human world. Sin is not here because it is a of this world, now awaiting the consummation, metaphysical necessity tied to our finitude, nor which requires that we have realistic expectations is it here because that is just the way things are. when we face sufering. No doubt, we do not ofen Instead, sin and evil are a reality due to our moral know why specifc sufering comes our way; that is rebellion against God in space-time history, and tied to the sovereign plan of God. Yet we do know Scripture nowhere minimizes this fact. In fact, that we will face sin and evil, and when we do, God Scripture takes sin and evil so seriously that the is not to blame; all blame is first placed back in entire plan of redemption is to destroy it and to Genesis 3, and thereafer with every creature who remove it from God’s universe! And, thankfully, chooses to act contrary to the good commands because sin and evil are not metaphysically neces- and purposes of God. sary, in removing sin and evil, he does not have Third, in God’s plan of redemption, God not to scrap us and start all over again. Instead, God only demonstrates that he is sovereign over sin must remove our sin by paying for it in full in and evil, but also that in his sovereignty, holiness, Christ’s cross, and then transform us by the power justice, and grace he is rooting out sin and evil in of the Spirit, thus restoring us to our state of good- the cross work of Christ, thus demonstrating that 3 he is perfectly good and trustworthy. Scripture and evil, in line with what God himself is doing. A teaches that in redemption, God is not indiffer- strong view of divine sovereignty does not negate ent to our suffering and plight.
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