SUFFERING AND THE GOODNESS OF GOD, edited by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson

A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance

by Steve West

 

Table of Contents

Introduction (Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson)
1 Christ and the Crocodiles: Suffering and the Goodness of God in Contemporary Perspective (Robert Yarbrough)
2 Suffering and the Goodness of God in the Old Testament (Walter Kaiser, Jr.)
3 Eight Kinds of Suffering in the Old Testament (Walter Kaiser, Jr.)
4 Suffering and the Goodness of God in the Gospels (Dan McCartney)
5 Suffering in the Teaching of the Apostles (Dan McCartney)
6 Suffering and the Biblical Story (Robert Peterson)
7 The Problem of Evil (John Frame)
8 Suffering and Oppression (William Edgar)
9 Poems in the Dark: My Cancer and God’s Grace (David Calhoun)
10 A Journey in Suffering: Personal Reflections on the Religious Problem of Evil (John Feinberg)

 

Summary

 

Chapter 1: Christ and the Crocodiles: Suffering and the Goodness of God in Contemporary Perspective

Every year crocodiles attack and kill people; every year unexpected tragedies occur in families, cities, and nations. The amount of suffering in the world is neither quantifiable nor personally comprehensible. Nevertheless, Christians are called to proclaim the goodness, love, and compassion of God in a hurting world. As Christians, we need to recognize that suffering is not intrinsically good, and neither is it fully explicable. Sin has caused the pain in our world, and sin cannot be considered good. We will never be able to give a full answer to the question of why certain, painful things happen. Whereas the prosperity of the West once shielded many people from the kinds of suffering common around the world, today we are exposed to the kinds of suffering that occur around the globe, and we cannot ignore such things in our theology. Throughout history, suffering has often been a serious obstacle to people considering Christ, and we need to take that seriously (again, with a global and historical perspective).

With full compassion and tact, imitating the approach of Jesus, we need to see how suffering can be used to point people to spiritual truth. Suffering is not inherently good, but God will use it in the lives of believers to bring himself glory and to show his faithfulness. In many parts of the world, suffering has been the cost of having a faithful and fruitful ministry; faithfulness to Christ has often led to persecution, which has led to a strong and enduring witness. For countless people around the world, converting to Christ guarantees suffering and persecution. When we bear suffering well, it is a powerful testimony to the goodness and faithfulness of God. Everyone in this world suffers, and suffering allows believers to relate with unbelievers. No believer is exempt from the trials and tears of this world. In suffering we can develop compassion and empathy. In the church, suffering can build fellowship amongst believers. As Christians, suffering drives us to God, and as we wrestle in our relationship with him, we grow in our knowledge and spiritual walk. . . .

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