Hamartiology: The Problem Of Evil
Writing Style Used: MLA
Hamartiology: The Problem of Evil (Theodicy)
The problem of evil is not a new issue to be considered or questioned. Rather, philosophers, theologians, and the common man have questioned this since evil entered the world. Hamartiology is simply the study of sin, how it came to be and how it affects humans. In this discussion, we will examine why bad things happen and why evil exists in our world today.
Simply stated, the problem of evil is dynamic, but acknowledges the existence of evil in our world. While some may assume that the presence of evil in our world today is a contradiction to the existence of God and his nature, Scripture gives us insight how an omnipotent God (Revelation. 9:16) can exist in a corrupt …show more content…
While individuals are still affected and hurt, the cause has nothing to do with another person. The natural catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina which devastated over a million U.S. residents in 2005 would classify as a natural evil, outside of anyone’s control.
If we continue to observe the existence of sin and evil according to a Biblical worldview, we discover that the cause of sin among mankind was mankind himself. The problem of evil exists in our world today as a result of the “free will” choice man made in the Garden of Eden as recorded in Genesis 3. According to Walter Elwell in his definition of Theodicy, “Free will is a value of the highest order, which God should have given. God is not e one who uses such free will to commit evil; humans do, so humans are responsible for evil” (Elwell 1186).
We also observe bad things occurring in nature. This also is a result of man’s fall in Genesis 3, as the ground and everything else in the natural world was …show more content…
This, however is contrary to His character as Psalm 5:4-6 and many other passages state.
A theodicy must be internally consistent, showing how God’s omnipotence can coexist with the evil found in our world. The free will theodicy is internally and scripturally consistent. While he gave us over to our own choices, it is important to note that we not only choose evil, but also good at times. God is honored in our good choices, and is not responsible for our choosing of evil (1186).
The personal experience one has with evil will undoubtedly affect their perspective and relationship with God. For followers of Christ, we believe that the presence of evil, whether moral or natural, is the cause of our enemy, at the admittance of God, for the testing of our faith. Elwell gives an extensive list in his definition of pain, saying God uses pain upon an unbeliever:
“to keep his servants humble…to demonstrate to
Hamartiology: The Problem of Evil (Theodicy)
The problem of evil is not a new issue to be considered or questioned. Rather, philosophers, theologians, and the common man have questioned this since evil entered the world. Hamartiology is simply the study of sin, how it came to be and how it affects humans. In this discussion, we will examine why bad things happen and why evil exists in our world today.
Simply stated, the problem of evil is dynamic, but acknowledges the existence of evil in our world. While some may assume that the presence of evil in our world today is a contradiction to the existence of God and his nature, Scripture gives us insight how an omnipotent God (Revelation. 9:16) can exist in a corrupt …show more content…
While individuals are still affected and hurt, the cause has nothing to do with another person. The natural catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina which devastated over a million U.S. residents in 2005 would classify as a natural evil, outside of anyone’s control.
If we continue to observe the existence of sin and evil according to a Biblical worldview, we discover that the cause of sin among mankind was mankind himself. The problem of evil exists in our world today as a result of the “free will” choice man made in the Garden of Eden as recorded in Genesis 3. According to Walter Elwell in his definition of Theodicy, “Free will is a value of the highest order, which God should have given. God is not e one who uses such free will to commit evil; humans do, so humans are responsible for evil” (Elwell 1186).
We also observe bad things occurring in nature. This also is a result of man’s fall in Genesis 3, as the ground and everything else in the natural world was …show more content…
This, however is contrary to His character as Psalm 5:4-6 and many other passages state.
A theodicy must be internally consistent, showing how God’s omnipotence can coexist with the evil found in our world. The free will theodicy is internally and scripturally consistent. While he gave us over to our own choices, it is important to note that we not only choose evil, but also good at times. God is honored in our good choices, and is not responsible for our choosing of evil (1186).
The personal experience one has with evil will undoubtedly affect their perspective and relationship with God. For followers of Christ, we believe that the presence of evil, whether moral or natural, is the cause of our enemy, at the admittance of God, for the testing of our faith. Elwell gives an extensive list in his definition of pain, saying God uses pain upon an unbeliever:
“to keep his servants humble…to demonstrate to