Suffering & the Problem of Evil¶
We've crafted an unofficial, source-cited, non-commercial index of Dr. R.C. Sproul's publicly available teachings, weighted by how many independent sources corroborate each point. The content is authored by Dr. R.C. Sproul and published by Ligonier Ministries (a few items are third-party YouTube re-uploads); see the Methodology & Rights page for more info. Quotations are brief, linked to their source, and reproduced for study under Ligonier's Copyright Policy (ligonier.org/copyright-policy). This site is humbly offered for personal use only, out of love and respect, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ligonier Ministries or St. Andrew's Chapel.
91 positions — 6 corroborated across multiple sources.
Well-attested positions¶
Independently stated in two or more of his messages.
While suffering is a result of sin corrupting creation, it is not always directly or universally correlated to a specific sin.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all suffering is tied to a particular sin or that we can draw a one-to-one correlation between the degree of a person’s sin and the degree of his suffering.
Corroborated across 3 sources: Answering Evil (Ligonier article) · Suffering and the Glory of God (Ligonier article) · Healing the Paralytic (Ligonier)
The Bible affirms the stark reality of pain, suffering, affliction, and grief, and does not try to suggest that evil is merely an illusion.
No, no, no, no, no. It strongly affirms the stark-naked reality of pain and suffering, affliction and grief, and tribulation.
Corroborated across 3 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00 · R.C. Sproul @ 29:57 · From Suffering to Glory (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The answer to the question of suffering is not a specific explanation for why one suffers, but rather knowing God in His holiness, righteousness, justice, and mercy.
what God does in the mystery of the iniquity of such profound suffering, is that He answers Job with Himself. This is the wisdom that answers the question of suffering—not the answer to why I have to suffer in a particular way, in a particular time, and in a particular circumstance, but wherein does my hope rest in the midst of suffering.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Book of Job (Ligonier article) · The Locus of Astonishment (Ligonier)
Christ's suffering was not merely physical pain, but the punishment of divine forsakenness.
You see, when Jesus was shrinking from the cross, He wasn’t shrinking from nails and thorns and spears; He was shrinking from receiving in His person the punishment of hell, the fullness of divine forsakenness.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 5:13 · The Crucifixion (Ligonier)
The core problem for people is not intellectual ignorance regarding God's existence, but a moral hatred for God.
Your problem is not that you don’t know that God exists. Your problem is that you despise the God whom you know exists. Your problem is not an intellectual problem. It’s a moral problem. You hate God.
Corroborated across 2 sources: God’s Wrath (Ligonier) · The Atonement (Ligonier)
The philosophical argument suggests that if God is good and omnipotent, He should eliminate all pain and suffering.
Context: Quoting the philosopher John Stuart Mill.
If God is good, and if God is loving, He would surely eliminate pain and suffering, unless He cannot. If He wants to get rid of pain and suffering but He cannot, then He is not omnipotent. If He is omnipotent and does not rid the world of pain and suffering, then He is neither good nor loving.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Locus of Astonishment (Ligonier) · From Suffering to Glory (Part 1) (Ligonier)
Further positions¶
Drawn from a single high-trust (official transcript) source.
The problem of evil remains an elusive issue for which a full answer has not been revealed by God.
I don’t think God has revealed to us a full and final answer to the problem of evil and suffering.
Source: Answering Evil (Ligonier article)
Christians are called to participate in the afflictions of Christ by bearing and enduring pain, thereby reflecting Him to others.
In this interim between Christ's resurrection and return, Christians are called to participate in the afflictions of Christ (Col. 1:24). By bearing and enduring pain, we walk in the footsteps of Jesus and mirror and reflect Him to onlookers.
Source: Bearing and Enduring (Ligonier article)
The Christian life is inherently a pilgrimage filled with pain, affliction, and persecution.
Just a cursory reading tells you that if you are in Christ, you will suffer, you will be afflicted, you will be persecuted. The Christian life is a pilgrimage filled with pain, affliction, and persecution.
Source: Bearing and Enduring (Ligonier article)
The core message of the book of Job concerns how God is involved in the problem of human suffering.
In any case, at the heart of the message of the book of Job is the wisdom with respect to answering the question as to how God is involved in the problem of human suffering.
Source: The Book of Job (Ligonier article)
Widows faced significant difficulties in ancient societies because they lacked financial support and were often the most vulnerable members of the community.
There weren’t insurance programs, annuities, or other sorts of things, and without a husband, the widow was usually the most vulnerable and helpless person in the community. Widows had little or no means of support in ancient societies.
Source: Caring for Widows (Ligonier article)
While he cannot know the ultimate reason for suffering, Sproul asserts that God can use suffering in a redemptive way for an individual.
But I do know that God used that suffering in a redemptive way for me. My dad's suffering drove me into the arms of the Suffering Savior.
Source: In Christ Our Suffering Is Not in Vain (Ligonier article)
Believing in two extreme viewpoints simultaneously, such as chance evolution and divine creation, demands intellectual schizophrenia.
My purpose is to show that a belief in the two extremes at the same time demands a kind of intellectual schizophrenia.
Source: The Christian and Science (Ligonier article)
Although suffering can be severe, it has defined limits and does not result in permanent or fatal despair.
Afflicted, but not crushed. Perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed.
Source: The Dark Night of the Soul (Ligonier article)
Scripture presents a bleak picture of the human condition apart from grace, making it impossible for humans to choose rightly.
When we realize that this is not true, that Scripture paints a bleak picture of the human condition apart from grace, that it says it is impossible for us to choose rightly, we want to make sure that everybody else knows it as well.
Source: Escaping the “Cage Stage” (Ligonier article)
Faith is not a constant state, but rather something that wavers and is challenged by suffering.
The reality, however, is that faith is not a constant thing. Our faith wavers between moments of supreme exultation and trying times that push us to the rim of despair.
Source: From Hard Pressed to Hope (Ligonier article)
Suffering, including pain, grief, and persecution, poses significant challenges that can strain a believer's faith.
When pain, grief, persecution, or other forms of suffering strike, we find ourselves caught off guard, confused, and full of questions. Suffering can strain faith to the limits.
Source: From Hard Pressed to Hope (Ligonier article)
Grief is a profound pain that affects the deepest parts of a person's being, not merely a minor irritation.
It is a pain that penetrates the skin of a person and plunges to the deepest recesses of the person’s being. It is a pain that grips the soul with a vise-like pincer that brings with the pain an excruciating sense of mourning.
Source: A Grief Observed (Ligonier article)
Guilt feelings function like physical pain by serving as a warning signal that something is objectively wrong and should motivate us to seek treatment.
I see guilt feelings as being somewhat analogous to physical pain. Pain is a symptom that something is objectively wrong in the body. Pain is a tremendous benefit to us medically, because it gives the signal that there is a problem that needs to be treated.
Source: Guilt Leading to Joy (Ligonier article)
Hedonism defines the good and the evil solely in terms of pleasure and pain, making the ultimate purpose of life the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain.
As a world view, hedonism has as its basic principle the belief that the good and the evil are defined in terms of pleasure and pain. Man’s ultimate purpose for living is to be found in enjoying pleasure and avoiding pain.
Source: What Is Hedonism? (Ligonier article)
The hedonistic paradox states that whether a person fails to achieve desired pleasure or achieves too much pleasure, the result is ultimately pain or boredom.
Again, the paradox: If we achieve what we want, we lose; if we don’t achieve what we are searching for, we lose. The result of hedonism is the exact opposite of its goal. Its only fruit is ultimate pain.
Source: What Is Hedonism? (Ligonier article)
The pursuit of pleasure is inherently flawed because achieving it leads to boredom, while failing to achieve it leads to frustration and pain.
Again, the paradox: If we achieve what we want, we lose; if we don’t achieve what we are searching for, we lose. The result of hedonism is the exact opposite of its goal.
Source: What Is Hedonism? (Ligonier article)
Christianity does not mandate seeking suffering or fleeing pleasure, but sometimes requires choosing the path that results in pain.
There is no sin in enjoying the pleasant and being free from pain, but there are times when the Christian must choose the road that results in pain.
Source: What Is Hedonism? (Ligonier article)
The suffering in hell is not merely separation from God, but rather the presence of God's divine wrath.
Their problem in hell will not be separation from God, it will be the presence of God that will torment them. In hell, God will be present in the fullness of His divine wrath.
Source: What Is Hell? (Ligonier article)
God's providence involves bringing good out of evil by transcending human wickedness rather than overruling it.
Instead of overruling the wicked desires of Joseph’s brothers, God transcended them and by His power brought good out of evil.
Source: How Can God Bring Good Out of Evil? (Ligonier article)
Parable characters frequently involve two people who experience tension between righteousness and sin, or good and evil.
There were usually two people who experienced tension between righteousness and sin, good and evil.
Source: 4 Interpretive Guidelines for Understanding Jesus' Parables (Ligonier article)
Christian love requires suffering long, meaning one must continue to love even when experiencing hurt and pain.
Suffering long means loving when we are experiencing hurt and pain.
Source: Love That Is Patient and Kind (Ligonier article)
In a broad sense, any departure from biblical truth can be considered a heresy, but in Christian thought, the term usually refers to severe distortions threatening the core of the faith or the church's well-being.
In a broad sense, every departure from biblical truth may be regarded as a heresy. But in the currency of Christian thought, the term heresy has usually been reserved for gross and heinous distortions of biblical truth, for errors so grave that they threaten either the essence ( esse ) of the Christian faith or the well-being ( bene esse ) of the Christian church.
Source: None Dare Call It Heresy (Ligonier article)
In biblical categories, a curse refers to the negative judgment of God, which is the opposite of a blessing.
In biblical categories, a curse has quite a different meaning. In the Old Testament, the curse refers to the negative judgment of God. It is the antonym, the opposite, of the word blessing.
Source: Obscene, yet Beautiful (Ligonier article)
The experience of outer darkness involves weeping and gnashing of teeth, which signifies a deep, mournful wailing and hatred.
Also in Matthew 25, Jesus says that those who will be cast into the outer darkness will experience “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This is a concrete image that any Jew would understand, and one I think we can all readily comprehend.
Source: The Place of God’s Disfavor (Ligonier article)
Adhering to divine revelation in ethics can be difficult because it often conflicts with human desires and contemporary cultural standards.
To take an ethical stand on the foundation of divine revelation is to bring oneself into serious and at times radical conflict with the opinions of men.
Source: Revelation and Christian Ethics (Ligonier article)
Death is not an end but a passage from one world to the next, and suffering is part of this process.
Because of Christ, death is not final. It is a passage from one world to the next.
Source: Satan Does Not Hold the Keys of Death (Ligonier article)
God uses human suffering and affliction for His glory and for the sanctification of His people.
When we suffer, we must trust that God knows what He is doing, and that He works in and through the pain and afflictions of His people for His glory and for their sanctification.
Source: Suffering and the Glory of God (Ligonier article)
Failing to prepare for difficult times is more costly and painful than taking the necessary steps to prepare.
It can be painful and expensive to prepare for difficult times, but it can be far more painful and far more expensive to fail to prepare for difficult times.
Source: Taking Thought for Tomorrow (Ligonier article)
Living a life of contradictory beliefs, such as being both religious and secular, ultimately results in chaos.
But the contradictory life is a confusing life, a life of inconsistency and incoherence. Its bottom line is chaos.
Source: The Importance of Cultural Awareness (Ligonier article)
Human desires are often conflicting, and the struggle between these desires determines moral choices.
We are creatures with a multitude of desires, many of which are in violent conflict with each other.
Source: The Meaning of Man’s Will (Ligonier article)
The concept of choosing an effect without any cause violates the cardinal rule of causality.
At bottom it implies that man can make choices that are effects without any causes. Here it is suggested that the power of man to produce an effect without a cause exceeds even the creative power of God Almighty.
Source: The Meaning of Man’s Will (Ligonier article)
A creature created with a predisposition toward only righteousness would face a dilemma when choosing a wicked act, as this would lack a sufficient cause.
A third option is that God created man with a disposition toward only righteousness. If this were the case, then we have an effect without a sufficient cause. How is it possible for a creature created with the disposition toward only righteousness to have chosen a wicked act?
Source: The Meaning of Man’s Will (Ligonier article)
The wicked prefer darkness because it allows them to commit evil deeds that cannot withstand the scrutiny of daylight.
We prefer the darkness so that we can do those evil deeds that can’t stand the scrutiny of daytime.
Source: The Midnight Trial (Ligonier article)
God's sovereign providence does not exclude the possibility that He may send people into periods of trials and tribulations that can be excruciatingly painful.
That we are in the care of a sovereign God whose providence is benevolent does not exclude the possibility that He may send us into periods of trials and tribulations that can be excruciatingly painful.
While present suffering must be addressed, the Christian perspective must look beyond the present to the future, which is defined by the eternal.
When we deal with suffering, we tend to have our gaze completely locked on the present, but the Christian answer to suffering, while making it incumbent upon us to alleviate present suffering as much as we are able, looks beyond the present to the future.
Source: When All Things Are Made New (Ligonier article)
People mistakenly assume that the suffering an individual endures is directly proportional to their degree of sinfulness.
This response shows us that those who brought the original question to Jesus were assuming that all the suffering that people endure in this world is proportionately related to their degree of sinfulness, an idea that remains pervasive today.
Source: When Towers Fall (Ligonier article)
When suffering occurs, it should not be viewed as an act of injustice on God's part, because God is not obligated to protect us from tragedies.
When anything painful, sorrowful, or grievous befalls us, it is never an act of injustice on God’s part, because God does not owe us freedom from tragedies.
Source: When Towers Fall (Ligonier article)
Historically, Christians who faced significant pain and persecution developed a high view of God because they were forced to consider God's hand during their difficulties.
I think if there was a secret that earlier generations of Christians who were so much more familiar with pain than we are, and with death and persecution and the like, the reason why they had such a high view of God is because they had so much pain and they were forced to consider the hand of God in the midst of their difficulties.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 3:30
The nature of agape love is summarized by the phrase, 'Love suffers long and is kind.'
He begins by saying, “Love suffers long and is kind.”
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:15
Longsuffering is not limited to physical pain but also includes enduring hostility, insults, and slander from other people.
We find it very difficult to suffer for a long period of time. We want the pain to be over in a hurry. It’s one thing to be short suffering, and it’s another thing to be longsuffering. But this longsuffering is not just related to physical pain and the endurance of that kind of thing, but it also has to do with enduring hostility from other people, insults from other people, slander from other people.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 18:12
The problem of interpreting passages that seem to contradict the belief that God never creates evil can be solved by recognizing the specific literary form of parallelism.
Actually to solve this problem is a simple matter if we are able to recognize the specific literary form in which that particular text comes to us.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:08
The Christian's struggle involves three intimately related enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Martin Luther said that the Christian, in his struggle for obedience has many obstacles to overcome, but basically we’re involved in warfare that takes place not on one front or two fronts but on three fronts and that the triad of enemies that confront the Christian are, as Luther maintained, the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:05
The speaker found it emotionally impossible to take his dog to the veterinarian for euthanasia, even though the dog was suffering.
I can't take that dog, my dog, and put him in my car and drive ten minutes to the veterinarian, knowing that I'm taking him to his death.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 39:39
Knowing that suffering is a divine calling makes it easier to endure, compared to suffering that is merely accidental or natural.
But if I knew that that’s what God was calling me to do, I think I’d be able to bear it a little bit better than if it were looked upon as being purely by accident, don’t you?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:12
Mentioning Christ's suffering under Pontius Pilate places the passion of Jesus within the context of world history.
one perennial answer again is that by saying that He suffered under Pontius Pilate, immediately puts the suffering and the passion of Jesus into the arena of world history.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:06
God associated pain with childbirth, making it a difficult price to pay for the experience.
But not only does the pain and the curse come upon them, but it comes upon the woman, pain in the natural act of delivering children.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:51
The biblical account of Jesus cursing the fig tree details that Jesus approached it because he was hungry and found no figs, leading him to pronounce a curse.
For example, how many times does Jesus talk about sheep and about shepherds? Try to communicate the meaning of that to a child who has been born and raised in the inner city in a very closed ghetto community. I was shocked to discover that the vast majority of these children had never in their lives seen a sheep; they had never traveled outside the confines of the inner city, and so though they had seen picture books about sheep, they never experienced life in an agricultural setting, and as our culture becomes more and more industrialized, we are that much further removed from the pastoral setting and agricultural setting in which the Bible comes to us. An example for – that we run into in New Testament interpretation that has troubled many readers of the Bible is the episode in the life and ministry of Jesus where Jesus curses a fig tree. And if you read the text there in the gospels where Jesus approaches this fig tree from a distance, we read that part of what the text says was that Jesus was hungry and He saw a fig tree in bloom, and He approached the fig tree to gather figs. And then the author tells us that it was not the season for figs, and Jesus goes to the tree, He doesn’t find any figs, and so what does He do? He pronounces a curse upon the fig tree, and the next day as the disciples pass that tree, they notice that the tree has withered and died under the curse of Jesus.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 3:17
Some theologians argue that God's anger is not a manifestation of His righteousness or holiness, but rather a sign of a defect within His own character.
In other words, they said that yes, we do see unavoidably and unmistakably a manifestation of the anger of God in the pages of the Old Testament, but that anger is not so much a manifestation of God's righteousness or of His holiness as it is a manifestation of a defect within God's own character.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:13
Sproul warns that confusing good and evil leads to spiritual trouble.
And when we start calling good “evil” and evil “good,” and trying to say that God Himself endorses an activity that He abominates, we’re in trouble.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:44
The suffering of the nails and swords was insignificant compared to the curse of God that Jesus bore.
What I’m saying is that the nails and the swords were nothing compared to coming under the curse of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:38
Following one's conscience at every point is dangerous because it can be distorted and can lead to a life of unrestrained wickedness.
If we follow our consciences at every point, beloved, they will guide us into disaster. Our consciences can be distorted. They can be twisted. If you let your conscience alone be your guide, you will probably live a life of unrestrained wickedness.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
The current world is characterized by suffering, evil, and pain, contrasting with the state of heaven.
And this world in which I live now, there is suffering, there is evil, there is pain, there is cancer, there is emotional distress, there is loneliness.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 28:47
God ultimately uses all bad experiences, including suffering, for the ultimate good of humanity.
ultimately—ultimately, it is good that they have happened to us. Do you see that? Ultimately, it is good that they happen to us, that the heavenly Father never allows anything to happen to you that is not for your ultimate good.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 35:53
When facing suffering, the only way to endure it is to accept it as God's purpose, which assures the individual that the reason for the suffering is good.
God, I don't know why You have visited me with this, but if this is Your call on my life, then I'll be able to survive it. I'll be able to endure it.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 41:01
Sproul questioned why people are willing to affirm a supernatural being that influences good but quick to deny one that influences evil.
What is it that makes you so willing to affirm the supernatural Being who can influence us for good but so quick to deny the supernatural being who could influence us for evil?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 3:59
The Christian struggle is not merely against people or worldly forces, but against spiritual powers and cosmic evil.
We’re not wrestling against flesh and blood but powers, principality, spiritual wickedness in high places, in the “ouranos,” in the heavenlies. Cosmic evil is what we’re dealing with here in an unseen realm.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 24:17
Innocent people sometimes suffer and are wrongly convicted and imprisoned.
Sometimes, it does happen that innocent people are convicted and put into prison.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 21:54
The question of evil is a significant intellectual problem for the Christian faith.
You know everybody’s raising the question, “If God is good, how’s come there’s evil?” The Christian is constantly left with the problem of defining the existence of evil in the world.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:16
The problem of evil is only a problem because goodness is assumed to exist.
In other words, what I’m saying is this, we do indeed have a problem with evil, but that problem is only there because of the existence of the good.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:27
The non-theist or atheist faces a more difficult problem than the Christian, which is accounting for the existence of good.
The problem that the non-theist or the atheist has, is to account for the existence of good.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:08
When confronting sin, the primary problem is the demands of God's righteousness and justice.
Remember I said earlier that David's most revealing comment was when he acknowledges that God, in His righteousness has every right to judge him, and when we become acutely aware of our sin before God our problem is His righteousness and how can the demands of His law, how can the demand of His righteousness, His justice be satisfied?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 7:44
The question 'why' is a persistent inquiry that drives one deeper into the quest for ultimate reality.
It's the same question each time "why?" because "why" just keeps pushing us backwards further and further and further, or we might say deeper and deeper and deeper into our quest.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 10:05
Verbal insults and insensitive criticism can cause deep, lasting emotional wounds that are more damaging than physical pain.
But the insult, the insensitive criticism can paralyze your soul until you die.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 14:22
The speaker reflects on the difficulty of suffering, noting that the suffering person's condition is harder to bear than the difficulty faced by those who neglect them.
I responded, “It may be difficult for them, but it’s far more difficult for him to be in this condition and have no one come to see him.”
Source: The Authority to Forgive (Ligonier)
Natural evil refers to bad experiences in the world, such as famine or earthquakes, which are distinct from moral evil.
They are bad things, evil happenings, but they are what we call natural evil , as distinguished from moral evil .
Source: Behave Like a Christian (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Sproul asserts that anger does not primarily arise from pain, but rather from pain itself.
I do not think that most anger arises out of pain. I think it all does. If somebody punches you, it makes you mad. If somebody disappoints you, it makes you mad. If somebody frustrates you, it makes you mad.
Source: Betrayed (Ligonier)
Marx viewed religion as a drug that dulls human senses regarding the unpleasant realities of life.
Marx, although he did not invent the phrase, spoke of religion as “the opiate of the masses,” a drug that dulls our senses to the terrors and unpleasantries that surround us in this world.
Source: The Calming of the Storm (Ligonier)
The suffering of Christ continues beyond His death and is manifested in the suffering of the church.
Paul was saying that the suffering of Christ in His body did not end with His death but continues in the sufferings of His body, the church.
Source: The Cost of Discipleship (Ligonier)
The doctrine of hell is presented as one of the most difficult doctrines to deal with.
The Bible contains many doctrines that are controversial and difficult, but I doubt any are more difficult to deal with than the doctrine of hell.
Source: The Dividing Christ (Ligonier)
Jesus' suffering and death were not merely acts of compassion, but were the full experience of divine wrath.
Jesus was looking towards the cross, the most vicious expression of divine wrath that we find anywhere in Scripture. God was not playing with His son at Calvary. This was real judgment. This was real fire.
Source: The Dividing Christ (Ligonier)
Heidegger described a fundamental human problem as a vague, undefined dread or sense of being thrown into life without purpose.
He said that every human being in the world experiences what he calls a sense of Geworfenheit , of having been hurled or thrown chaotically into life with no sense of purpose or destiny.
Source: The End of Anxiety (Ligonier)
The Bible distinguishes between demonic possession and other conditions like lunacy, convulsion, or epilepsy.
Contemporary people who want to say that first-century observers confused demonic possession with insanity are wrong because the Bible distinguishes between the two. It also distinguishes demonic possession from what we would call convulsion or epilepsy.
Source: Jesus Meets a Demon (Ligonier)
The battle a Christian faces is fundamentally spiritual and cosmic, not merely a struggle with personal sin or a conflict with people.
The battle that a Christian must endure is a spiritual battle, not just a struggle with their own sinful tendencies but a war that is cosmic in scope.
Source: Jesus Meets a Demon (Ligonier)
Paul describes a profound internal conflict where the individual desires good but finds it impossible to perform, instead practicing evil.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
Source: Law Cannot Save from Sin (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Atheistic philosophers argue that religion is invented as a psychological coping mechanism for the scary things in life.
The same answer is given repeatedly by the atheistic philosophers, namely that religion is invented as a crutch, as a psychological bromide to help us cope with the scary things that surround us.
Source: Calming the Sea (Ligonier)
Biblical teaching distinguishes between four distinct types of poverty, each requiring a different understanding of God's response.
In the biblical framework, if we look at the word for poverty or the poor, we see that there is a distinction among four distinct types of people who are poor in the Old Testament.
Source: The Eye of the Needle (Ligonier)
The man's suffering was so intense that it was worse than the condition of any leper in the land.
In his unbridled torture, the man would scream, yell, pick up stones, and cut himself, adding to the misery he already experienced, far worse than the condition of any leper in the land.
Source: The Gadarene Demoniac (Ligonier)
The woman's suffering was not only physical but also involved social and religious misery due to her banishment from the people of God.
So, the woman did not just suffer from physical misery, but she suffered from social and religious misery because she was banished from the presence of the people of God.
Source: Jairus' Daughter (Ligonier)
The ancient doctors did not necessarily intend to worsen her condition; rather, they lacked the necessary knowledge, medicine, or tools.
I do not think the doctors in the ancient world wanted to make her condition worse. They just did not have the medicine, knowledge, or tools at their disposal to give her relief.
Source: Jairus' Daughter (Ligonier)
The early church experienced repeated persecutions from both Jewish communities and the Roman power.
First, the Jewish community inflicted serious persecutions upon the Apostles, then later, the power of Rome inflicted persecutions.
Source: The Olivet Discourse (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Entering the narrow gate requires intense effort and struggle.
Exert yourself with the full measure of whatever strength you have to make sure you get through the narrow gate. Whatever agony it takes, be willing to go through it, because many will seek to enter and will not be able.
Source: The Narrow Way (Ligonier)
The parable of the unjust steward is widely considered by biblical scholars to be one of the most difficult parables of Jesus to understand.
The sixteenth chapter begins with the parable of the unjust steward, which is almost universally considered by biblical scholars to be the most difficult of Jesus’ parables to understand.
Source: The Parable of the Unjust Steward (Ligonier)
The difference between present suffering and future glory is so radical that it cannot be compared or measured.
There is no analogy between the present climate of pain and the future climate of blessedness. The comparative here is in terms of how much more . Paul, who is so articulate, even under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, cannot seem to find words to describe the radical difference between the now and the then.
Source: From Suffering to Glory (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The current suffering and appearance of futility in creation are due to sin, as God subjected the entire creation to pain and affliction.
The world is filled with pain and suffering not because God isn’t good, but because He is good and will not tolerate evil, and because of our sin, God has subjected the entire creation to pain, to affliction, and to sin.
Source: From Suffering to Glory (Part 1) (Ligonier)
Denying the reality of hell is problematic because it is a central and core teaching of Scripture.
to deny the reality of hell in any significant way certainly raises the question of whether or not a person is in the faith because it is such a central, core teaching of Scripture.
Source: Can you deny the existence of hell and still be a Christian? (Ligonier Q&A)