The Bible and Suffering

The Bible discusses suffering at much length and, often, it is used as an argument against the existence of a God. The question “if God does exist then why doesn’t He do something about X” is often heard, where X is replaced with natural disasters, wars or diseases.

The real questions however, is what does the Bible actually say about suffering and what can we gain from the Bible with regards to the topic of suffering. The two passages below highlight differing ideas found within the Bible on the topic of suffering. The first Psalm seems to be a “traditional” Biblical test whereas within Luke’s Gospel we see a more liberal side of the scripture showing.

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Psalm 22

This passage from the Old Testament is quoted from Jesus on the cross. It starts off with a cry of desolation, Jesus asks God The Father “why have you forsaken me?” He then goes on to declare God’s holiness but then explains how he is “scorned” by others and how they mock him. Verses 16 -20 show pain and anguish as Jesus recalls that his “hands and feet have shrivelled” (he is physically dying) and even in his suffering he still asks God for help. From Verses 22 onwards Jesus praises and thanks God, he declares God’s ...

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