7
votes
Who was the target audience of the Book of Job?
Now the question of who is the target audience for Job is a tricky one, because there is the audience that Job intended, and the audience that God intended. Since the book is not addressed to a group ...
- 11.4k
7
votes
How does Reformed Theology consider passages that may imply that God is the "subject of sufferings"?
The point Edwards makes here is that since God accomplishes his purposes in all things, even evil things, he cannot be said to be carried away by emotions and thus experience involuntary ecstasy or ...
- 42.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Do Evangelical Christians interpret James 1:2 and Romans 5:3 to mean that we should enjoy our problems?
Evangelical theologians teach that these two passages do not instruct us to "enjoy" trials in the sense of getting pleasure out of them. Rather, we are to have joy despite the trials, ...
- 42.3k
6
votes
The uniqueness of Christ's suffering
The suffering caused by the physical cross and by the soldiers was only a tiny portion of Christ's suffering. His suffering and death was vicarious, meaning, he suffered in our place, Christ died for ...
- 6,681
4
votes
The nature and extent of the atonement of Jesus during the crucifixion
The Greek phrase "wrath of God" is οργη θεου. The phrase appears only twice in the New Testament.
John writes that the wrath of God will be visited upon those who do
not believe in His Son (3:36).
...
- 5,637
4
votes
Accepted
Why sleep put apostles into temptation?
TL:DR; Sleep does not cause temptation, prayer prevents it.
How does sleep put the apostles into temptation?
It doesn't. The most likely source of your question is that the cause and effect ...
- 6,707
4
votes
According to Catholicism must we all suffer in life?
Sometimes people focus too much on Christ's sufferings and not how much he poured out His love on the cross. Redemption by Christ was not so much achieved by how much He suffered, but how much He ...
- 176
4
votes
Are good and evil in Christianity ultimately based on maximizing wellbeing and minimizing suffering?
The righteousness of God is mentioned twelve times in the bible.
This is the measure of good and evil.
Nothing else can be.
Matthew 6:33; Romans 1:17; 3:5; 3:21; 3:22; 3:25; 3:26; 10:3; 10:3 (again); ...
- 23.8k
3
votes
Accepted
The uniqueness of Christ's suffering
Reading your comments to the various fine answers already posted here tells me that your unstated question is "what has Jesus's suffering to do with being born again", rather than looking ...
- 22.2k
3
votes
The uniqueness of Christ's suffering
The idea isn't that there was crucifixion or death or any number of people who have died and will die horrible deaths, but rather that it was Jesus the Messiah who had died. Who was Jesus the Messiah ...
- 13.1k
3
votes
Accepted
According to Catholicism must we all suffer in life?
According to Catholicism must we all suffer in life?
The short answer is yes.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and ...
- 68.2k
3
votes
Protestants, why do some Christians suffer so much more than others?
Jesus warned his disciples that following Him would not be easy:
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will ...
- 29.8k
3
votes
Accepted
Is suffering a proof against intelligent design?
No
I don't really have references for this I will just answer it by logic alone. The atheist is making quite a few assumptions to make the leap from suffering to no Intelligent Designer (or indeed God)...
- 146
3
votes
Accepted
Are there philosophical explanations for why God would allow animals to suffer due to non-human causes?
Are there philosophical explanations for why God would allow animals to suffer due to non-human causes?
St. Thomas Aquinas has something to say about it!
The problem of animal suffering is the ...
- 68.2k
3
votes
I feel really guilty killing insects, even though it isn’t a sin
Taken to an extreme, each time you inhale, lots of micro-organisms in the air die in your lungs. If you know that killing insects is not a sin in the Bible but it feels like a sin to you this must ...
- 14.8k
3
votes
I feel really guilty killing insects, even though it isn’t a sin
Your feeling of guilt about even unintentionally killing insects has got nothing to do with Catholicism, but has much in common with Jainism, Buddhism, and religions that believe in reincarnation. ...
- 27k
3
votes
How do Christians respond to this claim in the Qur'an?
The question seems to be based on an Islamic view that Christians are wrong to address God as "Father" because "he give them bad things in life if he was as loving as father he wouldn't ...
- 27k
3
votes
How do Christians respond to this claim in the Qur'an?
If I understand you correctly you are stating that the Quran makes the following claim: God cannot be the Father of Christians because He allows bad things into their lives and if He was a loving ...
- 14.8k
3
votes
Are good and evil in Christianity ultimately based on maximizing wellbeing and minimizing suffering?
Are good and evil in Christianity ultimately based on maximizing wellbeing and minimizing suffering?
The short answer is no. The problem of evil (and good) is much more complex than that.
Physical ...
- 68.2k
2
votes
The nature and extent of the atonement of Jesus during the crucifixion
The word in the New Testament that is translated as "atonement" in the King James Version is καταλλαγή and it appears only once (in Romans 5:11) as "atonement" in English, but is translated as "...
- 5,637
2
votes
The uniqueness of Christ's suffering
It is abundantly clear from the scriptures that the physical sufferings of Jesus Christ during crucifixion are not those that are vicarious :
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the ...
- 23.8k
2
votes
Accepted
Does God feel and appreciate the resiliency of our suffering?
To experience suffering is to configure one's self to / with Christ
... already in the act of Baptism, which brings about a configuration with Christ, and then through his Sacrifice...the Church is ...
- 6,707
2
votes
Who was the target audience of the Book of Job?
As Nigel J suggested in his comment, the book of Job is addressed to every single person on earth. Its “target audience” is every human who has ever lifted his eyes to heaven and cried out, “Why me, ...
- 29.8k
2
votes
Does Malachi 4:1 and Jude 7 prove that hell is temporary?
Before we delve into what Malachi and Jude said, remember that two verses plucked out of the Bible can never establish whether a doctrine is right or wrong. These things have to be put into context ...
- 29.8k
2
votes
Accepted
What is an overview of Christian viewpoints on the 'animal cruelty' argument for veganism?
What is an overview of Christian viewpoints on the 'animal cruelty' argument for veganism?
I find it hard to imagine that any Christian denomination would take such a stand as defending veganism ...
- 68.2k
2
votes
Are good and evil in Christianity ultimately based on maximizing wellbeing and minimizing suffering?
No. While this is probably debated at some level, the standard of good and evil is not
how good a thing makes you feel or any subjective measurement, but is based solely on the Word of God.
There is ...
- 1,678
2
votes
Are good and evil in Christianity ultimately based on maximizing wellbeing and minimizing suffering?
This reminds me of a point I made when I converted, to the man who witnessed to me.
Your question in slightly more formal terms is...
"Is Christianity divinely-inspired utilitarianism?"
This ...
- 317
2
votes
Are good and evil in Christianity ultimately based on maximizing wellbeing and minimizing suffering?
Love: it's evident that love feels good and promotes behaviors that make others feel good. Therefore, love ranks very high on the "wellbeing scale".
I have seen love cause the lover ...
- 14.8k
2
votes
If God knows which people will go to Heaven, why not only create those people?
I applaud you for asking tough questions but there is a logical break in your question that I would like to try and point out.
"He could instantly implant all the spiritual growth, experiences, ...
- 14.8k
1
vote
Protestants, why do some Christians suffer so much more than others?
People often try to search for meaning and spiritual causes for problems and suffering. Some take the perspective that trials and suffering are a punishment of God, while others see suffering and ...
- 357
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