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In contrast, according to Yair Hoffman, the ancient books of the Hebrew Bible do not show an awareness of the theological problem of evil, and even most later biblical scholars did not touch the question of the problem of evil. [99] In the Bible, all characterizations of evil and suffering assert the view of "a God who is greater than suffering ...
Accordingly Augustine includes two things in the definition of sin; one, pertaining to the substance of a human act, and which is the matter, so to speak, of sin, when he says, word, deed, or desire; the other, pertaining to the nature of evil, and which is the form, as it were, of sin, when he says, contrary to the eternal law.
Such sins are described as removal from God's presence. The devil's sin does not give evil a positive value, since evil is, according to Augustinian theodicy, merely a byproduct of creation. The spirits have all been created in the love of God, but the devil valued himself more, thereby abandoning his position for a lower good.
Among early Christian writers, there existed differing viewpoints regarding the ethics of deception and dishonesty in certain circumstances. Some argued that lying and dissimulation could be justified for reasons such as saving souls, convincing reluctant candidates to accept ordination, or demonstrating humility by refraining from boasting about one's virtues.
Total depravity: Humanity possesses freedom from necessity, but not "freedom from sin" unless enabled by "prevenient grace". [27] Election: Unconditional election. Unconditional election. [18] [28] Conditional election in view of foreseen faith or unbelief. [29] Justification and atonement: Justification by faith alone. Various views regarding ...
The Hebrew Bible uses several words to describe sin. The standard noun for sin is ḥeṭ (verb: hata), meaning to "miss the mark" or "sin". [4] The word avon is often translated as "iniquity", i.e. a sin done out of moral failing. [5] The word pesha, or "trespass", means a sin done out of rebelliousness. [6]
Evil, according to Clement, does not exist as a positive, but exists as a negative or as a "lack of good". [65] Clement's idea was criticised for its inability to explain suffering in the world, if evil did not exist. He was also pressed by Gnostics scholars with the question as to why God did not create creatures that "did not lack the good".
Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann observes that "theodicy is a constant concern of the entire Bible" [8] [9] and he describes theodicy, from the biblical perspective, as a subject that "concerns the question of God's goodness and power in a world that is manifestly marked by disorder and evil."