God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (Gen. 1.4 NIV)

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (Jn. 1.5 NIV)

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Mt. 6.10 NIV)

I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” (Rom. 7.7b NIV)

Alvin Plantiga has probably sufficiently answered J. L. Mackie’s Logical Problem of Evil philosophically. Of course, not all will agree. There will never be complete unanimity whatever the question in this world; however, unanimity will exist in The New Heavens and Earth. This is not a cop-out in any way, but a fact of the necessity of replacement outlined in scripture. God is all-wise and evidently is bringing many children to glory (Heb. 2.10). Before bring these creatures to be with Him eternally, they need to know Him personally to some extent while still in the temporal realm.

Jesus had 12 disciples who had different levels of intimacy with Him. His closest inner circle consisted of Peter, James, and John (James’ younger brother). Young John didn’t need to relearn the things that Peter and James did, and, therefore, Jesus honored John the favored place during the Last Supper to a place where, John could lean back from the reclined eating position that was common to the era, to ask Jesus privately who the betrayer was. Also, the order of listing “the 12” (Mt. 10.2-4, Mk. 3.16-19, Lk. 6.14-16) is very similar suggesting a ranking of intimacy.

Jesus had either 70 or 72 disciples who were further removed in extent of ministry. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to only those He chose which included a gather of 500 at one time (1Cor. 15.6). These 500 were believers who seemed to be more on the periphery, probably due to not being called for full-time service.

Sufficiency of Scripture

The bible gives us answers to the thorniest and deepest philosophical musing without resorting to human wisdom. The bible was written not only for clerics and elite philosophers, but, everyday people as well. Not all truth in the bible is explicit since God reveals some things through scripture’s implications. Also, the Spirit of God indwelling Christians illumines them, when they are ready, to know certain things both personal and factual: may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Eph. 1.17b-19a NIV).

My definition of “theodicy” entails: a justification of God’s goodness and His overall providential plan in face of the existence of evil. While reams upon reams of paper has been wasted along with all the ink spilled by both Christian and secular philosophers, the bible contains the answer of why evil exists at all. Also, the bible does not suggest different reasons for evil, and thus, to have a variety of theodicies. Hence, the title of this post uses “the” instead of “a” or “an.” I believe the bible gives only one reason for sin’s existence and not many; indeed, I find only one.

Make no mistake, reckoning with the problem of evil is not a mere philosophical exercise to qualm fears and thus make us feel better. The Son of God is poised to cast fire upon this world’s evil: fire I came to cast upon the earth and how I wish if already it were kindled (Lk. 12.49 literal rendering). Every human living today (and those yet to be born) are tainted with original sin; and, God abhors sin, will judge it, and destroy it one day. God’s program is explicit in scripture and includes a kingdom with a righteous and all powerful King who will reign: that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church (Eph. 1.20-22 ESV; see also Eph. 1.9-10).