The Nature of Evil and God's Goodness in Theology
The goodness of God is a fundamental attribute of His character, encompassing His benevolence, mercy, pity, compassion, and grace towards His creation [1]. This goodness is not merely a passive quality but an active perfection, consistently exercised by God [1]. Scripture declares God's goodness to be great, rich, abundant, satisfying, enduring, and universal [5]. For instance, Psalm 145:9 states that "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."
The Bible takes the existence of God for granted, referring to Him with terms like 'El, signifying strength, and 'Elohim, a plural form commonly used throughout the Old Testament [4]. God's goodness is often linked with His righteousness, which is also described as part of His character, being very high, abundant, beyond computation, and everlasting [6]. The holiness of God and His greatness are motives for godly fear, as is His goodness [3].
The concept of God's goodness raises questions concerning the nature of evil. While God is good and righteous, evil exists in the world [1, 6]. Evil is understood as that which is contrary to God's nature and His revealed will [9]. In humanity, goodness involves a deliberate preference for right over wrong, a resistance to moral evil, and the pursuit of moral good [2]. The wrath of God is revealed against ungodliness and unrighteousness, indicating His opposition to evil [7].
The relationship between God's goodness and the presence of evil is complex. John Gill, in his commentary on Psalm 5:4, states that God does not take pleasure in wickedness, as it is contrary to His holy, just, and good nature [9]. However, Gill also notes that God's "voluntary permission of sin" and His decree concerning it do not imply delight in sin, but rather serve to magnify the riches of His grace and mercy [9]. This perspective suggests that even within the context of evil, God's ultimate purpose is good. Romans 11:22 speaks of both the "goodness and severity of God," indicating that while God is good, He also exercises severity towards those who fall away [8].
The presence of evil is often associated with human sinfulness. The "corruption of nature" or "evil imagination" is a powerful force within individuals, which can be referred to as a "law" that demands compliance with its lusts [10]. Deceitfulness of unrighteousness, such as doctrines of self-righteousness or works of supererogation, are seen as contrary to God's righteousness [11]. Despite the existence of evil, believers hold that "all things work together for good" for those who love God, encompassing temporal, spiritual, and eternal good [12].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness of God — A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps. 145:8, 9; 103:8; 1 John 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of his creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favour on the unworthy it is grace. "Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness — In man is not a mere passive quality, but the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Fear, Godly — God is the object of -- Isa 8:13. God is the author of -- Jer 32:39,40. Searching the Scriptures gives the understanding of -- Pr 2:3-5. Described as Hatred of evil. -- Pr 8:13. Wisdom. -- Job 28:28; Ps 111:10. A treasure to saints. -- Pr 15:16; Isa 33:6. A fountain of life. -- Pr 14:27. Sanctifying. -- Ps 19:9. Filial and reverential. -- Heb 12:9,28. Commanded -- De 13:4; Ps 22:23; Ec 12:13; 1Pe 2:17. Motives to The holiness of God. -- Re 15:4. The greatness of God. -- De 10:12,17. The goodness of God. -- 1Sa 12:24. The forgiveness of God. -- Ps 130:4.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Goodness of God, The — Is part of his character -- Ps 25:8; Na 1:7; Mt 19:17. Declared to be Great. -- Ne 9:35; Zec 9:17. Rich. -- Ps 104:24; Ro 2:4. Abundant. -- Ex 34:6; Ps 33:5. Satisfying. -- Ps 65:4; Jer 31:12,14. Enduring. -- Ps 23:6; 52:1. Universal. -- Ps 145:9; Mt 5:45. Manifested To his Church. -- Ps 31:19; La 3:25. In doing good. -- Ps 119:68; 145:9. In supplying temporal wants. -- Ac 14:17. In providing for the poor. -- Ps 68:10. In forgiving sins. -- 2Ch 30:18; Ps 86:5. Leads to repentance. -- Ro 2:4. Recognise, in his dealings. -- Ezr 8:18; Ne 2:18. Pra”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Righteousness of God, The — Is part of his character -- Ps 7:9; 116:5; 119:137. Described as Very high. -- Ps 71:19. Abundant. -- Ps 48:10. Beyond computation. -- Ps 71:15. Everlasting. -- Ps 119:142. Enduring for ever. -- Ps 111:3. The habitation of his throne. -- Ps 97:2. Christ acknowledged -- Joh 17:25. Christ committed his cause to -- 1Pe 2:23. Angels acknowledge -- Re 16:5. Exhibited in His testimonies. -- Ps 119:138,144. His commandments. -- De 4:8; Ps 119:172. His judgments. -- Ps 19:9; 119:7,62. His word. -- Ps 119:123. His ways. -- Ps 145:17. His acts. -- J”
- Romans “Romans 1:18 (Geneva1599) — For the wrath of God is reueiled from heauen against all vngodlinesse, and vnrighteousnesse of men, which withhold the trueth in vnrighteousnesse.”
- Romans “See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off. -- Romans 11:22”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 5:4: For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness,.... Sin, ungodliness; it is contrary to his nature, who is holy, just, and good; and to his will revealed in his law, which is the same with his nature; and sin is a transgression of it. God is so far from taking pleasure in sin, that it is the abominable thing which his righteous soul hates; though this hinders not his voluntary permission of sin, or his decree of it; which he has willed, though he does not delight in it, in order to magnify the riches of his grace and mercy in the salvation of his people: nor i”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 7:20: I find then a law,.... This is to be understood either of the corruption of nature, which he found by experience to be in him; and which, because of its force, power, and prevalence it sometimes had in him, he calls "a law"; it forcibly demanding compliance with its lusts; and is the same with what he calls "evil", and which the Jews so frequently style "the evil imagination", by which they mean the corruption of nature; and one of the seven names, and the first of them, by which it is called, they tell us (k), is, "evil"; the very name it goes by here, and which they”
- 2 Thessalonians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Thessalonians 2:10: And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness,.... Not that he deceives, or goes about to deceive, or thinks to deceive by open unrighteousness; but by unrighteousness, under a pretence of righteousness and holiness; as with the doctrines of justification and salvation by a man's own righteousness, with the doctrines of merit and of works of supererogation, which are taking to men, and by which they are deceived, and are no other than unrighteousness with God, and betray ignorance of his righteousness, and a non-submission to it; as also with practices which”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good,.... There is a temporal good, and a spiritual good, and an eternal one. Temporal good is what the men of the world are seeking after, and generally have the greatest share of, and the saints the least; and yet they have as much as is needful for them, and what they have, they have with a blessing; and even sometimes afflictions work for the temporal good of God's children: spiritual good lies in a lively exercise of grace and a conformity of the soul to God; and is what the men of the world least regard, and the sain”