[Biblemat] Did God create evil for discussion purposes

[Don Martin]

Hello Fred,

Thank you so much for your question and for making
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You asked:

I'm a Christian and a member of a local church of Christ.
I will engage in a discussion with my classmates in college next
week. I will affirm that God did not create evil. However, I want
to ask you about the subject. What is the biblical answer tothe
question that says, Did God  Create Evil?I want to further define
the question. Did God create evil Because:
1. He created the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the
Garden of Eden?
2. He created the apostate angel Satan?
3. He wants us to be faithful and prayerful?

I pray that you will help me with these questions.  Thank You.

Reply:

I would not affirm God created evil, not without definition and
qualilfication.  God cannot be tempted with evil and He
cannot abide evil (Jas. 1: 13, Isa. 59: 1, 2).  How then could He
create evil?  Also, evil is the violation of God's commandments
or law (I Jn. 3: 4).  It is, therefore, inconceivable that God
created evil, as such.

God did create man as a free moral agent (Gen. 2, 3).  The fact
God enjoined a commandment on man is illustrative of Adam and
Eve's free moral agency (Gen. 2: 17).  Evil is the result of
God's commandment having been disobeyed, as seen; therefore,
evil came into this world through man, not Christ (Col. 1: 16).

It is sometimes contended that Isaiah 45: 7 is teaching that God
is the author of evil in the sense that He created sin.  The
verse does read, "I form the light, and create darkness: I make
peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things."

The evil God "creates" is a reference to "calamities" (footnote)
that he brought on the disobedient  (cp. Amos 3: 6).  Matthew
Henry comments thus on Isaiah 45: 7:  "That he is Lord of all,
and there is nothing done without him (v. 7): I form the light,
which is grateful and pleasing, and I create darkness, which is
grievous and unpleasing. I make peace (put here for all good)
and I create evil, not the evil of sin (God is not the author of
that), but the evil of punishment. "  (Commentary by Matthew
Henry, accessed from the Links page in Bible Truths).

I recommend you read, "The Problem of Evil and God" located in
www.bibletruths.net   This material examines this often
philosophic question in more detail.  Also, let me know how the
discussion goes next week.  When on the home page of Bible
Truths, enter through the door and click on "Archives and Index"
in the directory on the Site Map page.  When on the Archives
page, click on the letter "E."  Here is an excerpt from the
article:

     "...When we speak of the problem of evil and God, definition
is needed. Simply stated, "evil" is used in two ways in the
scriptures: There is moral evil and physical evil in the sense of
calamity and disaster. Regarding moral evil, the scriptures are
definitively plain in distancing God from such. God cannot be
"tempted with evil" and he also does not "tempt any man" (Jas. 1:
13). Regarding physical evil or calamities God said:...."

Thanks again for your good question and for your interest in
spiritual matters. I recommend that you print out this email for
future reference (web addresses, etc.). You may print out any
material you desire in both Bible Questions and Bible Truths
(see the copyright provision at the bottom of the home page
in Bible Truths).

Cordially,
Don Martin