A Biblical Perspective on Evil – Part 3

Chapter 3: Old Testament Approaches to Evil

Class Date: February 2, 2022

The first eleven chapters of Genesis are meant to set the stage for the history of salvation. This is a narrative of the ways in which God intervened in human history to save humanity from the evils and sin that infected his good creation. Through these stories it is clear (1) that evil has infected all human beings, and (2) that we prefer not to take responsibility for the evils we commit. Additionally, these Bible stories shows us that sin spreads from generation to generation and that there is a power of evil in the world external to ourselves. Free will cannot explain the most egregious evils committed by human beings. And finally, the story of Noah and the flood shows us that God takes evil seriously, and evil at this scale can’t be tolerated.