WHY DO GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE?
Have you ever heard someone ask the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” It is a common expression in our society, and some would even dare to ask the question in reverse, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” Regardless of how you frame the argument, both of these questions actually arise from the same, well-developed and long-debated philosophic principle known as retribution. In this blog I would like analyze some of the finer points of the retribution principle as it relates to the poetic and wisdom literature of the Bible.
According to the retribution principle, basically, God is good and righteous, and therefore, unrighteousness, must be punished by God; which ultimately infers that the righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer. Said another way, the principle, “…can be summed up in two two-part affirmations: (1) The righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer, and (2) those who prosper are righteous, while those who suffer are wicked. The first of these affirmations is generally supported in Psalms and throughout Scripture…” (Hill & Walton 432) The second affirmation, while not supported by Scripture, was clearly believed by the Israelites, and most cultures around the world, regardless of their religious affiliation. The basic philosophical concept of retribution can be seen throughout much of Old Testament Scripture, especially books like Deuteronomy, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
For Israel, this issue became a major theological dilemma: “If God is a just God, how can the righteous suffer or the wicked prosper?” (Hill & Walton 433) Certainly, the overwhelming theme of the Old Testament is supported by the notion that the righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer, but how should we respond when we see and experience the opposite? While this principle was, “…widely believed to be true by the Israelites and their neighbors, it is clear from the Psalms (cf. 37) that theory and experience did not always mesh.” (Hill & Walton 414) In the book of Job, the counselling efforts of his friends were based almost exclusively on this frame of reference; that Job must have been in sin due to his suffering. But Job’s associates were all found to be darkening, “…counsel by words without knowledge?” (NKJV Job 38:2) They were wrong! The retribution principle was found to be an insufficient answer for the suffering of Job, as it often comes up short in our day, when we attempt to explain why, ‘Bad things happen to good people’, and vis versa. In deed, “Even Job’s rebuttal to the ‘counsel’ of his friends mocked a ridged interpretation of the retribution principle, as he satirically noted ‘the tents of marauders are undisturbed’ Job 12:1-6 (Hill & Walton 449) So obviously, while the retribution principle may represent a basic axiom that can be substantiated in limited circumstances, it should in no way be considered a universal truth that operates consistently within the confines of this life.
God may well work from some sort of modified version of this principle now, but we should only advance the retribution principle, “…as an explanation of what God is like.” That He, “…delights in prospering the righteous and guarantees that the wicked will be punished… It is not intended to address issues of causation. We often cannot know what causes our suffering…” (Hill & Walton 415) However, when considering the eternal implications of the retribution principle, it is an absolute certainty! There can be no doubt that, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23) The wicked who reject this truth will suffer eternally, but the righteous who accept the righteousness of Christ will prosper for eternity. This is a universal truth that cannot be disputed in Scripture, and the references that support it are too numerous to detail.
Based on this assessment, we can conclude that the retribution principle, “…properly nuanced and applied, is a biblical teaching about the nature of God and, as such, is true. Still, we must be careful to understand it as theology, not theodicy; as proverbial rather than propositional; as operating within the realm of God's wisdom, not just his justice; and as investigated in relation to purpose rather than to cause.” (Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas 654) Viewing the principle in these terms is consistent with a balanced biblical framework and it should dispel the bankrupt notions of, “…certain popular evangelical movements such as ‘the health-and-wealth gospel.’” (Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas 654) They erroneously promote a false doctrine that says, ‘If you are sick, poor, and suffering, your faith is weak and you must be in sin. But if you are prosperous, healthy, and wealthy, it must mean that God is blessing you abundantly.’ This highlights the problem of not considering the whole counsel of God’s word when developing theological positions.
Most of the “ism’s” and issues that arise in the church come as the result of pet doctrines, like this one, that are scripturally unbalanced and misapplied. They cause harm to the Body of Christ and bring shame to His name. Those who teach and interpret scripture, as well as those who read it, must diligently heed the warning that Paul gave the Ephesian elders when he said, “I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers…” (Act 20:27-28) The whole counsel of God’s word reveals a principle of retribution that ultimately holds one person responsible for the unrighteousness of every human being that has ever lived, Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.
Works Cited:
Hill, Andrew and John Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2010.
New King James Version. Holy Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. 2000. Print.
Walton, John H., Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas. Retribution. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry, and Writings. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic. 2008. Print.
