THE PONENTE: Why Pains and Sufferings?

(An Apostolic Theodicy – Chapter 6)

I have received several personal messages via Facebook on the issues at hand that interprets the everyday scenario of human drama that described the feelings, the tears, the agony and even the brokenness of people due to the sting of Covid-19.

One Sister told me that since this topic had been posted via social media, she kept on following and reflect to the vital reasons that are so timely considering that “black death” is infiltrating our doorsteps every day. We do not know who the carrier is and who is not. As many people today focused on their empty stomachs and the restrictions of their freedom to move from place to place, others are so passive that as long as this deadly virus will not hit our loved ones, They just uttered “I don’t care.”

Said Sister has encouraged me to write more about this issue whereunto she added, “I want to learn more about some mysteries of life that is unfolding before my very eyes.”

Thank you for your encouragement, Sister. Although, I have still some questions that only the Creator can answer when eternity ushers. Or, maybe, I will forget the question on that day when joys and perfection will occur.

In my readings on history and literature, the ancient Greek philosophers believed that the very purpose of philosophy was to discover how to face evil, suffering, and death as well. In fact, one author argues that “only philosophy or religion can possibly help us deal with pain and death.”

Why?

Suffering takes away the loves, joys, and comforts that we rely on to give life’s meaning. How can we maintain our poise, or even our peace and joy, when that happens? The answer is that we can do that only if we locate our meaning in things that can’t be touched by death.

But that means locating the answers to the questions “What is human life for?” and “What should I be spending my time doing here?” In things that suffering cannot destroy. That can be done only by philosophy or religion. “It is an error,” he concludes, “to believe that modern psychology, for example, can substitute for this (process).”

A Philosopher by the name of Epictetus went on to tell his students to “remind yourself likewise that what you love is mortal, that what you love is not your own. What harm is there while you are kissing your child to murmur softly, ‘Tomorrow you will die’?”

Even as the Greek and Roman philosophers were formulating their understanding of fate and suffering, a somewhat similar view was already thriving in another part of the world. For centuries, Eastern cultures and religions held that this material world, and the perception that human beings exist as separate entities within it, is all an illusion.

When Christianity began to grow, its writers quickly began to bring many new ideas into the world of human thought, differing markedly not only from Western pagan beliefs, but also Eastern thought, especially on the topic of pain and grief.

It is almost impossible to overestimate the importance of the Christian approach to suffering for its success in the Roman Empire and for its impact on human thinking.

Early Christian speakers and writers not only argued vigorously that Christianity’s teaching made more sense of suffering, they insisted that the actual lives of Christians proved it. Cyprian recounted how, during the terrible plagues, Christians did not abandon sick loved ones nor flee the cities, as most of the pagan residents did.

Instead they stayed to tend the sick and faced their death with calmness. Other early Christian writings, like Ignatius of Antioch’s To the Romans and Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians, pointed to the poise with which Christians faced torture and death for their faith. “Christians used suffering to argue for the superiority of their creed . . . [because] they suffered better than pagans.”

The Greeks had taught that the very purpose of philosophy was to help us face suffering and death. On this basis, writers such as Cyprian, Ambrose, and later Augustine made the case that Christians suffered and died better—and this was empirical, visible evidence that Christianity was “the supreme philosophy.” The differences between the pagan and Christian population in this regard were significant enough to give real credibility to Christian claims.

Slowly but surely, Christian views supplanted the older pagan ones and became the dominant cultural ideas. One of the most important shifts had to do, again, with the doctrine of the resurrection. Christians taught that Jesus came in a physical body and will redeem and resurrect our physical bodies.

In fact, Jesus in His words through John the Beloved, said:
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” (John 11:25)

That’s the reason why even the Apostles of Christ, who were trained for three and half years, though they may have some weaknesses and human frailties, yet, they never give up their faith until death.

SUFFERINGS OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS: A REFLECTION

In the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, here are several horrifying ordeals how these men followed the footsteps of their Master (Jesus):

Peter and Paul – both martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified, upside down at his request, since he did not feel he was worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

Andrew – went to the “land of the man-eaters,” in what is now the Soviet Union. Christians there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land. He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and in Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.

Thomas – was probably most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India, where the ancient Marthoma Christians revere him as their founder. They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.

Philip – possibly had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and then in Asia Minor, where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.

Matthew – the tax collector and writer of a Gospel ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Some of the oldest reports say he was not martyred, while others say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.

Bartholomew – had widespread missionary travels attributed to him by tradition: to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, and also to Ethiopia and Southern Arabia. There are various accounts of how he met his death as a martyr for the gospel.

James – the son of Alpheus is one of at least three James referred to in the New Testament. There is some confusion as to which is which, but this James is reckoned to have ministered in Syria. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.

Simon the Zealot – so the story goes, ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.

Matthias- the apostle chosen to replace Judas. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning.

John – the only one of the apostles generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was the leader of the church in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home. During Domitian’s persecution in the middle ’90s, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament–the Revelation. An early Latin tradition has him escaping unhurt after being cast into boiling oil at Rome.

John the Baptist – beheaded by Herod the Tetrach.

Paul – was beheaded in Rome.

After the death of the Apostles, we do not find great missionary figures of the stature of Paul. Yet the faith continued to spread like wildfire — even though Christianity was declared an illegal religion.

In his very own words, St. Paul wrote:
“For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:17-18)

The above quoted verses signifies that the life of Christ lives, breathes, energizes, in the life of his saints. His flesh, his incarnate life is their meat. His blood, the mystery of his atonement, is the drink of their souls. He abideth in them, and they in him.

It doesn’t mean that Paul is trying to seek death or was inclined to commit some forms of suicide. No, not in that predicament. As a background, he was under heavy persecution and afflictions when he wrote those statements. He was taken as prisoner on the road to Rome for final verdict and execution.

He knew that his life and future is in the hands of God. He was so privy of what was happened to his fellow disciples. He knew how John the Baptist was killed; he is aware how James, the Pastor of Jerusalem Church was beheaded; he knew how Stephen died by stoning through his own zeal before he came to know Christ; he knew how Peter, John and Silas was suffered in the hands of the Jewish and Roman persecutors while preaching the Gospel.

And yet death is gain, the slate of death, not the act of dying, for the dead in Christ are at home with the Lord in a far more blessed sense than the saints on earth.

With them, the sentiment had its origin in the belief that they would be freed from suffering and admitted to some happy world beyond the grave. To them, however, all this was conjecture and uncertainty.

The word “gain” means profit, advantage; and the meaning is, there would be an advantage in dying above that of living. Important benefits would result to him personally, should he die; and the only reason why he should wish at all to live was, that he might be the means of benefiting others (Philippians 1:24-25).

But how would it be gained to die? What advantage would there be in Paul’s circumstances? What in ours? It may be answered that it will be gain for a Christian to die in the following respects:

(1) He will be then freed from sin. Here it is the source of perpetual humiliation and sorrow; in heaven, be will sin no more.

(2) He will be freed from doubts about his condition. Here the best is liable to doubts about their personal piety, and often experience many an anxious hour in reference to this point; in heaven, doubt will be known no more.

(3) He will be freed from temptation. Here, no one knows when he may be tempted, nor how powerful the temptation may be; in heaven, there will be no allurement to lead him astray; no artful, cunning, and skillful votaries of pleasure to place inducements before him to sin; and no heart to yield to them, if there were.

(4) He will be delivered from all his enemies – from the slanderer, the calumniator, the persecutor. Here the Christian is constantly liable to have his motives called in question, or to be met with detraction and slander; there, there will be none to do him injustice; all will rejoice in the belief that he is pure,

(5) He will be delivered from suffering. Here he is constantly liable to it. His health fails, his friends die, his mind is sad. There, there shall be no separation of friends, no sickness, and no tears.

(6) He will be delivered from death. Here, death is always near – dreadful, alarming, terrible to our nature. There, death will be known no more. No face will ever turn pale, and no knees tremble, at his approach; in all heaven there will never be seen a funeral procession, nor will the soil there ever open its bosom to furnish a grave.

Time and again, suffering is like a furnace—like painful, searing heat that creates purity and beauty. And now we can see one of the ways it does this. Suffering puts its fingers on good things that have become too important to us. We must respond to suffering not ordinarily by jettisoning those loved things but by turning to God and loving him more, and by putting our roots down deeper into him.

As the pure gold emerges in the hottest fire, so is the true Christian in the heat of sufferings and pains. No wonder, Peter as one who tested the savor of death being crucified upside down once wrote:

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

8) Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

9) Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:7-9)

You will never really understand your heart when things are going well. It is only when things go badly that you can see it truly. And that’s because it is only when suffering comes that you realize who is the true God and what are the false gods of your lives. Only the true God can go with you through that furnace and out to the other side. The other gods will abandon you in the furnace.

C. S. Lewis wrote:
“For if we take the Scripture seriously, if we believe that God will one day give us the Morning Star and cause us to put on the splendor of the sun, then we may surmise that both the ancient myths and the modern poetry, so false as history, may be very near the truth as prophecy. At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure.

“We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Someday, God willing, we shall get in. When human souls have become as perfect in voluntary obedience as the inanimate creation is in its lifeless obedience, then they will put on its glory, or rather that greater glory of which Nature is only the first sketch. We are summoned to pass in through Nature, beyond her, into that splendor which she fitfully reflects.”

There is nothing more practical for sufferers than to have hope. The erosion or loss of hope is what makes suffering unbearable. And here at the end of the Bible is the ultimate hope—a material world in which all suffering is gone- “every tear wiped from our eyes.” This is a life-transforming, living hope.

Where there is the possibility of love, there has to be the reality of freedom. Where there is the reality of freedom, there has to be the possibility of pain. Where there is the reality of pain, there is the need for a Savior. Where there is a Savior, there is the possibility of redemption.

Tears are part of our stories, but our eternal destination point is hard to explain to us because we know only time and cannot understand eternity. But He will get us there.

During the Word War 2, a Poem was found written on the wall of a cellar, by a Jew in the Cologne Concentration Camp. I want to quote:
“I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
And I believe in love,
even when there’s no one there.
And I believe in God,
even when he is silent.
I believe through any trial,
there is always a way
But sometimes in this suffering
and hopeless despair
My heart cries for shelter,
to know someone’s there
But a voice rises within me, saying hold on
my child, I’ll give you strength,
I’ll give you hope. Just stay a little while.
I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
And I believe in love
even when there’s no one there
But I believe in God
even when he is silent
I believe through any trial
there is always a way.
May there someday be sunshine
May there someday be happiness
May there someday be love
May there someday be peace….”
– Uknown

Through the encouraging words of St. Paul, he wrote in his treatise in Philippians 1:29 and I quote: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.”

He adds, “that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 3 and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles.”

In the very context, Paul did not seek for sufferings but it is already part and parcel of his obedience to God’s Words while pursuing the Divine Will of His Master, who once became the pattern of all pains and sufferings – our Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST.No amount of faith, healing and prosperity teachings can remove truths about Christian suffering. The Bible is littered with Scriptures that point us clearly to the existence of a divine plan that includes suffering. Paul adds: “We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). In Hebrews 2:10, he further encouraged us: “ In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. ”

Lastly, one of the Apostles who died as a prisoner in the island of Patmos gave us an encouraging hope which I quote:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev 21:1–5).* (Pastor Jerry C. Delicano)

(Note: This article was written in the height of Pandemic sometime in May 2020)