Theodicy: The Sovereignty of God and the

Problem of Evil

Biblically Inaccurate Teachings:

● God is not absolutely in control. This explains why sufferings and calamities happen in the
world, God did not create sufferings or calamities, humans allowed them to happen.
● Sicknesses and sufferings are not from God. Since God is good, diseases and suffering
cannot come from Him.
○ James 1:17 NIV - “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father
of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows”.
○ John 10:10 NIV - “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they
may have life, and have it to the full”.

Theodicy
● The teachings mentioned above are not outright heresy, the second statement is partially
correct. What these teachings do is give an explanation for the existence of evil and
suffering. Theologians call this theodicy.
● Theodicy is a philosophical and theological term that deals with the problem of evil and
the question of how a loving, all-powerful, and all-knowing God can coexist with the
existence of evil and suffering in the world. It seeks to reconcile the existence of evil with
the belief in a benevolent and omnipotent God.

Biblical Theodicy

I. Evil exists
● Evil exists and it exists in a dominating way in our world. Evil can be categorized into three
types: natural, moral, and supernatural evil.
● Natural evil refers to suffering, destruction, and harm caused by natural processes or
events that are considered harmful or detrimental to living beings (natural disasters,
diseases, illnesses, famine, drought, predation, and animal suffering).
○ Romans 8:20-22 NIV - For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own
choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be
liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the
children of God., We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of
childbirth right up to the present time."
 ○ Romans 8:20-22 NLT - Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with
eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in
glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning
as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
● Moral evil refers to the intentional and wrongful actions or choices made by human beings
that result in harm, suffering, or injustice toward others. It involves the violation of moral
principles or ethical standards, causing pain, suffering, and negative consequences for
individuals or society as a whole.
○ Mark 7:21-23 NIV - "For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts
come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy,
slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person."
○ Psalm 51:5 NIV - "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived
me."
○ Romans 5:12 NIV- "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death
through sin, and in this way death came to all people because all sinned."
● Supernatural evil refers to malevolent forces or entities that are believed to exist beyond
the natural realm and work against the purposes of God or bring harm to humanity.
○ Ephesians 6:12 NIV - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
○ Matthew 17:15-18 NIV- "Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is
suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your
disciples, but they could not heal him.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the
boy, and he was healed at that moment."
● The Bible teaches that Christians may experience suffering and trials in their lives. Being a
Christian does not bring immunity from suffering.
○ John 16:33 NIV - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this
world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
○ Romans 8:17 ESV - and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
○ Philippians 1:29 NIV - "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe
in him but also to suffer for him."
○ Job 2:7 NIV - "So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with
painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head."
○ Psalm 41:3 NIV - "The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed
of illness."
○ Galatians 4:13 NLT - “Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good
News.”

II. A Sovereign God Exists

● God is absolutely sovereign
○ Psalm 115:3 NIV - "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him."
 ○ Isaiah 46:9-10 NIV - "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is
no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I
please.'"
○ Daniel 4:35 NIV - "All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or
say to him: 'What have you done?'"
○ Deuteronomy 32:39 NLT - Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the
one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued
from my powerful hand!
○ Exodus 4:11 NIV - The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes
them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

● God is absolutely sovereign over the whole creation

○ Genesis 1:1 ESV - "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
○ Psalm 33:6 ESV - "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his
mouth all their host."
○ Colossians 1:16-17 ESV - "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created
through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
○ Amos 4:7 NIV -“I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I
sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none
and dried up.”
○ Job 37:6 NLT - “He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down.
○ Job 37:10 NLT - God’s breath sends the ice, freezing wide expanses of water.

● God is sovereign over life and death

○ Deuteronomy 32:39 NLT - Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the
one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued
from my powerful hand!
○ 1 Samuel 2:6-8 NIV 2:6-8 NIV “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the
grave and raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. He
raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with
princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the
Lord’s; on them, he has set the world.
○ James 4:15 ESV Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
○ Psalm 139:16 ERV - "You watched my body grow there. In your book you wrote about all the
days planned for me before any of them had happened."
○ Job 14:5 NIV - "A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months
and have set limits he cannot exceed."
○ Psalm 68:20 ESV - "Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances
from death."
 ○ 1 Samuel 2:6 ESV - "The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises
up."
○ Acts 17:28 (ESV) - "For in him we live and move and have our being."

● God is absolutely sovereign over the history and the affairs of each nation
○ Isaiah 46:9-10 ERV- Remember what happened long ago. Remember, I am God and there is
no other God. There is no other like me. In the beginning, I told you what would happen in
the end. A long time ago, I told you things that have not happened yet. When I plan
something, it happens. I do whatever I want to do
○ Daniel 2:21 ESV - "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he
gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding."
○ Psalm 22:28 NIV - "For dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations."
○ Proverbs 21:1 NIV - "The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a
watercourse wherever he pleases."
○ Exodus 3:21-22 NIV - “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people,
so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor
and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you
will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.”
○ Ezra 1:1 NIV - “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord
spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a
proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:...”
○ 2 Samuel 17:14 NIV - “Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite
is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice
of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.”

● God is absolutely sovereign over evil spirits

○ Mark 1:27 NIV - "The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, 'What is this? A
new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey
him.'"
○ Luke 10:17 NIV - "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, 'Lord, even the demons submit
to us in your name.'"
○ Judges 9:23 NIV - "God sent an evil spirit between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem,
who acted treacherously against Abimelek."
○ 1 Samuel 16:14-16 NIV - "Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit
from the Lord tormented him. Saul’s attendants said to him, 'See, an evil spirit from God is
tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can
play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel
better.'"
○ 1 Samuel 19:9-10 NIV - "But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his
house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, Saul tried to pin him to
the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That
night David made good his escape."
 ○ 1 Kings 22:21-23 NIV - "Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, 'I will
entice him.' 'By what means?' the Lord asked. 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the
mouths of all his prophets,' he said. 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the Lord. 'Go and
do it.' So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours.
The Lord has decreed disaster for you."
○ 2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV - "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these
surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of
Satan, to torment me."

● God is sovereign over natural evil (diseases, natural disasters, and infirmities).
○ Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 NLT - “Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he
has made crooked? Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that
both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.”
○ Isaiah 45:7 NIV - “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the Lord, do all these things.”
○ Lamentations 3:37-38 ERV - “No one can say something and make it happen unless the Lord
orders it. God Most High commands both good and bad things to happen.”
○ 2 Kings 17:25 17:25 NIV - “When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he
sent lions among them and they killed some of the people.”
○ 1 Samuel 2:6-8 NIV “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and
raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor
from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has
them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them, he
has set the world.
○ 1 Samuel 1:5 NIV - “But to Hannah, he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the
Lord had closed her womb.”
○ Lamentations 3:31-33 NIV – “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings
grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring
affliction or grief to anyone.”
○ Deuteronomy 28:58-61 NLT - “If you refuse to obey all the words of instruction that are
written in this book, and if you do not fear the glorious and awesome name of the Lord your
God, then the Lord will overwhelm you and your children with indescribable plagues. These
plagues will be intense and without relief, making you miserable and unbearably sick. He will
afflict you with all the diseases of Egypt that you feared so much, and you will have no relief.
The Lord will afflict you with every sickness and plague there is, even those not mentioned
in this Book of Instruction until you are destroyed.”
○ Lamentations 1:12-14 NLT - “Does it mean nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around
and see if there is any suffering like mine, which the Lord brought on me when he erupted in
fierce anger. “He has sent fire from heaven that burns in my bones. He has placed a trap in
my path and turned me back. He has left me devastated, racked with sickness all day long.
“He wove my sins into ropes to hitch me to a yoke of captivity. The Lord sapped my strength
and turned me over to my enemies;
○ Exodus 15:26 NLT - “ He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and
do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will
 not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals
you.”
○ 2 Samuel 12:15 NLT - “After Nathan returned to his home, the Lord sent a deadly illness to the
child of David and Uriah’s wife.”
○ Deuteronomy 28:20-22 NLT - “The Lord himself will send on you curses, confusion, and
frustration in everything you do, until at last you are completely destroyed for doing evil and
abandoning me. The Lord will afflict you with diseases until none of you are left in the land
you are about to enter and occupy. The Lord will strike you with wasting diseases, fever,
and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew. These
disasters will pursue you until you die.”
○ Exodus 4:11 ESV - Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him
mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
○ 2 Chronicles 21:12-15 NLT - “Then Elijah the prophet wrote Jehoram this letter: “This is what
the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: You have not followed the good example of
your father, Jehoshaphat, or your grandfather King Asa of Judah. Instead, you have been as
evil as the kings of Israel. You have led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship idols,
just as King Ahab did in Israel. And you have even killed your own brothers, men who were
better than you. So now the Lord is about to strike you, your people, your children, your
wives, and all that is yours with a heavy blow. You yourself will suffer with a severe intestinal
disease that will get worse each day until your bowels come out.”
○ Job 1:20-21 NIV - “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to
the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will
depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
○ Acts 12:23 NIV - “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the
Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
○ 2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV - "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these
surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of
Satan, to torment me."
○ Revelation 16:1-2 NIV Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels,
“Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” The first angel went and poured
out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark
of the beast and worshiped its image.
○ 1 Peter 3:17 ESV For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for
doing evil.

● God is sovereign over human free will.

○ God controls every event in the universe in a way that fulfills His purpose and still makes
humans totally responsible for their actions, good or bad. The sovereignty of God does not
cancel human free will and responsibility - it overrides them.
○ God ordains people to sin in a way that humans use their own free will to do their sins. God
uses and human free will to do His good and perfect will. When humans sin, God ordained
that, but humans remain guilty because they sinned based on their free will.
○ Genesis 50:20 NIV- "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish
what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Joseph speaking to his brothers after
being sold into slavery)
 ○ Acts 2:23 NIV - "This man [Jesus] was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and
foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the
cross."
○ Acts 4:27-28 NLT “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas,
Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against
Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. But everything they did was determined
beforehand according to your will.”
○ Joshua 11:19-20 NLT - “No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the
Hivites of Gibeon. All the others were defeated. For the Lord hardened their hearts and
caused them to fight the Israelites. So they were completely destroyed without mercy, as
the Lord had commanded Moses.”
○ Zechariah 11:16-17 NLT -” This illustrates how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not
care for those who are dying, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the
healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their
hooves. “What sorrow awaits this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword
will cut his arm and pierce his right eye. His arm will become useless, and his right eye
completely blind.”
○ Deuteronomy 2:30 NLT - “But King Sihon of Heshbon refused to allow us to pass through
because the Lord your God made Sihon stubborn and defiant so he could help you defeat
him, as he has now done.”
○ Genesis 45:8 NIV - “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to
Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and
say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come
down to me; don’t delay.

If God is absolutely sovereign, why does evil exist?

● Since God is sovereign and evil exists, we can conclude that God willed evil to exist to
accomplish his great and good purpose. God is not the author of evil and He is not happy
whenever His people are suffering.
● However, the existence of evil and suffering is part of God’s ultimate plan, He uses even
the bad things in this world to accomplish His good purpose. Let us clarify this again: God
is not the author of evil and humans are totally responsible for doing evil. When a person
sins, he sins through his own free will, God is not controlling Him to sin, remember, God
does not tempt people to sin. However, even the sin of that person is part of God’s plan.
Remember Joseph’s brothers? The evil action of Joseph’s brothers were an instrument to
fulfill the vision of God for the life of Joseph.
○ James 1:17 NIV - “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows”.
○ Romans 8:28 NIV - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
○ Deuteronomy 8:2-3 NIV - “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the
wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your
heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to
 hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known,
to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the
mouth of the Lord.”
○ Matthew 10:29 NIV - “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to
the ground outside your Father’s care.”
● At the heart of the sovereignty of God is the glory of God. God does whatever He pleases.
He does what He does to glorify Himself.
○ John 9:1-3 NIV - “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor
his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be
displayed in him.
God Is In Control From Genesis to
Revelation
Pentateuch
● Genesis 1:1 ESV - "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
● Exodus 14:4 ESV - "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory
over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD."
● Exodus 12:29-30 ESV - "At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,
from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the
dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his
servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where
someone was not dead.
● Leviticus 10:1-2 ESV - "Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in
it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not
commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died
before the LORD."
● Deuteronomy 4:39 ESV - "Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in
heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other."

Historical Books
● Joshua 11:20 NIV - "For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel
so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had
commanded Moses."
● 2 Chronicles 20:6 NIV - "Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You
rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can
withstand you."
● Ezra 7:27 NIV - "Blessed be the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to
bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem."
● 1 Samuel 2:6-8 ESV - "The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The
LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor."
● Ruth 1:21 NIV - "I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The
Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."
● 1 Samuel 2:25 NIV - "22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all
Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. So he
said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of
yours. No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. If one person
sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who
 will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the
Lord’s will to put them to death."
● 2 Samuel 12:11 NIV - “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring
calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to
you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.
● 2 Chronicles 25:20 NIV - "But Amaziah refused to listen, for God was determined to destroy him for
turning to the gods of Edom."
● Ezra 1:1 - "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by
Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his
realm."
● 1 Samuel 16:14 NIV - "Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the
Lord tormented him."
● 2 Kings 20:1-6 NIV - "In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet
Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, 'This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order,
because you are going to die; you will not recover.' Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to
the Lord, 'Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion
and have done what is good in your eyes.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had left the
middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 'Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people,
This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your
tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add
fifteen years to your life.'"

Poetical/Wisdom Books
● Job 9:12 NLT - "If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you
doing?’'"
● Job 12:10 NIV: "In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."
● Job 23:13 NIV: "But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases."
● Proverbs 16:9 NIV -"In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."
● Job 14:5 NIV - "A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have
set limits he cannot exceed."
● Psalm 33:10-11 NIV - "The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations."
● Psalm 75:7 NIV - "It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another."
● Proverbs 19:21 - "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails."
● Ecclesiastes 7:14 - "Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both
come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

Major Prophets
● Isaiah 46:9-10 "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I
am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times,
what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'"
 ● Jeremiah 32:17: "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power
and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."
● Daniel 2:21: "He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives
wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."
● Daniel 4:35: "All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the
powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What
have you done?'"
● Isaiah 45:7: "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord,
do all these things."
● Lamentations 3:31-32: "For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will
show compassion, so great is his unfailing love."
● Ezekiel 36:27: "And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to
keep my laws."

Minor Prophets
● Joel 2:25: "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young
locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you."
● Amos 4:13 - "He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to
mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the LORD God
Almighty is his name."
● Nahum 1:3 - "The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty
unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet."
● Jonah 1:17 - "Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the
fish three days and three nights."

Synoptic Gospel and Acts

● Matthew 28:18 - "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me.'"
● Mark 1:27 - "The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, 'What is this? A new
teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.'"
● John 1:3 - "Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made."
● Matthew 8:27 - "The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and
the waves obey him!'"
● John 10:17-18 - "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No
one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority
to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
● Acts 2:23-24 - "This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and
you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him
from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its
hold on him."
 ● 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures."
● Galatians 1:4 - "Who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to
the will of our God and Father."

Pauline Epistle
● Romans 9:15-16 - "For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I have compassion.' It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort,
but on God's mercy."
● Ephesians 1:11 - "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him
who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."
● Philippians 2:13 - "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
● Philippians 1:29 - "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but
also to suffer for him."
● 2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV - "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great
revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me."

General Epistles and Revelation

● James 4:13-15 - "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a
year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen
tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead,
you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"
● James 4:12 - "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But
you—who are you to judge your neighbor?"
● 1 Peter 2:21 - "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that
you should follow in his steps."
● Revelation 1:17-18: "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand
on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and
now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.'"
● Revelation 4:11: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you
created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
● Revelation 6:8: "I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and
Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by
sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth."
● Revelation 17:17: "For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand
over to the beast their royal authority, until God's words are fulfilled."
Related Biblical Doctrine to the
Sovereignty of God
Providence: Providence refers to God's continual and active involvement in the world, upholding
and governing all things according to His will. It encompasses His guidance, provision, and
protection over creation. The sovereignty of God is closely linked to the doctrine of providence,as
God's sovereignty implies His active control and oversight over all events. (Psalm 103:19, Matthew
10:29-31, Romans 8:28)

Election and Predestination: These doctrines affirm that God, in His sovereignty, chooses and
predestines individuals to be saved and have a relationship with Him. It highlights God's initiative
and foreknowledge in salvation, emphasizing His sovereign authority in determining who will be
part of His redeemed people. (Ephesians 1:4-5, Romans 8:29-30)

God's Omniscience: God's sovereignty is intimately connected to His omniscience, which means
He knows all things. His perfect knowledge of the past, present, and future allows Him to exercise
sovereign control over every aspect of creation, including human decisions and actions. (Psalm
139:1-4, Isaiah 46:9-10)

Human Responsibility: While God is sovereign, Scripture also affirms human responsibility.
People are held accountable for their choices and actions, and they have a genuine role in making
decisions. The tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility is a complex
theological topic that reflects the mystery of God's ways. (Joshua 24:15, Acts 17:30-31)

Divine Justice and Judgment: God's sovereignty extends to His role as the righteous judge of all
creation. He exercises perfect justice and judgment, holding individuals accountable for their
actions. The sovereignty of God ensures that ultimate justice will prevail, and all things will be
brought into alignment with His righteous purposes. (Psalm 89:14, Acts 17:31)

Divine Immutability: God's sovereignty is closely related to His immutability, which means He
does not change. His sovereignty is constant and unchanging, providing a foundation of security
and trust in His character and purposes. (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8)