HANSEI UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF YOUNGSAN THEOLOGY

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON SUFFERING

AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONAHIPS BETWEEN MAN AND GOD, MAN AND OTHERS, MAN AND HIMSELF

By ANDRIY BLANK

GUNPO, KOREA 2012

HANSEI UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF YOUNGSAN THEOLOGY

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON SUFFERING

AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONAHIPS BETWEEN MAN AND GOD, MAN AND OTHERS, MAN AND HIMSELF

by Andriy Blank
B.A., Ukraine, Zaporizhia National Technical University, 2008 MRehabClng., Ukraine, Zaporizhia National Technical University, 2009

A THESIS Submitted to the faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF DIVINITY at Hansei University Graduate School of Youngsan Theology Gunpo, Korea May 2013

Andriy Blank M. Div Degree Thesis

Accepted :

Hansei University Graduate School of Youngsan Theology

2013.05.27

Table of Contents

I. Introduction 1 Thesis Statement and the Significance of the Study 1 Research Objectives 4 Methodology 5 Chapter Plan 6

II. Historical Background: Attempts to Connect Suffering with Relationships: From the Early Church to the Modern Church 8 A. Suffering and Relationship from the Early Church to the Modern Traditional Churches: Orthodox and Catholic Church`s Perspective. 10 1. Suffering in the Time of the Early Church 10 2. Suffering in the Middle Ages 17 3. Suffering in Modern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches 20 B. Suffering and Relationship from the Reformation Church to the Modern Church: Protestant`s Perspective with Special Emphasis on Pentecostal View 24 1. The Reformation (1500-1699) 24 2. The Great Awakening (1700-1799) 27 3. The Revivalists (1800-1899) 28 4. The Modern Period (1900-Present) 29

III. Development of Relationship throughout the History: With Special Emphasis on Correlation between Suffering and Relationship 33 A. Relationship between Man and God 34 B. Relationship between Man and Others 38 C. Relationship between Man and Himself 41

IV. Suffering and Its Effect on Relationships with Examples of Biblical Heroes 44 A. Study of Suffering with Examples of Joseph, Job, King David and Apostle Paul 45 1. The Suffering of Joseph 46 2. The Suffering of Job 49 3. The Suffering of King David 52 4. The Suffering of Apostle Paul 54 B. Response to Suffering of Biblical Heroes 58 1. The Response to Suffering of Joseph 58 2. The Response to Suffering of Job 59 3. The Response to Suffering of King David 60 4. The Response to Suffering of Apostle Paul 62 C. The Outcome of Suffering of Biblical Heroes: with Respect to the Effects of Suffering on Relationships 64 1. The Outcome of Suffering of Joseph 64 2. The Outcome of Suffering of Job 65 3. The Outcome of Suffering of King David 66 4. The Outcome of Suffering of Apostle Paul 67

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V. Evaluation of Suffering of Jesus : With Comparison to Suffering of Biblical Heroes 69 A. Jesus the Ultimate Sufferer 69 1. The Suffering from the Temptation in the Desert 71 2. The Suffering from the Rejection by People 71 3. The Suffering from the Betrayal and Crucifixion 72 B. Jesus the Great Relationship Builder 77 C. Jesus`s Response to Suffering: Godly Response 80 1. The Response to the Temptation in the Desert 81 2. The Response to the Rejection by People 81 3. The Response to the Betrayal and Crucifixion 83

VI. Conclusion 86 Model of Godly Response to Suffering 89 Implications for Christians Concerning the Response to Suffering with Respect to Relationships Based on the Model of Godly Response to Suffering 93 Questionnaire Result 95 Appendix 1 97 Appendix 2 100 Bibliography 102

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I. Introduction
Thesis Statement and the Significance of the Study
This study aims to prove that suffering can create new, better relationships between man and God, man and himself, man and others; and can improve old relationships. Suffering is an inalienable part of the lives of every single human being on Earth. Starting from the infancy and the struggle to survive the first years of life, through adolescence and the unavoidable battles for the acceptance within society, to adults, who spend their entire lives going through the hardship of relationship building, jungles of modern life troubles and affliction, preparing themselves and their next generation to embrace the same suffering over and over again, until the day everybody return to dust, as they were made from. In studying history and culture, some historical figures in the world and in the Bible, we see a direct connection to suffering in every aspect of human's life. Suffering never goes unnoticed; man cannot escape suffering; it changes his attitude, circumstances, behavior, and even perceptions of this very familiar world. Therefore, we should admit indisputable power and great changes, which suffering brings into one's life. In most people's perspective, suffering is associated with pain, affliction and the least pleasant aspect of life. No one, in their sound mind, would willingly choose suffering to come. Everybody tries to avoid suffering, trouble and affliction in any

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way possible, simply because they don't like to feel vulnerable, weak and depressed. Due to the sinful nature of people, they tend to think of themselves as very strong and independent creatures. However, when suffering comes, man has to acknowledge the fact that he is weak and dependent on everything that surrounds him. The Bible tells us repeatedly about suffering as an instrument of divine guidance, that God uses to help His people grow mature in their Christian life. However, it is not suffering by itself that makes us mature, but our biblical response to it that followed by results God has intended to perceive in our lives. Response to suffering is the only way man can control, or influence the outcome of their suffering and hardship. Thus, the human response to suffering is a crucial point, which impacts it`s outcome and can change the way of incoming consequences, resulting in an ability to bear suffering and hardship during the time one is going through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps. 23:4a). The second, focus of this study is the relationship between man and God; man and himself; and man and others. Relationships are a vital necessity in life for each human being who has lived, is living, and will ever live. It is one of the three main necessities man desires the most: air to inhale: to sustain sufficient oxygen level in our blood; food to eat and water to drink: to support with energy our organs and systems of the body; and relationship: to interact with other individuals, God, Self, and Others to find proper place in the social niche. Looking at the impact of suffering and relationships to a human life`s experience, one conclusion that can be drown is that these effects should be explored

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further and more deeply, to help us comprehend the impacts of suffering on relationships. This paper is called to raise a few significant issues that have been undeveloped and need further exploration and development due to changes in modern society. The raised issues are to be viewed in the perspective of their historical development and with concern for the importance and fragility of human relationships. One of the main causes for choosing this theme has been the observations of suffering and troubles of people who are around me. On the one hand I have seen people who suffer of pain and affliction in their lives and as consequences I have seen depression, brokenness, hopelessness and despair in their eyes. On the other hand I can recall another suffering and afflictions of an acquaintances of mine, who had a slightly different outcome due to the biblical response they achieved and God`s work in their lives. Through these people God has shown me that man can influence the outcome of one`s suffering, and can alter the impact their suffering has on their relationships. My deepest desire is to help people realize they can control and influence outcome of their affliction. Purpose of this work is to depict Godly (Biblical) response to suffering and show how people can change their lives from sad and troubling to happy and enjoyable in the Lord, by simply altering their response to suffering. There has been hundreds of books written about suffering; their meaning for Christians; why God allows suffering to come; how shall we deal with suffering and so forth. However, in collecting data for this research I failed to obtain sufficient

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volumes of information concerning the correlation and inter-relations between suffering and human-Godly relationships. Concerning this theme, some authors have mentioned a glimpse of useful information (Cook, 2012; St. Clair, 1994; Allen, 2007). Nevertheless, until today this theme remains underdeveloped and needs further exploration and explanation.

Research Objectives
As our world develops and progresses, variety and types of suffering are not fallen far behind. Thus every generation needs a revised, refreshed, new perspective onto old problems of suffering. This is the main focus of this thesis; however, there is a second, nevertheless important focus, which suggests that the relationships between man and God, man and himself, and man and others, is in an inter-relationship with suffering. Research objective are to be as follows: 1. Collect existing data related to correlation, or inter-relativity between suffering and relationships 2. Analyze historical, psychological, and biblical data, in attempt to comprehend complex correlations between suffering and relationships 3. Identify human and Godly (biblical) response to suffering 4. Conduct a questionnaire to indicate distinction between Christians and nonChristians response to suffering, and their effects on relationships between me and God, me and myself, and me and others

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5. Prove that the human reaction to suffering has a significant effect on relationships 6. Propose a model of Godly response to suffering that empowers man to control and alter the impact that suffering brings into relationships

Methodology
This study is conducted in order to prove the correlation between suffering and relationships, as well as the ability of a person to impact the outcome of suffering. The primary method I use in conducting this study is historical method. I collect the data from historical accounts, psychological books, and research papers of suffering of Biblical heroes and Christ Jesus. After analyzing historical data, I will use psychological approach to understand how human mind perceives suffering; how relationships are developed and what causes each particular development; what correlation is there between suffering and relationship; which will help us to comprehend impact, which suffering has to relationships. This approach will help to comprehend the impact that suffering has on relationships and will give us an insight into the possibilities that one can obtain to control or modify the consequences of suffering in these relationships. Then, I will collect Biblical data and study details of life and suffering of Biblical heroes with comparison to life and suffering of Jesus Christ, in order to prove that response to suffering had been and is now a powerful tool to control or modify the consequences that suffering brings into relationships. I have chosen the historical method for the reason of its simplicity and variety of materials accessible for my study. This method has been used and approved by

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many theologians and scholars and it is more effective and highly convenient for this study. Finally, I will conduct a questionnaire on human response to suffering, which will give us clear picture of how modern people perceive suffering. This questionnaire will be conducted to Christian and Non-Christian as well, in order to display the contrast of results that suffering brings into one`s life. The results of this questionnaire will be posted in the concluding part of my thesis as a practical application of how people can control or modify the outcomes that suffering might bring into relationships.

Chapter Plan
Chapter I talks about the significance and objectives of this paper. It explains the methodology used in conducting this study and focuses on the thesis statement as a core point of this study. In Chapter II we will examine the historical background of suffering and relationships, and attempt to combine these two together from the Early Apostolic Church to the Modern Church. I have divided this chapter onto two parts: first, the time of the Apostolic Church throughout the centuries to the Modern Traditional Churches, such as the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. The second part will describe the time of the Reformation Church through the present Protestant Church, with a special emphasis on the Pentecostal Church. Chapter III depicts the development of human perception at relationships throughout history from the early discovery of existence of relationships to the

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modern psychological understanding of relationships. Particularly, three kinds of relationships described in this part: the relationship between man and God; the relationship between man and himself; and finally, the relationship between man and others. Here, I will also show an inter-connected as well as the correlations between relationship and suffering, and influences they can impose to one another. In Chapter IV I will discuss suffering and the relationships of the biblical heroes; for example, Joseph, Job, David and the Apostle Paul. I have put more specific emphasis on the physical suffering of Joseph and Job while focusing on the mental suffering of David and the Apostle Paul. In the next part of this chapter I will explore the response of the biblical heroes toward suffering and the consequences their responses had on their relationships. Chapter V is all about Jesus; His suffering, His responses, His relationships. I have depicted the story of Jesus` life in detail to show the dissimilarities between the human and biblical response to suffering. I have compared Jesus`s suffering, relationships and response with those of biblical heroes mentioned in the previous chapter. And finally, in Chapter VI I concluded my paper with a brief summarization of the main content and give a written proof of my thesis statement, proposing the model of biblical response to suffering that will exceedingly change the outcome of suffering in one`s relationships. In this chapter I have also conducted a questionnaire to depict the vast difference between the human and biblical response to suffering to show a need and practical application of this paper.

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II.

Historical Background: Attempts to Connect Suffering with Relationships: From the Early Church to the Modern Church

As any study to be conducted, or any book to be written, no one can avoid accepting the fact that historical accounts must be considered in the course of study. And continuing this old tradition, I have studied historical accounts and facts to better comprehend the significance and outcome of the present study. One of the most important tasks of relevant study is to have an ability to interpret the past events correctly and to find a significant application for those events, to help apply these interpretations to the lives of people. Therefore, to gain a better understanding of the object of this paper, I will review the development of suffering and relationship from the Early Church to Modern Church. Christianity started initially from the Man named Jesus Christ, who had come as the messiah to this earth to save people; and to give salvation to whoever believes in His name (John 3:16). Jesus was the Son of God, who had taken the image of a fallen man in order to live a blameless life and give his life for our sins. Christ Jesus came to this world not simply to pay for our sins, although that was his main aim, but to establish His heavenly kingdom on this earth. He prayed Himself saying, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). Jesus spent thirty three and a half years of His life living and walking on this planet to fulfill His predestined calling from God. And He spent those years in

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teaching disciples, healing the sick, liberating the captives, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. However, it was only after His crucifixion, death, burial and divine resurrection, that His disciples came to be known as a Christians, or as other might say, Followers of Christ.1 Jesus himself showed the model of the life that Christians must live. He was an example in every aspect of one`s life: way of living, way of speaking, way of acting, way of behaving, way of suffering, way of relationship etc. Christ set high standards that one who accepted Him must try to live up to, so he ultimately can reach the final target, to reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13). As the Early Church started to grow and spread throughout the territories of the ancient world, teaching of Christ became more and more authoritative. At first church started with written Jew`s law Torah, or as we might know it now Old Testament, which was the basic standard for the whole community and even for the
1

The

Greek

word (Christianos)meaning

follower

of

Christcomes from (Christos)meaning anointed one,

with an

adjectival ending borrowed from Latin to denote adhering to, or even belonging to, as in slave ownership. E. J. Bickerman, The Name of Christian. (Cambridge, MA: Harper & Row, 1949), 147. All these Greek terms, formed with the Latin suffix ianus, exactly as the Latin words of the same derivation, express the idea that the men or things referred to, belong to the person to whose name the suffix is added. p. 145, In Latin this suffix produced proper names of the type Marcianus and, on the other hand, derivatives from the name of a person, which referred to his belongings, like fundus Narcissianus, or, by extension, to his adherents, Ciceroniani.

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teachings of Jesus Christ. The Son of God stated: I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophet but to fulfill them (Matt 5:17). Later on, as apostolic writings started to flourish between the churches, the New Testament was gradually formed. Therefore, we have two authoritative historical accounts on which Early Church based their theology of suffering. Thus, we will see how suffering and relationship in the community from the Early Church to Modern traditional churches primarily focusing on the Bible itself as well as on other historical accounts. A. Suffering and Relationship from the Early Church to the Modern Traditional Churches: Orthodox and Catholic Church`s Perspective. As stated above, Jesus Himself was the one that established the Early Church, and gave the apostles to all of the rules and regulations concerning every matter of life. This part of the chapter is dedicated to show how traditional churches from the early church to modern traditional churches viewed and developed their perception of suffering and relationship. 1. Suffering in the Time of the Early Church Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended to heaven. After that, the descending of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles marked the beginning point of the Early Church and it continued until the 4th century, when the First Council of Nicaea took place in 325 A.D. The Early Church period also can be subdivided unto: Apostolic Period (35-120 A.D.); Post-Apostolic Period Period of Apologists (120-

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220 A.D.); Early Church in the Third century (220-305 A.D.); and The Imperial Church (305-473 A.D.).2 a. Apostolic Period (35-120 A.D.) Right after Jesus ascended into heaven, His disciples stayed in Jerusalem and waited for the promised Spirit from God. As they were all together in the upper room praying and worshipping God, the promised Spirit of God descended and rested on each one of them, so they were filled with the Spirit and started speaking in tongues. A little time later apostle Peter with other disciples of Christ went outside and started preaching to the crowd (Acts 1and 2). Ministry of the Church has begun with a great deal of miracles and wonders. Miracles that Jesus performed Himself were transferred and now were performed by the Apostles and the disciples of Christ. And like Jesus, his disciples were accused by the Pharisees and other religious community leaders. Thus, persecution began against the followers of Christ (Acts 4:1-3; 5:17-18). That was the beginning of the suffering which was predicted and promised by Christ for the church (John 16:1-3, 33). Deadly persecution began almost immediately with the teachings of Stephen at Jerusalem, and never ceased entirely while the city remained.3 A year after the Crucifixion of Jesus, Stephen was stoned for his alleged transgression of

Clay McKinney, The Church History, available from

http://www.churchtimeline.com/; Internet; assessed 11 March 2013.

3

John Wand and Williams Charles, A History of the Early Church to AD 500

(London: Routledge, 1990), 12.

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orthodoxy, 4 with Saul heartily agreeing. This accident marked the first Christian martyr, who died for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. Initially Christianity was seen by the Roman authorities as an off-shoot of Judaism.5 Jewish leaders were often told to deal with Christianity themselves, as it was a matter of their own religion. Jewish persecution of Christians in Rome became so intense that in 51 A.D. the Roman authorities expelled Jews from the city, since they were behaving as disruptive trouble makers. However, the Jewish persecution is count trivial in comparison to the Roman persecution against Christian.6

In 64 A.D. the Emperor Nero (3768) was suspected in starting a great fire in Rome, which has destroyed a great portion of the city and economically destroyed the Roman population. In his Annals, Tacitus, stated that to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians [or Chrestians
7

] by

the

populace

John J. Burke, Characteristics of The Early Church (Baltimore: John

Murphy Co., 2008), 101.

5

Chris Field, Early Church Persecutions, available

fromhttp://chrisfieldblog.com/2009/05/06/early-church-persecution/ ; Internet accessed on 25 March

6 7

2013.

Burke, Characteristics of The Early Church, 101. In the earliest extant manuscript, the second Medicean, the e in

Chrestianos, Chrestians, has been changed into an i; cf. GerdTheien, Annette Merz, Der historische Jesus: einLehrbuch, 2001, p. 89. The reading Christianos, Christians, is therefore doubtful. On the other hand, Suetonius (Claudius 25) uses the

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(Tacit. Annals XV, see Tacitus on Jesus). He started the persecution against Christians to cover up his insane actions. The second persecution against the Christians occurred under the rule of the emperor Domitian. He commanded all the people of tribe of Judah, which David was from, to be put to death. Among the numerous martyrs that suffered during this persecution was Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified; and St. John, who was afterward banished to Patmos. During this reign, a variety of fabricated stories were composed in order to injure the Christians. Such was the curse of the pagans, that, if famine, pestilence, or earthquakes afflicted any of the Roman provinces, it was laid upon the Christians. These persecutions among the Christians increased the number of informers and many, for the sake of gain, swore away the lives of the innocent. During his reign the law was established, That no Christian, once brought before the tribunal, should be exempted from punishment without renouncing his religion.8 Another terrible persecution took place in the early second century, under the rule of the emperor Trajan (53-117 A.D.), who insisted that whenever Christians were brought before the authorities they were to be punished, usually executed, for being a Christians.Many martyrs were persecuted and killed simply because they were

same e transliteration of the Greek Krystos, meaning the anointed one, and associates it with a troublemaker among the Jews.
8

The Second Persecution, Under Domitian, A.D. 81, available

fromhttp://www.biblestudytools.com/history/foxs-book-of-martyrs/the-secondpersecution-under-domitian-a-d-81.html/; Internet, accessed on 25 March 2013.

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accustomed on the daily basis to meet, sing songs, read prayers and bind themselves by an obligation not to commit sins, on the contrary follow the Way of Christ and obey the Will of God.
9

Giving this summary of the consequences of the persecution in the Apostolic Period, cruelty and eager is noticeable that emperor and Jewish leaders had to persecute Christians. However, another side of the coin must be considered, as persecution grew stronger, it facilitated the spread of the Gospel of Christ throughout the territory (Acts 8:1-4; 11:19-21). Therefore, early persecutions contributed to growing closeness among Christians and stimulated spiritual growth and deeper understanding of the Will of God. b. Post-Apostolic Period Period of Apologists (120-220 A.D.) In 144 A.D. a Bishop Marcion of Sinope (85-160) rejected deity of Christ, thus, was denounced by the Church Fathers and was excommunicated. Due to the rejection of the most of the books contemporarily considered the New Testament, the church was prompted to develop a canon of the scripture. It helped to strengthen and to protect the scripture authority as the only and authentic Word of God. 10 Persecutions under Emperor Septimus Severus (145-211) were extremely cruel, as he

Henri Daneil-Rops, The Church of Apostles and Martyrs (New York, J.M.

Dene and Sons Ltd. 1960), 454.

10

Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem, trans., ed. Ernest Evans (Oxford:

Claredon, 1972), 46.

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ordered everybody to worship the Unconquered Sun in the attempt to unite empire under one religion.11

c. Early Church in the Third Century (220-305 A.D.) Emperor Decius (201-251) issued an imperial edict, which stated that everyone in the empire must burn an incensefor the emperor. Those who complied, were issued a certificate of loyalty, those who failed to do so, were persecuted. However, many Christians bought the certificates, causing a terrible crisis of authority as various Christian bishops and their flocks reacted to it in different ways. Diocletian (244-311) also conducted great persecution of Christian in 303 A.D. On the appointed day, the persecution began in Nicomedia. Christians where forced to open doors, and give away all their sacred books, which were committed to the flames. Imperial edict was issued against Christian, therefore, churches were ruined, scriptures were destroyed, and hundreds of martyrs became evident to the church.12 d. The Imperial Church (305-473 A.D.) After Diocletian persecution, the number of the killed Christians for religious reason by the year 313A.D. varies vastly. Different Scholars estimate different
11

Michael Grant, The Severans: The Changed Roman Empire (London:

Routledge, 1996), 20.

12

Timothy David Barnes, Constantine and Eusebius (Cambridge , MA:

Harvard UP, 1981), 22.

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number from 10000 to 100000 for the persecuted. 13 Then a time of calmness maintains throughout the Christian world. Bishops and Church Fathers paused to rethink their positions, doctrines and principles of the Church. In 325 A.D. the first Council of Nicea established the identity of Jesus to be begotten, not created, which has the same substance as the Father; it promoted Christians to develop relationships with Christ as God. 14 Basil the Great of Cappadocia (329-379), created basic rules for Eastern Orthodox monks, that is still in use today.15 By the end of 4th century emperor Theodosius established Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Other councils in Constantinople, Rome, and Hippo, were all directed to develop relationship with God, Man, and person himself, and to clarify many uncertainties among Christians. By the early 4th century great persecutions stopped and people started to reevaluate, their attitudes toward God and people. Fathers of the Church had the right perception on the problems, and consequences of them were immanent. Time of growth and development has come to the realm of Christianity.

13

Berard L. Mrthalerm Latreille, A. French Revolution, New Catholic

Encyclopedia Vol. 5 (Detroit: Thompson Gale, 2003), 97273.

14

Philip Schaff, The Seven Ecumenical Councils: Nicene and Post-Nicene

Fathers, ed. Henry Wace, (Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A.: Eerdmans Pub Co.,1890), Second series, 14.
15

Anthony Meredith, The Cappadocians (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's

Seminar Press, 1995), 81.

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2. Suffering in the Middle Ages Middle Ages were confusing and dark times for Christianity as a religion. Wars, persecutions, sufferings, rejections, misconceptions, and many other events occurred in those times. These events significantly modified Christian perception of the world in total, and particularly suffering and relationship. This section is divided into three subsections, according to which I will investigate the issue of suffering: a. The Early Middle Ages (476-1000 A.D.); The High Middle Ages (1000-1300 A.D.); and The Late Middle Ages (Middle1300-1500 A.D.). a. The Early Middle Ages (476-1000 A.D.) Early fifth century has begun with the fall of Rome, which was blame on Christianity. Augustine writes his famous composition The City of God after which some people blame the fall of Rome on the Christians, because the Romans abandoned pagan gods and turned to Christianity. Therefore, some persecutions occurred at that period, but they were just minor ones. In the 7th century Christianity faced a new threat; a new religion was rising and growing from the Middle East. Prophet Mohammed started Islam, a religion of the Holy War.16 Still small, he did not oppose much to Christianity, but later on, when Islam grew and took over Jerusalem; a real war broke out between Christianity and Islam. b. The High Middle Ages (1000-1300 A.D)
16

Reuven Firestone, Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam (New York:

Oxford UP, 1999), 34.

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During this period the differences started to appear between Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Catholic Church was accused of altering the Creed without ecumenical council. 17 Many reforms were also made by the Bernard Clairvaux (1090-1153) in monasteries movement. 18 Soon after that Christian

Crusades started. The first one was actually directed to save Constantinople and thus, heal the breech between the Eastern and Western Churches.19 Then they temporarily regained control over the Holy Land, but lost it again to the Muslims. There were nine Crusades in all between 1095 and 1291, and mainly they did not achieve the aims they wanted to. Jerusalem continued to be under the reign of Muslims, and the breech between Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches grew even bigger. However, as the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1911 stated: The Crusades brought about results of which the popes had never dreamed, and which were perhaps the most important of all. They re-established traffic between the East and West, which, after having been suspended for several centuries, was then resumed with even greater energy; they were the means of bringing from the depths of their respective provinces and introducing into the most civilized Asiatic countries Western knights,
17

In 1014 Pope Benedict VIII officially added filioqueto the Nicene Creed. It

means that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. He did this to insist on the equality of the deity of the Holy Spirit. But the Eastern Church insisted that the Holy Spirit came from the Father through the Son. Williston Walker, A History of the Christian Church, (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1921), 218.
18

St Bernard of Clairvaux in The New Catholic Encyclopedia (New York:

McGraw-Hill, 1967), Vol. 4, 243.

19

Christopher Tyerman, England and the Crusades, 10951588 (Chicago:

University of Chicago Press, 1988), 336.

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to whom a new world was thus revealed, and who returned to their native land filled with novel ideas... If, indeed, the Christian civilization of Europe has become universal culture, in the highest sense, the glory redounds, in no small measure, to the Crusades20 These terrible wars, persecutions, and suffering that the Crusades brought had something positive in the context of God`s providence. His plan was in them all. His will and His sovereignty were widely shown afterwards. The relationship between continents, emperors, leaders, and people were restored and a new era began. c. The Late Middle Ages (1300-1500 A.D.) Crusades created new opportunities for trade, and thus for missionary work. A great theologian was born at that period, John Wycliffe (1320-1384), who taught that we must completely rely on the suffering of Christ.21 He translated the Bible from Vulgate into English. John Huss (1369-1415), Bohemian pre-reformer that was influenced by the Wycliffe who first rejected the indulgences of the Catholic Church and proclaimed that Christ was the Head of the Church, not the Pope.22 However,

20

Crusades in The New Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 4, (New York:

McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966), 508.

21

James Reetzke, Biographical Sketches: A Brief History of the Lord`s

Recovery (Chicago: Chicago Bibles and Books, 2003), 29.

22

David Schley Schaff, John Huss: his life, teachings and death, after five

hundred years (New York: Charles Scribner`s Sons, 1915), 257.

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after the death of Wycliffe the Catholic Church burned his bones and threw them in to Swift River.23 By the middle of 15th century Erasmus`s Humanist movement was beginning to stir some members of the church to moral reform. Many educated man suspected the future opposition to Catholic indulgences, and saved by work propaganda.24 This time in history created growing opposition to the existing traditions, and something extraordinarily was about to happen. A new waves of suffering, hardship, and problems were about to splash the Church in the world. Reformations were inevitable; relationships needed refreshment; and suffering had to come. 3. Suffering in Modern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches From the Early Church throughout Middle Ages, the Reformation and to the present time, Church has been altering, changing, and modifying its doctrines and perceptions of different aspects of the life of people. However, Orthodox Churches as Catholic Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches have maintained some portion of that old, traditional spirit; they may carry the traditions that were given to apostle by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. On the contrary, they may primary contain human teachings and regulation that has been collected over the years of the Church history.

23

George Herring, Introduction to the History of Christianity (New York:

New York University Press, 2006), 71.

24

The Reformers on the Reformation (foreign) (London: Burns & Oates,

1881), 1314.

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Therefore, they are to be examined in the context of their past doctrines, and compared to the modern church doctrines. a. Catholic Church From 590 to 1517, the Roman Catholic Church dominated the Western World. Church controlled religion, philosophy, morals, politics, art and education. The Roman Catholic Church was theologically misguided and its theology led to clergy corruptions. Rome had seriously departed from the teaching of the Bible and was engrossed in real heresy.25 Self-suffering was one of the doctrine of the Church that promoted salvation by works. Priests and monks practiced self-beating, self-suffering on the daily basis to ensure their place in heavenly realm. Even regular attendant of the church must have done Penance, a system of confession and reconciliation, that was expressed in self-punishment for the sins, to cleanse consequences of one`s sins. Despite the fact the Catholic Church was considered to be strongly traditional, its doctrine of suffering changed significantly after reformation in 16th century. Present Catholic Church has very distinct position on suffering. For almost 2000 years Catholic Church has been teaching that suffering, although undesirable, is the

25

Dr. Jack L. Arnold, The Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages.

Reformation Men and Theology, Lesson 1, IIIM Magazine Online, Vol. 1, Number 1, 1 March 1999; available at http://www.thirdmill.org/newfiles/jac_arnold/CH.Arnold.RMT.1.html//; accessed on 28 March 2013.

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center of Christianity. To suffer, for Catholics, is to draw closer to the vision of eternal life.26 Pope John Paul II said that Christ's sufferings were lacking nothing, yet people suffer every day; solution to this dilemma was found in Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ`s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.It states that Christ expects us to unite our sufferings with His. And we must do that for the sake of the Church that is Body of Christ.27 Dr. Howard Kainz rightly writes, As Jesus brought

about atonement and salvation, so also individual Christians by suffering can atone for the sins of others.28 Man had to suffer in order to atone for sins of others. b. Eastern Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox Church has always been strictly orthodox in its doctrines, theology, rites and traditions. Not much has been changed since the first apostles started the ministry of the church. From the time of the Early Church, however, the Eastern Orthodox Church has accumulated hundreds of writings of the fathers of the

26

Andrew Haines, The Meaning of Christian Suffering, Posted on Feb 2, 2009,

available at http://suite101.com/article/why-is-suffering-meaningful-a93940//; accessed on 28 March 2013.

27

Catholic Bible 101, Why we Suffer; available at

http://www.catholicbible101.com/whywesuffer.htm//; accessed on 28 March 2013.

28

Howard Kainz, The Catholic Thing: Catholicism and suffering, Posted on

24 March 2012; available at http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/catholicism-and-suffering.html//; accessed on 28 March 2013.

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church, monks and other priests that the Church considered to be Saints. Presently, these holy writings are widely read by the priests and encouraged to be read by the congregation. One of the most prominent saints in Orthodox Church that has written several works on many subjects is St. Isaac the Syrian (d. 700).29 He writes in his letter: It is impossible to come close to God without suffering; without it human righteousness cannot stay unchanged. Thus, if man leaves works of righteousness, he also leaves his protection. And without protection, man is doomed to die.30 Eastern Orthodox Church does not see another way to God but through the way of suffering and hardship. That is why many monks and priests are seeking God in remote, ascetic places like monasteries, caves and mountains. They gladly face suffering and hardship. Furthermore, they seek them as a faster way to comprehend God`s will, plan, and God Himself.

29

Isaac of Nineveh (died c. 700) also remembered as Isaac the Syrian, Abba

Isaac and Isaac Syruswas a 7th century bishop and theologian best remembered for his written work. He is also regarded as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and in the Catholic Church. His feast day falls on January 28. Isaac of Nineveh, On Ascetical Life, trans. Mary Hansbury (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimirs Seminary Press, 1989), 10.
30

St. Isaac the Syrian, Spiritual Alphabet (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), word 21, 82-83.

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B. Suffering and Relationship from the Reformation Church to the Modern Church: Protestant`s Perspective with Special Emphasis on Pentecostal View The 16th century marked a new era in the religious community of traditional Christianity. Traditional Orthodox and Catholic Churches were about to give birth to a new branch, those who protest against orthodoxy.31 This section is divided into four parts: The Reformation (1500-1699); The Great Awakening (1700-1799); The Revivalist (1800-1899); and Modern Period (1900-Present). 1. The Reformation (1500-1699) In the early 16th century a young, promising catholic priest, Martin Luther (1483-1546), was ordained; as he served throughout the country he discovered flourishing corruption of the religious system. Studying the Holy Scriptures Martin Luther discovered that faith and justification are the work of God32

31

Simon Edith, Great Ages of Man: The Reformation (N.p.: Time-Life Books,

1966), 12021.
32

John Reumann, professor emeritus at the Lutheran Theological Seminary

in Philadelphia, has been active in Lutheran-Catholic dialogue since 1965. The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church is available as part of Ecumenical Proposals: LutheranEpiscopal, Lutheran-Reformed, and Lutheran-Roman Catholic, from Augsburg Fortress. This article appeared in The Christian Century, October 22, 1997, pp. 942946. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation, used by permission. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. This article was prepared for Religion Online by Harry W. and Grace C. Adams, available

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In his 95 theses Martin Luther concluded that theses 94 - Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, death and hell; theses 95 - And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace. Acts 14:22.33 Monastic life and years of dedication to the Lord was probable reason for this conclusion. Luther`s supervisor taught him that he should not reflect much on his sin; because True repentance does not involve self-inflicted penances and punishment, but rather a change of heart.34 In other words, self-punishment does not mean true repentance, but a change of heart does. Catholic Church excommunicated Martin Luther for his 95 Theses proclamation, and persecutions broke out on the followers of his teachings. Books were burned; people were persecuted; hundreds of head-hunters were travelling across the country to catch and kill anyone who was involved in this reform movement. On the site of new suffering true servants of God began to emerge: Martin Luther translated Bible to vernacular;35 William Tyndale (1494-1536), who was

at http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=155//; accessed on 1 April 2013.

33

Hans J. Hillerbrand, Martin Luther: Indulgences and salvation, in

Encyclopaedia Britannica,(Chicago: Chicago UP, 1998), 230.

34

Leroy Edwin Froom, Prophetic Faith of our Fathers in The

Reformation: Born of a Twofold Discovery (Washington: Review and Herald, 1948), 249.
35

A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific

population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is a second language or foreign language to the population, such as a national language. In 16th

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strangled and burned at the stake, was the first to translate Bible into English from its original languages;36 John Calvin (1509-1564) wrote Calvin`s Institutions, one of the first basics protestant theology books.37 At the time of Mary Tudor`s reign (Bloody Mary 1516-1558) marked another significant persecution against Christians. Many protestants who fled from Mary`s reign were deeply impacted by exposure to a genuine reformation. Christian councils were held to shape up protestant`s doctrines of theology. Institutes were established to educate clergy. Many great scholars and preachers emerged during this period: Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Ulrich Zwingli, Jacobus Arminius, William Tyndale, John Donne, Brother Lawrence, Richard Baxter, John Owen, John Elliot, and many others. This time depicted the beginning of the reformation of Christian traditions and doctrines. Many outstanding individuals emerged who reformed and transformed Christianity as we know today. Perception of suffering has shifted from traditional view: where suffering was gladly accepted and sometimes sought as a way to find God; to reformed: where suffering was accepted as a necessity and apart of daily walk

century Martin Luther have translated Bible, previously existed only in Latin to be read by priestly piety only, into vernacular, common language of that time Germany to be read by the common people.
36

David Daniell, William Tyndale: A Biography (New Haven, CT: Yale

University Press, 2001), 46.

37

Ford Lewis Battles and John Walchenbach, Analysis of the Institutes of

the Christian Religion of John Calvin (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1980), 114.

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with God. Suffering became a lever of Christian growth, to infuse the development of the Protestants doctrines and customs. Relationships between people started to grow in value in this period: people were gathering in groups, held councils, established institutes to educate people; and even public discussions took place in different parts of the Christian culture. Also, Christians grew in their relationships with God because they accepted the suffering as part of daily life and walk with God. 2. The Great Awakening (1700-1799) In the early 18th century people were starved for God. They were thirsty to have personal relationship with Christ Jesus. The Great Awakening forged new preachers, who emphasized deep personal relationships with Christ and the need of personal testimony for salvation. Theodor Frelinghuysen (1692-1747) was first to get on the wave of Holy Spirit to carry out God`s work. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) and George Whitefield (1714-1770) continued in the Awakening and preached the Gospel to the 80% of the colonies.38 Seemingly, suffering has vanished during this period. Great man of God William Carey (1761-1834) has risen up to carry out God`s Word and His Work to the people, who have been starving for God. William Carey is considered as the Father of the modern mission.39 He spent most of his life as a missionary in India,

38

Jonathan Edwards, The Great Awakening: A Faithful Narrative. The

Distinguishing Marks. Some Thoughts concerning The Revival, Letters Relating to The Revival, ed. C. C. Goen (New Heaven: Yale UP, 1972), 33-37.
39

Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2 (San Francisco:

Harper & Row, 1984), 306.

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helping and preaching the Gospel and comforting those who suffered. In the late 70s the first black Baptist church in America was established by preacher David George (1742-1810). While all these great workers of God worked on the fields of God, many denominations were formed. Each had differences and similarities, but they started to grow apart. All this peace and absence of suffering caused people to concentrate more on their differences rather than on building personal relationship with God and on carrying out the command of Christ to be one as we are one (John 17:22b). Denominational differences became evident, and the gap formed in relationships between churches and individuals. 3. The Revivalists (1800-1899) The era of reformation and revival continued to be on the way. More universities and seminaries were established; missionaries were sent; theology was developed. The Second Great Awakening started with The Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky.40The Bible was translated into many languages and dialects and distributed to thousands of people. Christian doctrines were developed and overly discussed during this period; therefore many important doctrines of denominations were established. However, at the same time more divisions and arguments appeared between the churches. Every main denomination had many smaller denominations and

40

Timothy L. Smith, Revivalism and Social Reform: American Protestantism

on the Eve of the Civil War (New York: Harper and Row, 1957), 84.

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branches with its own doctrines and rituals. The scholars talked about doctrine and theology. They philosophize about God thus; they were growing apart from each other. This period brought out great revival and great division in the church. 4. The Modern Period (1900-Present) The Early 20th century started with another Awakening that brought life to the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. In 1906 Azusa Street Revival took place in Los Angeles, California. It was led by the William J. Seymour, an African American preacher, who felt deep need of personal experience of God. This revival was characterized by spiritual experiences accompanied by miracles, speaking in tongues, and dramatic worship service.41 At that time the Pentecostal movement received a lot of criticism from Christian theologians for their unorthodox and outrageous behavior. The greatest criticism against the Pentecostal movement was titled Weird Babel of Tongues42 by the Los Angeles Times reporter. Breathing strange utterances and mouthing a creed which it would seem no sane mortal could understand, the story began, the

41

Michael Corcoran, How a humble preacher ignited the Pentecostal fire, in

Cox News Services, available at http://www.newsbusters.org/media-places/cox-newsservice//; Retrieved on 19 November 2011.

42

Paul Strand, The Lasting Impact of the Azusa Street Revival, in CBN news,

available at cbnnews.com//; Archived from the original on 14 May 2007, Retrieved on 17 May 2007.

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newest religious sect has started in Los Angeles. 43 Christians from many denominations criticized Pentecostals for being overly emotional, misusing the Scripture, and losing the focus on Christ by overemphasizing the Holy Spirit.44 Many pastors warned their congregation not to come closer to the Azusa Street mission; another even called the police and tried to get the building shut down.45 Despite all of the criticism from theologians and Christian communities, Azusa Street mission was continuing gathering and developing their theology. It influenced such great theologians and pastors as Billy Graham (b. 1918), Karl Barth (1886-1968), David Yonggi Cho (b. 1936) and many others. Today, the Azusa Street revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the growth of Pentecostal movement. The theology of suffering that developed during this period was significantly influenced by the Pentecostal movement. Pentecostalists believes in the constant daily guidance of the Holy Spirit of every Christian, and perfectly good Will of God in their lives. Therefore, they believe that suffering and hardship is a part of daily

43

Ted Olsen, American Pentecost, in Christianity Today; available at

ChristianityTodayLibrary.com//; Archived from the original 1 April 1998, Retrieved on 17 May 2007.
44

Marshall Allen, (April 15, 2006).Pentecostal Movement Celebrates

Humble Roots in The Washington Post; available at WashingtonPost.com //; Archived from the original 15 April 2006, Retrieved on 17 May 2007.
45

Vinson Synan, The Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 years of Pentecostal

and Charismatic Renewal, 19012001 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001), 4245.

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Christian life as well as blessings and success. 46

Many modern scholars have

developed a theology of blessings, which goes hand in hand with theology of suffering. It describes blessings as an inseparable part of suffering. Pentecostal Christians came to understand that although God is Love and He is the Heavenly Father, He is also sovereign and mighty; thus He can do everything He pleases. God is sovereign over everything: suffering, persecutions, Satan, natural disaster and even death.47 Pentecostal theology defines suffering as inevitably part of Christian faith, and not punishment for sins.48 Man cannot escape them, only stand firm and go through relying on God`s grace and mercy.49 Study of historical background of development of Christian theology of suffering with respect to the relationship has shown that whenever suffering departed from the Christian community it paused spiritual growth and caused a halt in the development of relationships. Where overwhelming suffering, though unpleasant and often misunderstood, stimulated development of Christian theology and personal growth in relationships with God and the people. It can be concluded that suffering

46

Dr. Kong Hee, Yonggi Cho`s Fourth Dimensional Spirituality. A Biblical

Perspective (paper presented at the 20thYoungsan International Theological Symposium, Gunpo, South Korea, May 24, 2012), 48-50.
47

John Piper and Justin Talor, Suffering and Sovereignty of God (Wheaton, IL:

Crossway, 2006), 17-30.

48

Wonsuk, Ma, William W. Menzies, and Hyeon-sung, Bae. David Yonggi

Cho. A close Look at His Theology and Ministry. Seoul: APTS press, Hansie University press, 2004, 59.
49

Ibid, 53.

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contributed to the relationship growth on many occasions in the history. Therefore, suffering cannot be separated from relationships and must be considered as an important part of relationships development process.

- 32 -

III. Development of Relationship throughout the History: With Special Emphasis on Correlation between Suffering and Relationship

Human beings are relational creatures that easily get ties to whatever comes on their path. People we are associated with, things pleasant to us, historical events and even suffering and hardship that we face have great impact on our relationships with others. The structure of the relationship of humans is intricately difficult. Love, friendship, and hatred are all interconnected and extraordinarily related to each other, as well as other emotions and experiences. Therefore, it takes years and decades of actual study and experimental tests to come to comprehend relationship to some extent. As we studied in the previous chapter, suffering was, is and definitely will be an inseparable part of human life. Thus it has a direct correlation and influence on the relationships man bears throughout his life. This chapter aims to show the basics of the psychological understanding of relationship development and some elements that impact their development. Particularly, the impact that suffering and hardship have on relationships between man and God, between man and others, and between man and himself. To acquire a better comprehension of the psychological development of relationships I will investigate and discuss it based on the object relations theory that is used widely nowadays. Primary target of object relations theory is the exploration

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of internal and external relationships which influence the inner relations of man as well as relations of others.50 A. Relationship between Man and God Spiritual development in children and adults is a big research area that has been greatly underdeveloped throughout the history of psychology. A few investigations performed in the area of religious development have occurred mostly during the second half of the present century. Some religious development constructs (concept of God, concept of prayer, faith, religious identity, religious thinking, religious judgment, faith consciousness) have been researched but, as Spilka, Hook &Gorsuch (1985) appropriately pointed out, "Little is known about the environment factors that influence the stage of religious cognitive development".51 Basic psychological theory about relationship development is based on the concept of attachments that people form with objects or people. Firstly, this theory was presented after World War II, because of the enormous number of homeless and orphan children.52The infant becomes attached to a caregiver who stays for some months during the period of six months to two years of age. Then, the child begins to use a caregiver as a safe base to explore from and return to. Caregiver`s responses

50

Gregory N. Hamilton, Object Relations Theory in Practice (Lanham:

Rowman& Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1990), 3.

51

Bernard Spilka and R. W. Hood, The psychology of religion: An empirical

approach. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1985), 75.

52

Jude Cassidy and Phillip R. Shaver, The Nature of a Child`s

Ties, Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications (New York: Guilford, 1999), 3-20.

- 34 -

lead to development of patterns of attachment, and these, in turn, lead to internal integration and differentiation, which leads to establishment of personal perceptions, emotions, thoughts and expectations.53 It is noteworthy however to mention that anxiety of separation or a loss of attachment is considered to be a normal and adaptive response for a child. These responses may have helped in evolving the child`s behavior, and will increase the probability of survival of the child.54 attachment in adults.55 Thousands of people as helpless infants wander in the world in the state of spiritual helplessness, seeking those that will be able to take care of them. Therefore, as man comes to church and meets God, his attachments start to develop towards God. Christians believe that the Bible is the written Word of God. Thus it is absolutely trustworthy and reliable in their lives. Psalm 23 describes this accordingly: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Even though I walk
53

In the 1980s this theory was extended to

I. Bretherton and K. A. Munholland, Internal Working Models in

Attachment Relationships: A Construct Revisited, in Cassidy J., and Shaver PR, Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research and Clinical Applications (New York: Guilford Press, 1999), 89114.
54

Vivien Prior and Danya Glaser, Understanding Attachment and Attachment

Disorders: Theory, Evidence and Practice (London: Jessica Kingsley, 2006), 142.
55

Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver, Romantic love conceptualized as an

attachment process, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 52/3, (1987), 51124.

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through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23) When a new born Christian reads and believes these words, his perception of God changes. First, he starts to form an image of God, according to his knowledge and personal religious experience of God. The image of God is greatly influence by one`s nuclear family. The works of Rizzuto and McDargh point out that development in early childhood of images of the self also develops images of God.56 The images of Self and God take shape in the human context. Therefore, loving and caring parents form one image, but harsh and strict parents can form absolutely opposite images.57 The personal image of God is never to be completed; as person matures,

56

See Ana-Maria Rizzuto, The Birth of the Living God: A Psychoanalytic

Study (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1979) and John McDagh, Psychoanalytic Object Relations Theory and the Study of Religion (Lanham, MD and London: University Press of America, 1983).
57

The works of scholars like Rizzuto and McDagh are built on, as might be

expected, the early work of Freud. One of his contributions is to turn upside down the understanding of Genesis 1:26-27, which is traditionally interpreted as that God created humans in his own image and likeness. In a startling reversal, Freud suggested that the opposite is true: that humankind created God in our [image] (Psychopathology of Everyday Life, 1901, p.19). Freud apparently dismisses the reality of a separate personal God, and focused much of his energy in trying to understand how and why human being create gods and demons. Essentially Freud locates the origins of God in defensive processes arising during the oedipal period. An important aspect is his relating ideas of God to exalted ideas of human father in the flesh: the human father is exalted into the image of God. Because we have grown

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he re-encounters God over and over again. A child does not create the image of God from a fantasy, but rather from the observation of how his parents behave, and from personal experience of family prayer, stories, and questions asked to the parents. The image of God can have direct continuity between the parents as a basis, or the image of God can be opposite, so that God is his power gracious and protecting, while the parents are regarded as punishing and unloving. The opposite, of course, can also be true, so that parents are idealized and God is devalued.58 However, as a child matures and becomes a young person, the image of God evolves and usually dissociates from parental image to more universal. He becomes exposed to institutional religion and by necessity the image is reshaped and reevaluated all over again.59 Religious development implies that a human being is not born with adult capacities, but formed through successive phases of building up and organizing an individual`s personality and relational abilities. Further growth depends on the successful resolution of the conflicts of the previous phase.60 Therefore, when suffering, problems or affliction comes, an individual can grow only as he resolves them, finds his way past them, and pushes through them.

so accustomed to this insight, it may have lost much of its dramatic impact. Freud sees the ultimate origin of religion in a childlike defense against helplessness: Future of an Illusion, 1927 (London: Hogarth Press, 1961/68), Vol. 21, pp.17-18.
58

W. W. Meissner, Psychoanalysis and Religious Experience (New Haven:

Yale University Press, 1984), 141.

59 60

Rizzuto, The Birth of the Living God: A Psychoanalytic Study (1979), 10, 87. Erik Erikson, Identity and the Life Cycle (New York: W. W. Norton, 1959),

45.

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And the results of his action would be an evolving the image of God, which means spiritual growth and, thus, the improvement of personal relationships with God. At the end, man will find himself fully devoted to his faith and in a deep personal relationship with God. B. Relationship between Man and Others Person is a social creature, and need of communication is one of the basic necessities that man seeks to have in life. No person in his sound mind would desire to alienate himself from people and to live alone. However, traditional religion`s practice proved that alienation from people increases one`s ability to comprehend self-inner world and acceptance of God.However, as psychologists continually pointed out, one cannot develop interpersonal relationships unless he is interacting with other people.61 At the foundation of the self-other relations lie personal interactions between the self and others. Personal experiences between self and others consist not of one time interaction, but rather of multiple short and long term interactions. Person`s life experience has taught that more interactions someone has does not necessarily means that relationship becomes better. Quality of the personal relationship is more based on kinds of interaction and ways in which man perceive them. Thus many interactions do not mean good relationships; yet, rather it means old relationships.

61

Henry F. Ellenberger, The discovery of the unconscious: the history and

evolution of dynamic psychiatry (New York: Basic Books, 1970), 124.

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The object relations theorists had studied human interactions and behavior for many years and significant results have been released. They stated that relationship`s structures are shaped by the past relationships and that they continue to affect present interpersonal relationships. In other words, current relationships tend to be a new edition of some previous important relationships, a kind of repetition of a relationship from the past.62 Human interaction is a complex process that is deeply rooted in one`s past experience of relationships and interpersonal interactions that he or she had with family members, extended family, friends, mates and acquaintances. Success or failure of interpersonal interaction depends greatly on person`s reaction or response to the incoming relationships. Successes in relationship between people are usually measured in terms of pleasant feelings, such as love, warmth, satiation, or even ecstasy; on the contrary, sometimes it can also refer to unpleasant experiences.63 Relationship develops on stages, which lead to personal and social growth of a man in his relational interaction with others. Relationship starts with blended phase where differentiation of self and other blurred. After some time first glimpse of separation-individualization approaches; at this phase man starts to differentiate self from the interacted partner, and carefully practices self-expressions. Further in this phase, partner that one communicates with realizes more and more his individual personality and makes more courageous steps to express his individual character.

62

James W. Jones, Psychoanalysis and Religion (New Haven and London:

Yale University Press, 1991), 10-14.

63

Hamilton, (1990), 14-15.

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Relationship develops to next phase called object constancy. This phase`s significance is mainly expressed in the title; person can maintain constant object in the presence or absence of the actual object. This phase vividly depicts couples and people in deep intimate relationships; because they can maintain image of the loved partner at any time, having strong sense of actual presence of the partner. As this phases coming along, sense of individualization and separation growth along with great feeling of socialization, being part of the community; whether a family, a church, friends, or any other personal interaction.64 As personal relationship develops, man encounters difficulties and suffering in the relationships, and he is forced to deal with them on the way of relationship development. As stated above, unpleasant experiences65 can also be responsible for relational growth and participate in inter-relational development. Therefore, it

64

Original theory of separation and individualization was applied for the

infants and growing children. Object was mainly used referring to a mother or a caregiver, to depict attachment that infant and young toddlers develop to the caregiver. I have applied this theory to the adult relationships with some modification because psychoanalysts have repeatedly pointed out that every current relationship experience is built on the all past experiences of the previous relationships person had ever had. Therefore, this theory can be applicable to the adult inter-personal relationships. Hamilton, (1990), 35-57.
65

Unpleasant experiences referred to a something that one might call

suffering, difficulties, problems, and other inter-relational experiences they carry unpleasant feelings or emotions and can damage relational status of one or both partners in the relationship.

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depends on one`s reaction to unpleasant experiences and one`s response to what those experiences may conclude into relationship. C. Relationship between Man and Himself The word self historically has meant wind, breath, soul, and universal self, spiritual substance, the seat of good and evil. More fundamentally, it has meant body, a bundle of perceptions, a person and all his concepts, principles and convictions. The word self is defined self as the thing in the world which is closest to a person.66 Developmentally, the concept of self can be distinct from the object only after realization of the object. For infants, the mother-other distinction precedes the self-mother distinction. In other words, the ability to differentiate objects from one another precedes the ability to appreciate self as separate entity. Infants cannot distinguish themself from others until they are at least 6 to 10 months old. 67 And even by that time, it is only the beginning of a long path to full differentiation between self from others. Many other authors conceptualize the idea of self as a mental representation, that is, an idea, feeling or fantasy. As Freud puts it, The self is first and foremost a bodily self68 that is to depict the deepest inner part of the man. Often people relate

66 67

Hamilton, (1990), 9. Margaret S. Mahler, Pine F. and A. Bergman, The psychological Birth of

the Human Infant (New York: Basic Books, 1975), 164.

68

This statement is often translated, The ego is first and foremost a bodily

ego (Freud 1923, p. 26). However, Freud uses word Ich, which means I. in the standard Edition Strachey (Freud 1923, p. 7) usually translated Ich as ego, though

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self to one`s consciousness, mind, inner voice. Path of self-realization or selfdevelopment is a complex and long term process that takes time, effort, and much of personal experiences, experimenting with self, object and the ways of relating one to another. One`s relation to himself starts in search of understanding of a person`s inner world, which leads to the realization of one`s inner desires, thoughts, and feelings. This search begins in childhood and never stops completely, because man cannot fully comprehend everything that happens to him. Only God knows exactly and in detail everything in the heart of man (Ps. 139:1-4). Inner differentiation from outer objects occurs after a man interacts with objects, and notices that objects differ from man himself. As an infant can distinguish himself from his mom after a few months, so an adult can find himself separating and differentiating his thoughts, emotions, desires, and fantasies from those of others. Understanding of the self is a base for understanding one`s relationships with others. 69 Once a man discovers his own identity and learns to differentiate his feelings, thoughts, desires, and fantasies, he opens a new better page of life where he really opens to new relationships with others. As man learns and identifies himself from other objects, he is ready to participate in social interactions and he can expect it certainly means self in this case. Freud, S. The ego and the id. Standard Edition, 1923, 26.
69

Jason Morrison, Understanding Others by Understanding the Self:

Neurobiological Models of Empathy and their Relevance to Personality Disorders in Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent psychiatry, issue 2004 August; 13(3): 6873.

- 42 -

much better social performance with other people and up swinging personal relationship with God. The study of psychological understanding of the development of relationships has shown that inter-personal relationships are a complex and intricate process which cannot be simply explained, but needs further study and exploration. Some significant results however, should be pointed out as this study continues. Relationships have many variables that affect their development, and one of them is the suffering or difficulties that a man faces in the relationship. Pleasant and unpleasant experiences in a relationship can both result in relational growth or worsen relational status. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the significance of consequences that relational experiences bring to a relationship must be reduced to the minimum: one`s response determines whether the effect will benefit a relationship or destroy it completely. A wise man once said:70 Suffering is part of the human condition, and it comes to us all. The key is how we react to it, either turning away from God in anger and bitterness or growing closer to Him in trust and confidence.

70

Billy Graham, Just as I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham (New

York: Harper One, 2007), 74.

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IV. Suffering and Its Effect on Relationships with Examples of Biblical Heroes
People in the Bible have suffered a great deal of pain. When we look at Adam and his expulsion from the Garden of Eden through Noah, Abraham, Joseph, etc.,until Jesus himself, and his crucifixion on the cross, one may notice that suffering always has been among with the people of God. It is likely it accompanies man wherever and whenever he goes. And of course, there are people who haveencountered deeper suffering and affliction than others. I have chosen to depict the suffering of four biblical heroes. This depiction will show the natural response to suffering that is caused by human nature. The first hero to be discussed is a man of great promise, Joseph. Yet in order to obtain this promise he had to go through betrayal, slavery, imprisonment, brokenness, hopelessness, and rejection. Joseph was a great man of God, who relied on God`s gracious love and comfort in the midst of suffering and affliction. He is a great example of a suffering man. The second hero is Job, one of the greatest sufferers who was not even a Jew; but a man from the Land of Uz. One day all hell broke loose, and he lost everything: his family, possessions, friends, and even his health. Despite the attempts of his wife advising him Curse God and die (Job 2:9b), he stayed faithful and dedicated to his God. And we know the end of his life as a result: The Lord blessed the later part of Job`s life more than the first (Job 42:12a). Therefore, Job can be considered an important example of how man responds to God when encountering suffering.

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The third hero who is worthy to be taken as a role-model is King David, the man after the heart of God (1 Sam 13:14). God found him during his youth, when he took care of his father`s sheep; young, small, weak, and chose to remain with him. David was given a great promise and he was anointed to be a king over Israel, God`s great nation, when he was in his teens (1 Sam 16:13). Nevertheless, in order to

become a king and see the fulfillment of God`s promise, it took about twenty four years of trusting God and going through the suffering from man. But in the end, he came to be a great and powerful king over his people, one who trusted, relied on and acknowledged God in all his ways. Admirable is the perseverance and patience that king David had in the middle of his suffering and afflictions. Therefore, he is a good example of man who had suffered and experienced in his life many hardships and troubles, similar to which many of us have experienced these days in our lives. Finally, Apostle Paul can be considered a prominent example of a man who suffered for Christ in the New Testament. The actual call of Paul began with suffering, which God gave him to bear. Throughout his life and ministry Apostle Paul repeatedly had been beaten and thrown into jail, and suffered rejection, hardship, and the misunderstanding of his fellows. Yet, he did not surrender himself to all that, but remained with God, trusting and relying on Him. A. Study of Suffering with Examples of Joseph, Job, King David and Apostle Paul The Bible is an authentic Word of God and it contains hundreds of historical accounts and genuine stories from the past to help us realize and learn from previous mistakes and victories. Some accounts are extremely graphic and others are poetically

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decorated. Yet most of them depict the life of man in its reality and show how man is able to cope with hardships and difficulties in life. 1. The Suffering of Joseph Joseph (Gen. 37-50) was a believer who was obedient and humble to God; he was able to trust God even in the midst of suffering. He knew quite well that he would not survive a day on his own without God. This magnificent and graphic account depicts the suffering and success of Joseph that was completely under the supervision of God. Long before Joseph had been born, God promised Abraham that he would relocate his descendants into Egypt, and He also mentioned that his people would be in slavery for four hundred years before deliverance (Gen. 15:13). Joseph was about to become an instrument in the divine fulfillment of God`s plan for His people including both suffering and blessings. a. Suffering from the Envy of His Older Brothers The earlier life of Joseph was very good. He was the youngest of his family, and his father loved him most. He had all the best things: clothing, food, presents, no hard work (Gen. 37:3). However, because his father favored him more than his brothers, they hated him and did not talk to him in a friendly manner (Gen 37:4). This is where Joseph`s suffering began; his older brothers were teasing him and threatening him. Their evil actions could have been judged. But God used their evil actions, at times, to accomplish His sovereign will. After Joseph had a dream and told it to his family, even his parents were anxious and rebuked him (Gen. 37:6-11). Joseph`s brothers were looking for a chance

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to kill him and when the chance came, they accomplished it without hesitation (Gen 37:20). But God had a plan for Joseph and would not let him die at this

time.However, He allowed suffering and hardship to overwhelm Joseph`s life. Relationships with his family were completely disconnected, his father was deceived and his brothers deliberately ended any interaction with their brother. Now, what his brother meant for evil, God meant for Good (Gen. 50:20; cf. Rom. 8:28). After many years in slavery, prison and finally being the prime-minister of Egypt Joseph was accepted by his brothers; he could restore his relationship with his older brothers (Gen. 45:4-8), and his father once again could enjoy his favorite son`s presence (Gen. 46:29). Jacob was so relieved to reunite with his son so he was ready to die (Gen. 46:30). b. Suffering from the Sexual Harassment Joseph was sold into slavery to Egypt and was placed in the house of Potiphar, Pharaoh`s officer (Gen. 37:36). He was forced to a hard labor, but soon enough he was promoted and God blessed the whole household on account of Joseph (Gen. 39:5). Potiphar`s wife had a sexual desire toward Joseph, so she practically exposed herself and expected to have sexual intercourse with him (Gen. 39:7). Sexual abuse that he encountered was a big test for the young Joseph. He had never had any similar experience in his life so mental struggle must have been great. Yet, Joseph was too concernedabout his relationship with God,thus he refused (Gen. 39:9-10). But she continued to insist on sexual intercourse and tried to force Joseph into having intercourse with her (Gen. 39:12-16). When Potiphar was told about the incident, he

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lost his trust and broke every connection with his former trusted worker (Gen. 39:1720). Once again Joseph experienced rejection and disconnection from the people close to him. c. Suffering from the False Accusation The Joseph was falsely accused and undeservedly put to suffering in the jail (Gen. 39:19-20). For two years Joseph stayed in jail, experiences all hardship and limitation of jail life. Jail was not a guest house where you could life happily and have no worries. It was dark, smelly place with lots of rats, cockroaches, mosquitos, and other insects to bite you. Lack of fresh air, no gym to exercise, no TV or radio, people could lose their mind in place like that. Not only Joseph was falsely accused once, but in the prison he was betrayed and forgotten by his fellow prisoners again (Gen. 40:23). The pain of rejection is not easy to bear, Satan constantly reminds about the pain sending negative thoughts to people`s minds. Yet Joseph remained faithful to God and kept walking together with Him. This valuable lesson was yet to be learned by Israel: that no matter what happens, suffering, hardship, or trials, if only they learn how to trust God and remain faithful to Him, they shall see great deliverance and blessings from God.71 God was reshaping, molding Joseph`s character according to His divine plan, to make Joseph usable instrument in God`s divine fulfillment.

71

Allen P. Ross, Creation and blessing: A guide to the study and exposition

of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), 628.

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In his suffering and misery Joseph did not take any credit for dream interpretation to himself but gave all glory to God (Gen. 41:16, 28). Joseph stayed humble and saw deliverance of the Lord as a result of his sufferings. He realized that all that pain and suffering that his bothers caused him was part of God`s plan to deliver them and his father from starvation and relocate their whole family to Egypt (Gen. 45:4-8). Joseph`s hardship led to great salvation, perhaps the one he could never imagine. 2. The Suffering of Job The Job was a real person who lived in the Land of Uz, which is located at the southwestern Jordan and southwestern Israel.72 As God Himself pointed out, Job was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil (Job 1:1); however it does not mean that he was sinless, rather that he dealt with sins in a biblical way. Job was blessed by God richly: he had ten children, thousands of cattle, acres of land, and people knew him for his integrity and devotion to God. Despite Job`s large wealth, he was humble before God and constantly sought God offering Him sacrifices not only for his own life, but for his sons and daughters as well. Job was like a priest in his house; he atoned for the lives of his children and his wife. But his life was about to take a sharp curve he would not ever imagine to happened.

72

The Land of Uz in the WebBible Encyclopedia; available on

http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/uzthelandof.html//; accessed at 15 April 2013.

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a. Suffering from the Great Loss Ultimately, God is in control of everything that occurs in this world; Satan cannot do any harm to people of the Lord, unless God allows it. One day God allowed Satan to take everything from the Job, so Job lost his possessions, cattle, lands, money and even his ten children. Job was broke, his lost was devastating, he was overwhelmed with emotions; his pain was so great that he tore his robe and shaved his beard and he fell to the ground (Job 1:20-22). Discouragement and devastation ran through the mind of Job as his servants were bringing him bad news about his losses (Job 1:14-20). Even though Job might not comprehend the value of his current suffering its significant to notice that he did not complain against God (Job 1:22). However, at the end of his life he is probably realized hidden value of the suffering God allowed him to go through the suffering and restored everything Job lost (Job 42:10-12). b. Suffering from the Physical Agony Job`s suffering continued when Satan stroke him with devastating skin disease (Job 2:7), with God`s permission (1 Cor. 10:13), Satan afflicted Job with a

disease we cannot identify. Whatever it was, the symptoms were terrible: sever itching (Job 2:8), insomnia (7:4), running sores and scabs (v.5), nightmares (vv. 1314), and bad breath (19:17), weight loss (v. 20), chills and fever (21:6), diarrhea

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(30:27), and blackened skin (v. 30). When his three friends first saw Job, they did not recognize him! (2:12).73 Job found himself in great physical agony which caused him to sit down among the ashes and scrape himself with the potsherd. Apparently, the physical suffering that Job was experiencing could not be compared with anything the average person experiences in his life. This tremendous account still shocks many Christians and non-Christians all across the globe. When physical agony stroke, Job experienced tremendous mental pressure, that forced him to grief in the ashes. His own wife despised him, his family abandoned him and all prior relationships were lost. Job`s mental agony was more painful than his physical pain; researches says that emotional pain hurts more than physical pain; to make it clear, pain caused by emotional distress is more deeply felt and longer lasting than that caused by physical injuries. This phenomena explains to have direct connection to person`s mind; physical pain although is deep and emotionally involved experience, it lasts short time. Where, mental pain, even though cannot be experienced on the physical level, writes in one`s memories and has a unique ability to come back over and over again.74

73

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Wisdom and

Poetry (Colorado Springs, Co.: Cook Communications, 2003), 12-13.

74

Jessica M. McIlvane, Tamara A. Baker, and Chivon A. Mingo, Racial

Differences in Arthritis-Related Stress, Chronic Life Stress, and Depressive Symptoms Among Women With Arthritis: A Contextual Perspective, The Journals

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3. The Suffering of King David After exodus from Egypt Moses led people for forty years through the wilderness, and finally Joshua conquered the Land of Canaan, so Israelites possessed it. However, people demanded from God to set a king over them, so they can follow somebody they can see. God was not pleased, but gave them a king. First king was Saul, tall and beautiful man, but soon he disobeyed God and was rejected by God. God promised to anoint a new king over His nation Israel. a. Suffering from the Family Neglect Being the youngest in his family placed David in the position of neglect; he was youngest and considered not very important. When his father brought out his sons, he did not care to bring David before the prophet Samuel (1Sam. 16:6-12). David was considered to be good only for dirty work like taken care of the sheep, and other cattle. His family did not care much about their youngest member. When David came to visit his brothers on the battlefield, they despised him and were angry because he came (1Sam. 17:28-30). David suffered from the family neglect and rejection, and that must have been very painful for the young David. The David was not allowed to eat with the rest of his family, but had to eat at a table in the corner. The David`s job was the shepherd of the family's sheep because his family hoped that a wild beast would come and kill him while he was performing his duties. There is no doubt in my mind that the people of this time knew what

of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, (2008); 63(5): 320-27.

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areas where safe to bring their flocks, but David was purposely sent to areas full of lions and bears.75 Probably his family did not see in David what God saw. God look deeply into his heart and knew the inner part that no one else could see: a man after His own heart (1 Sam. 3:14). The God loved David`s heart, but his brothers saw wickedness and conceit in David (1 Sam. 17:28). The David suffered emotionally from the neglect he had experienced as a boy, thus his relationships with the family could not be strong and fruitful. b. Suffering from the Public Rejection The King David was not born as a king; he was simple shepherd at his father`s house (1 Sam. 16:11). He was still a little boy, when God anointed him to be a leader of Israel. When David was anointed as a king over Israel, King Saul was still in power. Therefore, ruling king was looking for David to kill him, because he heard that the prophet has anointed David as a king over Israel. Suffering started when people of Israel including King Saul rejected David as a king and were looking for a chance to capture David. The next fifteen years of his life David spent as a fugitive, hunted by the king Saul who was grown jealous of David. We can imagine this young boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, being hunted by the king, he cannot come back to his family, he cannot enjoy teenage years; he must be a man. This traumatic experience must had a huge impact into young
75

Weisberg Chana, The Crown of Creation: The Lives of Great Biblical

Women Based on Rabbinic & Mystical Sources (Oakville, Ont.: Mosaic, 1996), 132.

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man`s mind and his future life. David had a few opportunities to kill King Saul, but he did not, it also must be extremely dramatic experience for a boy. Public rejection hunted King David to the end of his life; his enemies, associates, friends, family, his own sons rejected him and brought more suffering in to king`s life (Ps. 69). c. Suffering from the Child Sickness and Loss of His Child The David`s sinful act with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:4-5) led him to conspiracy, plot and finally murder of her husband Uriah (2 Sam. 11:6-17). As a result of a sin their newly born son was destined to die. The David must have felt huge burden on his shoulders, realizing that this baby dies because of his sinful behavior (2 Sam. 12:13-14). Suffering from a child loss is one of the most devastated agonies that man can encounter in life. The David mourned about his loss (2 Sam. 12:16-17) and grieved that he was a cause of child`s death. In the time of his loss David was completely alienated from any relationships in his house: he spent days fasting, and nights lying on the ground; he refused to get help from the elders of his household (2 Sam. 12:16-17). The David`s relationships were restored only after he grieved the loss of his child (2 Sam. 12:18-21). Suffering has passed and relational restoration was on the way to recovery. 4. The Suffering of Apostle Paul The first appearance of Paul (Saul) in scripture occurred during the martyrdom of Stephen. At that time, a young man named Saul was protecting garments of religious people who were stoning Stephen (Acts 7:58). As the beating continued, the Bible reveals that Saul was there, giving approval to his death (Acts

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8:1). Saul was an eager defender of his religious faith; therefore, he sought men and women of Christ to be jailed. Stephen`s martyrdom marked the beginning of a great persecution against Christians as there were, so many of them spread all over the country. a. Suffering from the Emotional Trauma Being a young adult, that first martyrdom that he witnessed must have left an impression on his mind. Emotional trauma must have stirredwithin him to cause him to persecute churches of Christ throughout the region. Dramatic experiences at a young age can lead to terrible consequences in adulthood76. This is exactly what happened to Saul; he began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, and afterwards he would put them in prison (Acts 8:4). He was persecuting, beating, jailing, and even killing men and women who followed the Way of Christ (Acts 9:1-2; 22:19). Emotional trauma in early adulthood has dramatic effects in to following life and particularly violence that cause by that trauma. Many adults get confused in their early age experience and often unconsciously expressing or reenacting it in the form of adult violence. 77 Apostle Paul`s tragic experience drastically affected his

76

Pam Harrison, Childhood Trauma Directly Linked to Adult

Aggression, Translational Psychiatry (2013): n. p.; available on Medscape.com; released on 17 January 2013; accessed on 6 May 2013.
77

Allan N. Schore, Affect Regulation and the Origin of the Self: The

Neurobiology of Emotional Development (Hillsdale, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates, 1994), 214-26.

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relationships to people, especially to Christians and may have caused his extreme aggression against Christians; as a result for years Church of Christ was under oppression of Saul. b. Suffering from the Missionary Work After Paul`s conversion God revealed His plan for Saul`s life: Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name (Acts 9:15-16). The Lord has prepared the way of suffering for his servant Saul. Saul was to become Paul, the apostle to the uncircumcised. How amazing was this transformation, that one who persecuted Christians so violently should now become Christian himself and witness the persecution of his own flesh.78 This shift from being persecutor to being persecuted also caused the apostle much mental suffering. Everything he truly believed in was now wrong. As a result, he had to start from the beginning. At first, Paul faced rejection from his fellow Christians because everybody knew who he was before. However, soon enough the people realized that God is truly living and acting, and the church enjoyed peace and was building up (Acts 9:31). During his missionary work as an apostle of Christ, Paul experienced a lot of suffering, persecution, rejection, tribulation; even from his fellow Christians he faced
78

Stanley D Toussaint, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of

the Scriptures, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Vol. 2, (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1983), 377.

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theological attacks.79 Paul was often distressed internally over the church because of many false teachers who lived in that period (Acts 20:18-32; 2Cor. 11:13-15; Gal. 2:4-5; Phil. 3:2). His missionary life have brought him much suffering yet, even more it created for him a lot of opportunities to build relationships with people all over the Roman Empire. c. Suffering from the Thorn in the Flesh Paul`s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7) was a special form of suffering that God Himself anointed to Paul. Bible does not specify exact kind of a suffering, but one is for sure, it was not pleasant. It may refer to what Paul himself boasted about in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28; Paul suffered much for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. The Bible explains that it was given him to to torment Paul, yet that was not the ultimate purpose (2 Cor. 12:7b). The final purpose of God for Paul`s thorn in the flesh was to show His power through Paul`s weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul`s messenger of Satan (2 Cor. 12:7b) has affected his relationships with people because the suffering he had experienced made him humble, meek, and gentle. Therefore, his relationships were much easier to build as he was more open hearted and could accept people through the eyes of God. The thorn in the flesh has helped Apostle Paul to realize his dependency on God and his weakness was a way to experience great power of God in his life.

79

Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic

Theology, rev., ed., (Tustin, Calif.: Ariel Ministries, 1994), 476-77.

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B. Response to Suffering of Biblical Heroes All people experience suffering in one form or another. Some people face more, and others less.Some become defeated, while others victorious. What determines the outcome of one`s suffering? I believe that the key to resolve this mystery lies in the personal response that people apply to incoming suffering. People in the Bible are great examples of Christian living, and therefore I want to study their responses to suffering as it`s written in the Bible. 1. The Response to Suffering of Joseph a. The Response to the Envy of His Older Brothers Joseph suffered greatly from his family, the people surrounding him, and those who were close to him. After his brothers rejected and sold Joseph into the slavery he did not try to stop them, but humbly let them. He knew that the Lord his God will be with him wherever he goes. At the end of his suffering God showed that a hard way of straggle was not in vain, but to accomplish God`s divine purpose. The Joseph trusted God to take care of him and believe in the future fulfillment of the God`s promise. b. The Response to the Sexual Harassment When he encountered sexual harassment by the Potiphars wife, his response shows exactly what Apostle Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee sexual immorality; Joseph literary escaped from the hands of lusty woman. He was more concern with his relationship with God, than with his fleshly desires. Again, he did

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not try to defend himself, but freely submitted to the will of his master with the hope and trust that God will take care of him c. The Response to the False Accusation When Joseph faced difficulties he did not resist to his offenders, but remained humble. God showed him the plan for his life, so Joseph trusted God and did not try to defend himself. He knew that God is his defender. Time passed and Joseph was enslaved, and then imprisoned. He might have felt discouraged or abandoned time to time, but the Lord was always close to him. Joseph was a blessing to others even in the time of distress. He trusted God and relied on His wisdom and guidance. He believed that God had a good plan for him, thus he could work out something good. 2. The Response to Suffering of Job Job is considered as one of the greatest sufferers of all time; he went through hell. He lost all of his belongings, wealth, possessions, and children. And at the end he even lost the only thing he had his health. At first, it seemed unfair, cruel to Job sent his this horrible suffering, but the end of it reveals truth about real purpose of them. God blessed the later days of Job more abundantly than the former; he had doubled everything he had (Job 42:12-15). a. The Response to the Great Loss When the great loss stroke Job, he 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. (Job 1:21). The Job was a mature Christian who knew

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that God is sovereign over everything including suffering therefore; he did not accuse God in wrongdoing. He believed that God is almighty Master who can and will work everything for the good of his faithful servants. The Job let God justify him in his action therefore, he remained faithful and humble before the heavenly throne of the almighty Father. b. The Response to the Physical Agony This time the test was even more difficult than a first; he lost his health, his wife cursed and left him, and his family abandoned him. Yet, he remained steadfast in his integrity and exclaimed: Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? (Job 2:10b). The Job`s response was firm and stable: God is in control. He gives and He takes. This confidence was rooted in personal intimate relationship that Job developed over the years.80 As the Joseph, Job showed humility before the Lord, he did not fight against, but he believed that Lord will vindicate him (Job 19:23-25). 3. The Response to Suffering of King David King David was a man after God`s heart, which is a huge statement. Even though he had to go through much suffering and hardship in his life, his latter days were blessed by the Lord. God anointed David to be a king over Israel when he was about fifteen years old, but only when he was thirty, was this promise finally fulfilled. For fifteen years David wandered through the land of Israel and Judah, fleeing from King Saul and his children.
80

Steven R. Cook, Suffering: A Biblical Consideration (Arlington, Texas:

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012), 64.

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a. The Response to the Family Neglect The David was a youngest son in his family and therefore he was considered the least important child; he probably received the least of attention and the least of care from his parents and brothers as well. Bible does not depict the details of his childhood relationships in the family, but some sources suggest that to be highly probable81. Yet, David did not response violently, he was humble and quite in the midst of his family neglect. David trusted God and relied on His providence to fulfill His plans. b. The Response to the Rejection Despite feelings of rejection, hatred and intimidation from the King, David would not lay his hand upon the anointed of the Lord (1 Sam. 24:1-7; 26:3-11). David had multiple opportunities to kill Saul and become the rightful king of Israel, but because he had a deep intimate relationship with the Lord, he knew that it was not right to do so. These opportunities were a test: God was testing David`s heart to see if he would remain faithful (1 Sam. 26:13). David`s response revealed the true heart of a man, as well as his patience, faithfulness and trust. David believed in the promise of God to make him a king.Therefore, he did not act on his own behalf, but waited upon the Lord to fulfill that promise.
81

Weisberg Chana, The Crown of Creation: The Lives of Great Biblical

Women Based on Rabbinic & Mystical Sources (Oakville, Ont.: Mosaic, 1996), 94102.

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c. The Response to the Child Sickness and Loss of His Child Child loss was a very dramatic experience for the young King; David recently became a king and was sure that God had established his kingdom firmly. So he rested and took his eyes from the Lord. As a result, sin and child loss came to his life. His response stands firm; he remained silent and spent days in fasting and prayer seeking the Lord. He trusted God to be the righteous judge and to comfort David in his tragic moments. David`s greatness as a Christian is partly due to his ability to learn from his suffering.82 Later he stated: It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn your statutes (Ps. 119:71). Although David did not always respond in the right way, he learned from his suffering. As a result his relationship with God greatly benefited. 4. The Response to Suffering of Apostle Paul a. The Response to the Emotional Trauma The Bible does not tell much about Paul`s childhood life, but it clearly states that when the persecution of the Stephen took place, Saul was there, giving approval to his death. This response may have caused Saul to persecute Christian community for many years; his anti-Christian violence behavior continued until he met risen Lord Jesus Christ. Along the path of transformation, Paul experienced mental suffering in the form of rejection, disappointment, mistrust, etc. He was forced to defend his new identity as a Christian to his fellow brothers while struggling to forget his old nature.

82

Cook, (2012), 86-87.

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b. The Response to the Suffering from the Missionary Work Being renewed andreborn Christian, he had very strong relationship with Christ. It is this relationship that gave his strength throughout his entire life and missionary ministry. He was persecuted many times: beaten, thrown into jail, chased out of the city, his teachings attacked by fellow Christians, etc. Yet, he remained faithful to the work Christ entrusted him to do. Apostle Paul knew the value of suffering, so he wrote: we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). Suffering and hardship make mature Christians, they reinforce man to stand firm against life`s storms and tornadoes. God used persecution as a tool to mold, to shape the man, and so he could become that God expect him to be.83 God is faithful to His servants; apostle was fully aware of it thus he wrote: And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Cor. 10:12b). c. The Response to the Thorn in the Flesh The Apostle Paul was given a thorn in the flesh by the Lord the Father to show God`s power in Paul`s weakness. Thus, Paul response was remarkable: most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2 Cor. 12:9). When man is suffering, he is weak; when man is weak, the power of Christ can dwell in him. Paul was able to make this declaration

83

Ibid., 106.

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after years of suffering, therefore summarizing his life`s experience, we can say that suffering helped him to strengthen his personal relationships with the Lord.84 C. The Outcome of Suffering of Biblical Heroes: with Respect to the Effects of Suffering on Relationships It was stated before that human response often determines the outcome of suffering in a man`s life, and in the previous section we discussed the responses that biblical heroes had to suffering in their lives. In this section we will reflect on the results and outcomes of their responses to suffering, and what these brought to relationships. 1. The Outcome of Suffering of Joseph Joseph went a long way before becoming a prime-minister of Egypt; he went through betrayal, rejection, slavery, and prison in order to fulfill God`s plan. Joseph responded humbly to his first suffering. When his brothers threw him into a pit he did not object nor resist them. When they sold him into slavery, he patiently went. Joseph had a dream, a vision from God, and thus he was sure that God was in control and that God would bring his dream to fulfillment. As his suffering continued, so did his walk with God. Joseph maintained his relationship with God, and further, as his hardship increased, Joseph was forced to trust God even more. Four times the Bible stated that the Lord was with Joseph, making it clear that God had not abandoned him (Gen. 39:2, 3, 21, 23). For man to

84

Ibid., 115.

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strengthen his relationship with God there must be a bond of commitment and a willingness to entirely sacrifice self for the benefits of others. Therefore, Joseph had to gain spiritual maturity by going through suffering and self-sacrifice in order to maintain and grow his relationship with God. At the end, Joseph`s maturity led him to achieving his dream and the fulfillment of God`s promise to Abraham. Thanks to Joseph, his family and the people of Israel relocated to Egypt. As a result, they all were saved from starvation, fulfilling God`s divine purpose for the suffering. As well, the relationships with his family and treacherous brothers were healed completely. 2. The Outcome of Suffering of Job Job greatly suffered: he lost his children, possessions, family and even his health. Often people say that it was unfair and unreasonable to you to make Job suffer so terribly. People consider this situation as God was bragging about Job, thus allowing Satan to cause trouble for Job. But the focus should stay on what suffering brought in life of Job. Before suffering came, Job had an intimate relationship with God, and served as a priest for his whole family85. Going through suffering caused Job to focus on his relationships with God. He knew that personal relationship with God was more important than thetemporary worldly things that he lost. Even though he did not

85

Ibid., 58.

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understand why suffering came, he maintained his integrity and trust in God, believing that God would work out everything for good. In the end, God richly blessed Job not only with material things, but He also restored all his relationships with his family and his relatives. God also blessed Job with sons and daughters. He lived for another one hundred and forty years and died full of days (Job 42:17). Job`s integrity and spiritual maturity led to afull recovery and restoration of every aspect of his life. 3. The Outcome of Suffering of King David David was a man after God`s heart, but he was not sinless.He had as many sins and troubles as any other man. David went through much suffering and hardship in life to achieve a place that God had prepared for him. For fifteen years he fled from the King Saul; he had to wander and wait for his rightful place for many years; he struggled and suffered greatly to finally become a man of God. Although David made some mistakes during his struggle, he was courageous enough to confess his wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness. He proved to have humility and the fear of God deep in his heart, thus faithfully relying and trusting God to bring vengeance to his enemies. After his confession and forgiveness, the restoration of relationships came to him: his relationship with God, his relationship with his people, and his relationship with himself. David confessed that through suffering he learned better God`s ways (Ps. 119:71). That was a lesson of God`s discipline, and David had to experience it to learn the value and price of a relationship with God.

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4. The Outcome of Suffering of Apostle Paul Apostle Paul suffered much in his life, but we know that it was God`s plan from the beginning (Acts 9:15-16). Paul`s suffering was not a mistake. It was planned by God to bring out the best in him. When he was going under trials and persecutions, he believed that everything occurring in his life is ultimately under God`s sovereign control. Paul knew that God used suffering to mold him into the man He needed to be. Paul was aware of his future suffering (Acts 20:23), yet he was more concern about his relationship with God and him ministry than his own safety. Paul`s suffering brought down salvation for many thousands of people. Personally for Paul, his thorn in the flesh helped him to stay focused and not think too much of himself. Therefore, at the end of his ministry Paul exclaimed: most gladly, therefore, I will boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2 Cor. 12:9). This statement was real, as the suffering and difficulties in Paul`s life greatly brought the power of Christ to shine upon people and nations. This power still shines for us in the present age. Concluding this chapter, I would like to say that the accounts of four men of God discussed here showed the variety and impressiveness of much suffering and hardship that men and women of God face on the way to the fulfillment of God`s promises. Thesemen had to stay firm against all their troubles and suffering in order to maintain their integrity.

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The way for them to achieve that was the practice of self-control, faithfulness, perseverance, discipline, and humility; understanding of God`s sovereignty and His plans; admittance of one`s weaknesses; willingness to sacrifice oneself for benefits of others; looking at the situation in a perspective of eternity; and finally, realizing that whatever comes your way, it`s just a test, a step forward, an opportunity to learn, change, develop, and strengthen relationships as well as everything else.

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V.

Evaluation of Suffering of Jesus: With Comparison to Suffering of Biblical Heroes

When we talk about suffering we must consider one Man who had suffered so

much, that there is no other person in the whole world who has ever lived, living now, or will ever live on this planet that has suffered more than Christ. Jesus endured amount of suffering that no other man could ever experience:86 He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. Jesus must be taken as the perfect example of the man who suffered and came out completely victorious, overcoming death itself. He is our Savior, Redeemer, Rolemodel; we are to participate in his suffering and in future glory. A. Jesus the Ultimate Sufferer Birth of Jesus was prophesied many years before His appearance in this world by many prophets in Old Testament, which were fulfilled in the New

86

Isaiah 53: 3, 5, 7, 10 (NASB).

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Testament.87 His life lasted not more than thirty three and a half years, yet His personality is one of the most prominent and unforgettable in the human history88. Bible mainly depicts last three and a half years of Jesus`s life, which was His public ministry. The primary goal of Christ`s appearance was to bring salvation and restoration to the ordinary people who could not save themselves. During His public ministry Jesus prove himself to be compassionate, merciful, helpful and freely willing to give to people, even if that meant self-sacrifice. He was promised Messiah, Savior of the world, the true Son of God, however, people did not recognize Him, many did not believed Him, and they rejected Him. Suffering that Jesus experienced was enormous, overwhelming, that resulted in crucifixion, death and burial of Christ. Jesus Christ came in the flesh to suffer and to die; to fulfill Father`s will; to save sinners who did not deserve saving. Suffering and death was part of the path that God the Father has prepared for His Son to walk on, in order to achieve His divine goal. In other words, Christ had to suffer in order to reveal the greatness of the glory of God; his ultimate purpose, save people from eternal condemnation.

87

Christianity About, by Mary Fairchild, available at

http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm//; accessed on 22

March 2013.
88

Phil Del Re, Jesus Christ the most famous Person in history, Posted on

21 July 2012 in Evangelism: Voice in the wilderness Ministries; available at http://voice-wilderness.org/jesus-christ-the-most-famous-person-in-history//; accessed on 22 April 2013.

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1. The Suffering from the Temptation in the Desert Jesus was loved and well respected by his neighbors and friends in his childhood (Luke 2:52). He was from a family of carpenters, simple man, demanded by his workmanship, probably well-educated and the man of integrity89. His public ministry has started around 28-29 AD90 with the event of baptism. Christ came down to the Jordan river to be baptize by the John the Baptist, and coming out of the water the heavens were open, and the Father spoke to His beloved Son (Mt. 3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). Right away after his baptism suffering has come as the spirit led him to the desert to be tempted by the Satan (Matt. 4:1-11; Mk. 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). Jesus experienced suffering of the flesh: hunger and thirst; suffering of the mind: future taste of glory; and suffering of the spirit: putting God to the test. After bearing his first suffering in his public ministry Jesus came out victorious, undefeated, stronger and more experienced, but that was far from an end of suffering in His life. 2. The Suffering from the Rejection by People During his earthly ministry Christ performed miracles of healing, restoration, drive out demons; freed people form the bondage of Satan. He was the doctor to the sick, the comforter to the oppressed, and the guide to the lost. People were amazed by

89

Lee Strobel, The case for the real Jesus: a journalist investigates current

attacks on the identity of Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), 200.
90

Jack V. Scarola, A Chronology of the Nativity Era, in Chronos, Kairos,

Christos, by Jerry Vardaman and Ray Summers (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1998), 61-81.

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Jesus Christ`s ministry and teaching because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law (Mt. 7:29; Mk. 1:22). Large crowds usually followed Christ wherever he went; they were seeking miracles, wonders, and supernatural. Jesus satisfied their curiosity with the power of God, feeding them, healing, comforting and providing for them91. He also provided the teachings of the kingdom of God for the people to repent and turn to God with their hearts; this was the heart of his teaching, the kingdom of God92. Yet, so many times he encountered the rejection and opposition primarily from the religious authorities and from the people too (Mark 6:1-6, Matt. 13:5458, Luke 4:16-30). People did not recognize Jesus as the cornerstone or promised messiah, thus, rejected him (Matt. 21:42, Acts 4:11 and Mark 12:10). Also, many times people did not accept His teaching and did not repent. Therefore, Jesus proclaims condemnation to them (Matt. 11:23, Luke 10:13-15). Because of existed enmity between the Judeans and the Samaritans Jesus was not welcomed in one of the Samaritan village (Luke 9:51-56). 3. The Suffering from the Betrayal and Crucifixion Three and a half years of Christ`s ministry is all come to conclusion at the last week of His life. That week started with triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when people
91

J. Dwight Pentecost, and John Danilson, The Words and Works of Jesus

Christ: A Study of the Life of Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 2000), 212.
92

Paula Fredriksen, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and

the Emergence of Christianity (New York: Vintage, 2000), 67, 105110, 232234, 266.

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were laying down their cloaks in front of him, and also lay down small branches of a tree93. People were singing Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! (Mt. 21:9; Mk. 11:9-10; Luke 3738). Nation were welcoming Jesus as the prophet and messiah, they saw him as a future king who will save the Jews from the Roman domination. At the Last Supper94 Jesus Christ knew what was expecting him in the nearest future, he revealed himself to the disciples in attempt to ease the inner tension of the future betrayal (John 13:18-21). Mental agony was going through the mind of Christ as he knew that one of his beloved disciples were about to betray Christ. In the Garden of Gethsemane, that was located on the Mount of Olives where he usually prayed (Luke 22:39), Jesus was experiencing mental struggle because he knew that his time was drawn near. He prayed to God for his disciples so they can withstand all sufferings and hardships that they will encounter of the way of following Jesus. a. The Suffering in the Gethsemane Jesus prayed to pour out His heart to the Father, He was disclosing his deepest inner worries, the struggle of his divine and human nature were in the summit. Human part of Christ was opposing to the suffering that divine part decided to partake in; My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death (Mt. 26:38; Mk. 14:34). However, Jesus did not divide into two; He is the One, who have two natures.
93 94

John MacArthur, Luke 1-5 (Chicago: Moody, 2009), 201. The Last Supper is the final meal that Jesus had with his disciples before

his arrest and crucifixion. It is mentioned in all four canonical Gospels as well as in the Pauline First epistle to Corinthians (11:23-26).

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Jesus prayed to the Father requesting to remove this cup from him if possible (Mt. 26:38a, 39a, 42a; Mk. 14:36a; Luke 22:42a). The disciples were sleeping when Jesus asked them to pray with him; that must have added to the suffering of Christ that even his closest disciples could not stay awake to pray with Him95. Jesus`s inner struggle was so intense that his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44b). This phenomenon is known as Hematidrosis 96 and is extremely rare. It happens when a person experiencing severe stress levels that his blood capillary raptures causing blood to come out as the sweat. Jesus had extremely high level of stress, as he was praying to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. b. The Suffering at the Court

95

Steven L. Cox, Kendell H. Easley, A. T. Robertson, and John Albert

Broadus, Harmony of the Gospels (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Pub., 2007), 84-95.
96

Hematidrosis (also called hematohidrosis) is a very rare condition in which

a human sweats blood. It may occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress, for example, facing his or her own death. (Elvira Mora and Javier Lucas, Hematidrosis: blood sweat, Journal of the American society of Hematology: Blood, Vol. 121 no. 9, 1493, Washington DC, 2013). Several historical references have been described; notably by Leonardo da Vinci: describing a soldier who sweated blood before battle, men unexpectedly given a death sentence (IGNITING THE GRATITUDE., Series: Ignition -- Firing Up Your Spiritual Passion., March 24, 2013 -- PALM SUNDAY: Matthew 26:36-39; 47-51; 59-61; 63-64; 67; Isaiah 53:5., Kelly Stanley), as well as descriptions in the Bible, that Jesus may have experienced hematidrosis when he was praying in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44).

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Jesus was arrested and brought to the Sanhedrin to be trialed before religious leaders and Jewish community. Soldiers, that arrested Jesus, were smacking him on the way; in the court false-witnesses testimony added to the accusation that priests had against Christ. He was beaten and brought before Roman ruler, Pilate, then Herod; but founding nothing wrong they wanted to release Jesus after punishing him (Luke 23:13-16). And so he did, he ordered Jesus to be punished by Roman soldiers (Mt. 27:27-31; Mk. 15:16-20; John 19:1-3). The Passion of the Christ97 has depicted many graphic pictures of the punishment that Jesus experienced in the Roman courthouse. His precious blood was flowing down the floor; incredible physical agony; his flesh was torn apart by the Roman soldiers. We cannot imagine everything that was going through the mind of Christ, but we know for sure that suffering was unbearable. c. The Suffering on the Cross

97

Movie The Passion of the Christ (2004), Director: Mel Gibson; Writers:

Benedict Fitzgerald, Mel Gibson. This film depicts the final hours of Jesus Christ, starting from His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane and His betrayal at the hands of Judas Iscariot. It goes on to show the trials He endured under Pontius Pilate and King Herod as well as the torture and ridicule He suffered in between. Once the death sentence is pronounced, He carries a heavy wooden cross to Golgotha amidst throngs of jeering citizens and horrendous beatings, while a few citizens do what they can to help Him. Throughout this time, we are shown memories from His past with His mother and Disciples, where He gives His teachings. Finally, He is crucified, dies, and is buried, but resurrects from the dead on the third day. Written by Curly Q.; available at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335345/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl//; assessed on 23 April 2013.

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Jesus was force to carry wooden cross to the place called Golgotha (Mk. 15:22); place that Romans prepare as a crucifixion point for the prisoners they had. Jesus was crucified along with two prisoners on the both sides; his spilled his blood once again. Crucifixion98 was one of the most painful and brutal execution in antique Roman Empire and was used for the most ferocious felons. For the last time on the Cross Jesus shed his blood. The agony was unbearable, inhumane, and extremely disturbing. His mother and his disciples were present there. Emotional distress was enormous as for his family and disciples, so for Jesus himself. Agony and stress rose up to the moment that Jesus`s human nature refused to persevere. Thus, he exclaimed, ELI, ELI that is, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (Matt. 26:47). That was final suffering of Christ that he had experienced. Comparing suffering of Christ to the suffering of other biblical heroes like Joseph, Job, King David and Apostle Paul, we may notice that magnitude of the suffering of Christ is far surpassing any other hardship that anyone has ever had.
98

Crucifixion is a method of deliberately slow and painful execution in which

the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead. Crucifixion an important method of capital punishment, particularly among the Persians, Seleucids, Carthaginians, and Romans from about the 6th century BCE to the 4th century CE. Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, abolished it in the Roman Empire in 337 CE out of veneration for Jesus Christ, the most famous victim of crucifixion. Encyclopedia Britaninca, available at Encyclopedia Britannica online: crucifixion; http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/144583/crucifixion//; assessed on 23 April 2013.

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Jesus Christ experienced extreme physical suffering: punishment by the Roman soldiers was vicious and brutal, not everybody could have survived it; as well as enormous mental suffering: his stress level was far beyond what man can endure, his sweat was like a drops of blood. However, outcome of suffering of biblical heroes have shown us God`s great plan in them, thus, suffering of Christ must bring even greater glory to the Christ himself and to others, who trust and believe in Him. B. Jesus the Great Relationship Builder Bible does not tell much about early years of Jesus`s life until his baptism and beginning of his public ministry. The only reference to Jesus is found in Like 2:41-52, He went to Jerusalem with his parents for the Feast of Passover when he was twelve years old. Bible specifies that after that trip to Jerusalem Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men (v. 52). We can only assume that Jesus had good and close relationship with his family; people liked him as a boy; and he had many friends based on statement Jesus grew in favor with men. Jesus`s adolescent relationship with God is also been developing over the years. When Jesus was at the temple Bible tells that the teachers of the law were amazed at his understanding of God`s Word and of the questions Jesus was asking (Luke 2:46-47). From childhood Jesus was taught in the Word of God to live in godly way; respect parents and other people; build strong relationship with God (Ex. 20; Deut. 6:1-9). Christ started his public ministry with baptism of the Holy Spirit, then he was led by the Spirit to the desert to be tempted by Satan; he came out victorious and

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strong in spirit (Luke 4:14).

After Jesus was strengthened in the Spirit He called his

first disciples, and started to build the relationship with them. Relationship was very important part of Jesus` ministry; he spent most of his time alone with his disciples; teaching them, talking about Kingdom of God, explaining the parables, showing by his personal example of the life his disciples are to live99. When Jesus called his first disciples he made an extraordinary statement, Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Mt. 4:19); Jesus sought to have relationship with his disciples and even more, he promised his followers to teach them how to be fishers of men, that is to build relationships with people. Jesus Christ knew the real value of relationships, he was positive to transmit his relationship experience unto his followers so they could have strong and close relationships with others. During his ministry Jesus established relationships with people at every opportunity. He was open and ready to step up in relationship with people to help them. Many people had sicknesses and diseases, yet Jesus was compassionate and open to heal them (Mt. 4:23-24). Huge crowds followed him most of the time; they saw a glimpse of hope in him, he could help them to overcome suffering and hardship in life and build healthy relationships100. Even cursed people, who had to stay out of

99

Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids,

Michigan: Baker Book House, 1993), 31.

100

Mt. 4:25; 8:1, 18; 12:15; 13:2; 14:4; 15:30; 20:29; Mk. 3:7; 4:1; 5:21,24;

6:34; 12:37; Luke 5:15;, 29; 6:17; 7:11; 8:4; 14:25; 19:37; 23:27; John 6:2; 12:12.

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the community, people with leprosy, skin diseases etc., Jesus was willing to commit to their relationships as if with any other healthy person. Matthew 8:1-4 tells the story of a man with leprosy, who came to Jesus seeking healing for his suffering. According to the Law of Moses people were forbidden to touch anyone with a skin disease, because that man considered unclean. Unclean man had to live out of the community and constantly proclaim his uncleanness (Lev. 13-14). That man could not have any relationship, he was left alone, despised, embarrassed; but Jesus love people, and want to save every man from the eternal condemnation that is why He did not consider it unclean to touch a man with leprosy, and healed him. Similar compassion can be shown with people who suffered from the demonpossessions. People were afraid to do anything, so they simply made possessed people leave the community and live in the deserts, uninhabited places, mountains (Mt.8:28; 17:14-15). However Jesus was always ready to drive out demons and to free the people bandaged by Satan. Jesus Christ knew exactly his purpose in this world; he was sure about his calling and ministry, to carry out the will of his Father: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn (Isaiah 61:1-2).

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Life and ministry of Jesus Christ clearly portraits his willingness and devotion to the relationship building process; he sought new relationships, despite other`s opinion established relationships. Many critics confused why Jesus selected his disciple from such a low class profile, but Christ did not regard to a human profile, he knew that any person, any relationship can be fruitful for the Kingdom of God, and so he surely proved it. Every time opportunity came, Jesus created new relationships: healing diseases, driving out demons, freeing imprisoned, giving hope and restoration to the broken, and blessing needed. C. Jesus`s Response to Suffering: Godly Response Jesus Christ is the greatest sufferer of all time, yet he also successful relationship builder of all time. Every time he encountered people who suffered, were sick, depressed, possessed, hungry, in need; he met their needs: healed them, encouraged, delivered, fed, provided what they needed, thus, built personal relationships with them. People always easy to get along with if they see an open and hospitable heart; Jesus had that attitude: he was compassionate, kind, caring, loving, giving, and welcoming. He never refused anybody in their plea for help; he was ready to help, to give his providence and abundance to everyone who was in need. His disciples recognized and loved him because he dedicated most of his time to them: he spent hours teaching them, talking to them, performing miracles, explaining proverbs to them. He has known the will of God, therefore he knew exactly what, when and how he should be doing. Neither difficulties, nor suffering, nor hardship, not even Satan, nothing could stop him; he was determine to persevere, endure, to stand firm on the promise of God and with hope of the future glory.

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On the other hand, Jesus suffered greatly on the account of human iniquities. He was constantly rejected, persecuted, beaten, abandoned, yet he had strength to endure everything and at the end be victorious, overcoming even death, hell, and bounds of Satan. How was it possible? Where did Jesus get his strength? Why he did not quit? That is important question that we will discuss in this part. 1. The Response to the Temptation in the Desert Beginning of his ministry Jesus endured suffering of temptation in the desert, where Satan himself came to test Christ. Jesus was hungry, thirsty, tired, yet his response to the suffering was remarkable: It is written (Mt. 4:4a, 7a, 10a; Luke 4:4a, 8a, 12a). He did not forget what his parent and teachers taught him about the Word of God, he knew to power of it. Thus, he faced the suffering with strong faith in the Word of God. When someone faces suffering he should first and foremost come to the Word of God for council. 2. The Response to the Rejection by People During his public ministry Jesus encountered opposition and rejection from the religious authorities and some individuals, yet, despite their opposition he was concern about multitudes of people and was performing miracles of healing, feeding, freeing, providing and many others. Because of opposition Jesus did not fall in to depression, rather he spent more time in prayer, asking for endurance, forgiveness, compassion and loving heart, so he could cover them. Thus another response that Jesus regularly used was the prayer to the Father; he spent a lot of time alone in prayer (Mt. 26:36; Mk. 6:46; 14:35; Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:28; 11:1; 18:10; 22:39;).

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When we encounter suffering we should run toward God and not an opposite way, to find comfort in His mighty hands. While walking on this earth Jesus Christ encountered many people and situations; some were pleasant and interesting101; others not necessarily pleasant and frightening102 in human perspective. Despite the situation or the people around him, Jesus always perceive incoming suffering and difficulties as an opportunity to achieve his Father`s will. Where people saw blind and mute, Jesus have seen an opportunity to heal that man; where people saw poor and weak, Christ have seen a chance to bless with God`s blessings, to give what he had; where people saw darkness and fear, Jesus have seen an opportunity to shine his light upon and give encouragement; where people saw outlawed and abandoned people, Jesus have seen an opportunity to create new relationship and comfort people. Jesus understood that whatever comes on the way it can be used as an opportunity to achieve God`s purpose, His will in the life of whoever believes in him

101

Examples: baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (Mt.3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11; 2:13-17; 5:37;

Luke 3:21-22); calling of the Disciples (Matt 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20;

9:2; 14:33; 15:40-41, 47; 16:1-8; Luke 5:1-11; 5:27-32); eating meals with people (Mt. 14:13-21; 15:29-39; Mk. 6:30-44; 8:1-10; Luke 5:30-32; 9:10-17; 10:38-39; 14:1; John 6:1-15;7:1-24); teaching people (Mt. 4:23; 5, 6, 7; 9:35; 13:54; 21:23; 26:55; Mk. 2:13; 4:2; 6:6; 9:31; Luke 4:15, 31; 5:3, 17; 6:6; 13:10, 22; 19:47; 20:1; 21:37; John 7:28; 18:22) etc.
102

Examples: persecution (Mt. 26:4; Mk. 10:34; 14:1; John 5:18; 7:1; 10:31;

11:8, 53; ); encounter of sick, demon-possessed people (Mt. 4:23-25; 8:1-4, 14-17, 28-34; 9:18-34; Mk. 1:29-32, 40-45; 5:1-43; 8:22-30; 9:14-26; Luke 4:31-44; 5:12-26; 7:11-17; 8:40-56; 17:11-19; John 4:43-5:15; 9:1-12; 11:1-44) etc.

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(John 3:16) and it can bring abundance of fruits for the Kingdom of God and for the life of man himself. 3. The Response to the Betrayal and Crucifixion The last week of Christ`s life was the most painful week in Jesus`s life. At the end of the week he entered Jerusalem he was arrested, falsely accused, beaten, condemned and finally crucified on the cross along with other criminals. When he went through the suffering he remained silent; he did not justify himself, but gave glory to God (Mt. 26:63; 27:12, 14; Mk. 14:61; 15:3-5; John 19:9), as it was prophesied by prophet Isaiah (Isa. 53:7). He did not make any effort to rescue Himself from the authorities103 Jesus knew that it was the Will of God for him to suffer and he must persevere this temporarily suffering to partake in future glorification by God. a. The Response to the Suffering in the Gethsemane Jesus was experiencing tremendous mental pressure and physical stress in the Garden of Gethsemane. His sweat became as a drops of blood because of what he was experiencing. However, despite the agony, Jesus responded to his suffering by prayer. He ran into the presence of the Father and prayed for deliverance. Yet, he humbly submitted his own will under the divine plan of almighty God the Father. His response to the suffering greatly increased his spiritual sensibility and permitted God to strengthen him in the time of need.

103

Cook, (2012), 138.

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b. The Response to the Suffering at the Court Jesus was arrested and brought before the court. The pain from betrayal of his disciples was great, because Jesus spent so much time personally teaching and training his disciples. Yet, now they all left him. Although he was alone, Christ never blamed his followers, yet, later he prayed for them and blessed them. Jesus was falsely accused, severely beaten, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. Yet, he remained silent and humble (Matt. 26:63; 27:12, 14; Mark 14:61; 15:2), just as the prophet Isaiah prophesied, He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. (Isaiah 53:7) c. The Response to the Suffering on the Cross Jesus spent five agonizing hours on the Cross. During which he experienced tremendous physical pain, unbearable mental pressure, and sense of spiritual emptiness and abandonment. He cried out to the Father, ELI, ELI, that is, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (Matt. 26:47). Abuse from the soldiers, religious leaders, people and one criminal added to the tragic experience that Jesus carried on. However, Jesus looked forward with hope. He prayed and blessed his offenders (Luke 23:34), knowing that the incoming glory is far surpassing the contemporary suffering. Apostle Paul writes outstanding statement in his epistle to Romans chapter 8 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (v. 18). Jesus knew for sure the full

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meaning of this statement; he was expecting future glory after his temporary suffering. Christ knew the Will of God, therefore he could have seen the end of his way; eternal victory over Satan and reunion with the Father, full restoration of relationship and open access to the Father for whoever believes in him (John 3:16). Jesus was looking forward to the outcome, results that his contemporary suffering might bring, therefore, he was able to withstand and overcome his struggle, and at the end he saw the greatness of the glory of God in his life. He fulfilled his Father`s assignment: he saved humanity from the eternal condemnation; he restored broken relationships and open free access to the Father; he healed the sick and fed the poor; he encouraged depressed and freed the imprisoned; he showed the example of holy life and taught his disciples to follow him. He is alive today and sits on the thrown in the Kingdom of God watching over his followers and still guiding them into his footsteps. Analyzing Jesus`s suffering and relationships, we can conclude that there is no other man on the planet earth who suffered as much as Jesus suffered; and who so eagerly yearn for relationships as Christ Jesus. All his life and ministry were directed towards incoming sufferings, and, in the midst of them, building strong new relationships with people and his Father. Jesus was able to stand firm against all sufferings thanks to his Godly response to suffering that can be summarized as following: turn to the Word of God for council; regular prayer for comfort; perseverance in suffering; perceiving suffering as opportunity; and finally focusing attention on the future glory, outcome of the suffering, rather than on the contemporary hardship.

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VI. Conclusion
Suffering and relationship are inseparable part of the lives of people. Every man and woman had experienced them in life, although in different proportions. Some people suffer much pain and absence of solid relationships; others live almost painless life, have family and enjoy the pleasures of relationships. However, it does not go in that exact order. On the contrary, often the opposite is true. People that have experienced many suffering can have abundance of relationships in many dimensions due to what and whom they have encountered in life. Yet, people that did not suffer much can lack relationships because of what and whom they did not encounter in life. For this study I have collected materials and data concerning historical development of theology of suffering with respect to relationships. Study of historical background of the theology of suffering has shown that people`s perspective on suffering has shifted drastically over the time. In time of the Early Church Christians perceived suffering as a direct command from the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people willingly accepted suffering and persecution because they considered it as following the path their Lord himself has gone through. During the Middle Ages period, Christians reevaluated importance of the suffering yet, brought so much of it. Crusades were noticeable mark of this period; the Church forced people to accept Christianity therefore, many people rejected Christian way and perceived suffering wrongfully. The Catholic Church has viewed suffering as inseparable part of life and as a way to salvation. The Eastern Orthodox Church considered suffering the only way to God, thus, seeking it.

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Period from the Reformation to the present has finally shaped the comprehension of the suffering in the people`s lives. Many suffering had people go through to realize that man cannot escape suffering, nor can he prevent it from occurring but that suffering is a part of daily life. And most importantly, that man can influence the outcome of suffering thus, modifying the results of suffering in one`s life. Analysis of historical account of suffering with the respect to relationships has shown growing interest towards the relationships between God and relationships between people according to the amounts of suffering one has encountered in life. This study has proven direct correlation between amount of suffering and quantity of relationships existing in one`s life. Whenever suffering has appeared in the history, it created pain, despair, hopelessness but, on the other hand, we can clearly see many positive effects that suffering has brought to the lives of people, and in particularly to the relationships between people, and between people and God.

The correlation between suffering and relationship is evident not only from the historical data but from the psychological and biblical accounts that have been studied during this study. When relationship develops many factors influence it development. Sufferings have large impact on the relationship development. Biblical heroes have shown repeatedly inter-related connection between suffering and relationship. Men and women of God often encountered suffering and hardship. What at first seems as punishment from God in many cases turned out to have positive impact to the relationships between man and God, and between man and others; and to the whole life of a man.

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Detailed research of the biblical accounts has helped to identify human and Godly response to suffering and the results which the response brings to the relationship. Typically, human response is merely a cry of desperation which does not bring positive results. It can include possible responses such as: depression, accusation, complaint, aggression, violence, etc. Human response brings negative outcomes to the relationships, and it even can cause complete distraction of relationships. On the contrary, Godly response helps man to realize a value of suffering and can bring positive outcomes to the relationships. Godly perception of the suffering is primary identify by the response that one has onto the encountered suffering. Godly response can influence outcome of the suffering and relationships and can benefit to one`s life. The model of Godly response will be proposed later in this part. Historical accounts have depicted vividly the amount of suffering that Christianity has encountered over the history. From the first persecution that broke out in the first century A.D. a year after ascension of Christ, through the centuries of persecution, until the present time. Christianity has suffered much, yet, despite all the pain and devastation Christians greatly benefited from the suffering and persecutions. Many have realized their need to reevaluate perception of suffering and relationship; they discovered necessity of refreshing relationship with God and others. Persecutions and suffering stimulated theological development and personal spiritual growth of many men and women of God. They helped to reshaped and to mold the minds of Christians on the way to God and significantly improved

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interpersonal relationship between man and God. In the midst of the worst persecutions and suffering God remained sovereign and faithful. He had a purpose for every suffering that one has ever experienced. Therefore, this study has proven that human response to suffering has significant effects onto outcome it causes within the relationships between man and God, between man and others, and between man and himself. Model of Godly Response to Suffering I have molded a model of Godly response to suffering that, as I believe, empowers man to control, or influence the impact that suffering has onto relationships. This model has five proposed responses that can and will modify outcomes of the suffering with the respect to relationships between man and God, between man and others, and between man and himself. The model of Godly response to suffering is primary based on the responses and life of the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as, on some other biblical accounts. First response that one can have is to seek a council in the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, he knew exactly how he should response to the suffering and temptation that he was experiencing. He sought council and comfort in the Word of God, to strengthen his spirit. Therefore, he found comfort and encouragement in the Word of God. Jesus was able to withstand temptation and suffering through the knowledge and application of the Word of God in his particular circumstances. Thus, when suffering comes we should consult the Word of God to find comfort and strength, and apply the Word for one`s specific circumstances.

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Second response that one can have is to seek an encouragement and a help in prayer. The prayer is dialogue with God, simply talks with God therefore, it is absolutely necessary for a man to turn to Him in the time of need. Bible repeatedly talks and describes people who turned to the prayer in their time of suffering: Joseph, Job, King David, Solomon, prophet Jeremiah, apostles of Jesus, and Jesus Himself. Every time Jesus experienced suffering or hardship he set his eyes on the Father and prayed for help,104 and every time the Father encouraged and helped his beloved Son. The prayer helps one to focus and to organize one`s thoughts thus, leave more space to prudent thinking rather them quick emotional response. Third response that one can have is to endure suffering, to persevere hardship that one has encountered in life. People tend to avoid suffering by any means. Yet, Jesus Himself endured suffering and furthermore, promised his disciples that they will have many suffering and hardships on the way to the Kingdom of God. In the time suffering, Job did not complained or murmured yet, persevered with integrity and belief in his God. Jesus persevered his suffering, although he could have ended it any moment he wanted; he endured physical, mental agony and finally crucifixion and death, yet, he was silent and even prayed for his offenders. His endurance permitted God`s salvific plan to be fulfilled and glorified on earth. Today we still enjoy the fruits of Christ`s endurance by receiving the salvation and inheriting the eternal life.

104

Matt. 26:36-44; 27:46, Mark 14:32-39;15:34; Luke 22:46; 23:34,46; John

11:41-42.

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Fourth response that one can have is a shift of one`s perception of the suffering. The word perception is synonym with word expectation in respect to life experience. When one perceives suffering as a misfortune or a bad luck, on the unconscious level of his brain, this perception transforms to expectations therefore, mind programs the man to accept misfortunate excluding any benefits that it might cause. On the contrary, when one perceives suffering as an opportunity or a chance, same mechanism works and a man expects a good luck, growth, and benefits to come out of this circumstances.105 Therefore, right perception of the suffering is crucial to the edifying the outcomes of the suffering and hardships in one`s life. Jesus Christ knew this principle and applied it often. When he saw suffering, he rushed towards it; seeing an opportunity to heal, to bless, to glorify his Father. During the time of his suffering Jesus viewed it as a chance to pay a price men can never pay for their sins. Thus he sacrificed his priceless life for our sins to be completely removed so now we have absolutely free access to the Father due to correct perception and the right choice that Jesus Christ has made. And finally, fifth response, yet not the least of all, is to look further into the results that suffering can bring. Bible tells us repeatedly about the future glory that will follow temporary suffering and hardship that man encounters in the present. When man focuses on the contemporary circumstances he narrows his sight perception thus, excluding many possible outcomes from his expectations. When

105

Edward Dolnick, Fish or Foul?The New York Times [Chevy Chase, MD]

2 Sept. 2008:12.

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suffering stroke a man he has to open his mind wider and perceive his situation in the light of eternity, or at least his earthly life. When we closely study biblical heroes tendency can be observed. Men and women of God that have encountered suffering and hardship of any possible form and amount have come out victorious and at the end they were blessed richly and abundantly by the Father as a reward for their suffering and expectations. Glory follows the suffering. So, at the end, God always blesses and multiplies riches; gives his abundance and glory to those who have right attitude; those who come to His Word; those who pray; those who persevere; those who have right perception and finally, those who have Godly response to suffering and hardships in their lives. Bible teacher Joyce Meyer repeatedly claims that God gives you double for your former trouble.106 After studying biblical heroes and life of Jesus I tend to believe this to be true.107 Glory awaits every men and women who have suffered and came to God seeking comfort and help.

106

Joyce Meyer, Beauty for Ashes: Receiving Emotional Healing (New York:

Warner Faith, 2003), 182.

107

Winston Bennett, Fight for Your Life: From Tragedy to Triumph(Mustang,

OK: Tate Publisher and Enterprises, 2011), 379.

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Implications for Christians Concerning the Response to Suffering with Respect to Relationships Based on the Model of Godly Response to Suffering In the times of troubles naturally men tend to response quickly without any consideration to the future outcome of their actions. However, it often leads to the negative outcomes of the suffering in life. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly consider one`s action in suffering to partake in the beneficial consequences it can bear to relationships and a life of man. First, when suffering comes man has to come to the Word of God for council. Only if one knows the Word, he can resist devil and can appropriately respond to the suffering. The Word of God contains information about every situation that man can encounter, thus it is useful and applicable for man in the time of suffering. Man should find the scripture place that talks about situation which one has encounter; study that reference and apply biblical knowledge for one`s circumstances. Next step that one should take is to come in prayer before the throne of God. God has proved Himself as the faithful and never changing Father. He is always ready to help in the time of trouble. Therefore, man should pray to find strength and comfort from God; so that he could withstand all trials and suffering that one experience in life. And when man prays, he should not pray for the suffering to disappear, but to be able to bear them and come victorious. Even after prayer, suffering does not disappear instantly, but it takes time to dissolve. Man has to persevere to some extent, so suffering can leave a noticeable

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mark in the life of the man. Perseverance trains and shapes people`s character making them tougher and more experienced for future troubles. So, Christians should not murmur but persevere and wait on God to fulfill His part. Another important aspect of human participation in suffering is to view suffering and hardship as an opportunity rather than failure. Christians should perceive incoming difficulties as a chance to grow, to learn a new lesson of life, an opportunity to fulfill God`s Will for their life. When man views suffering that way it helps him to find a strength to withstand struggles and strengthens one`s faith to rely on God in the midst of suffering. And finally, suffering and hardships must be viewed in the context of the eternity. Apostle Paul put it clear, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18). We must understand that the future glory will greatly surpass any contemporary suffering one can experience. Bearing that in mind we should look further, to the future glory, so it may ease a pain of suffering in our lives. Therefore, I recommend every Christian to have appropriate response to suffering that I have proposed in this paper. So that, consequences of suffering in one`s life may have positive influences onto one`s relationships. Applying this model will help Christians to grow spiritually; will make them stronger; and will help people to develop solid relationships with God, people and oneself.

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Questionnaire Result I have conducted a questionnaire to indicate distinction between Christian and non-Christian perception of suffering and thus differences in their responses to suffering. I have surveyed 80 people: 40 Christians and 40 non-Christians. 108 According to the obtained results clear distinction appeared between Christian and non-Christian perception of suffering. Therefore, correlation between perception of suffering and quality of their relationships was established. It is revealed that 90 percent of non-Christians perceive suffering as evil thing and believe that usually it comes as an accident. Where 65 percent of Christians responded to suffering as good thing and believe it comes from God or man`s sins. This responses depicted distinct difference in the perception of suffering. Furthermore, 78 percent of non-Christians indicated frustration, depression and apathy in the time of suffering. However, 53 percent of Christian perceived suffering as training exercise
108

I have questioned 80 people for this study. Forty of them are Christian,

who regularly attends the church; some of them are in the ministry. Age varies from the early 20s to the late 60s. Social status also vastly differs: students, workers, housewives, unemployed, retired and ministers were questioned. The most of Christian are married, have families and have at least 5 or more years of Christian experience. Another 40 people who were questioned are people, who either have no interest in the religion or belong to the non-Christian religious organization. Their age and social status also vastly differs and includes students, workers, housewives, unemployed and retired people age from early twenties to their late sixties. All of them have no Christian experience whatsoever, and have no interest in the Christianity at all. The results of this questionnaire has been analyzed and yet some of those are relevant to the discussion here are to be depicted in the Appendix 2 of this paper.

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and a chance to grow; 21 percent have indicated willingness to suffer for the greater purpose. In the correlation to the relationships 72 percent of non-Christians indicated negative influences of suffering such as: depression, passivity, apathy. Therefore, their indications of the quality of the relationships with family members and other people have indicated 25 to 30 percent of close relationships. However, 81 percent of Christians responded with positive attitude to the suffering, indicating positive influences of suffering onto relationships. And 50 percent of them have described their relationships with the family and friends as very close. The Christian perception and response to suffering is proved to be greatly distinct from the one of non-Christians. So, I can conclude that perception and the Christianresponse to the suffering has significant influences onto relationships between man and God, between man and others, and between man and himself.

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Appendix 1
Questionnaire 1. Your age _________ 2. Your social status a. Student 3. Is suffering ______ a. Evil b. good c. I dont know d. other ____ b. worker c. unemployed d. other ______

4. Why do you think people suffer? a. It is the will of God b. because of their sins 5. Where does suffering come from? a. God b. devil c. people d. other _______________ c. its an accident

6. Would you consider that you have many suffering in your life? a. Yes b. no c. I dont know d. other _____________

7. What is your tolerance to suffering? a. I'm intolerable b. easily tolerating c. I can bear some d. I dont know e. other _____________ 8. What is your first thought when you hear the word suffering? a. Not again b. Why me c. Yes, thats a chance

d. other _____________ 9. Would you like suffering to come? a. Yes b. no c. I dont know d. other__________________

10. Do people in your family suffer? a. Yes, they suffer a lot b. yes, they suffer sometimes c. no they dont suffer d. other ________________

11. How would you describe your relationship with your family? a. Very close b. good f. other ________ 12. How would you describe your relationship with other people? c. so-so d. bad e. no relations

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a. Very sociable b. have some friends d. I dont know e. other __________ 13. How many best friends do you have? a. More than 10 b. more than 5 e. other ___________

c. I`m a loner

c. less than 5 d. I dont have

14. How often do you communicate with your friends? a. Daily b. often c. rarely d. never e. other __________

15. How would you describe your relationship with God? a. Very close b. good c. so-so d. bad e. no relation

f. other _______________ 16. How would you describe your relationship with yourself? a. I know myself well b. I dont know myself well c. I dont know myself d. other _____________________

17. What is the best way to build relationship? a. Spend time together b. go through suffering c. go through

happiness d. other _______________________ 18. What would you say on the statement: Suffering bring us closer? a. Agree b. disagree c. I dont know d. other _____________ 19. How does suffering influence relationship? a. Negatively b. positively c. does not influence e. other _____ 20. What effects does suffering bring into relationship? a. Makes it difficult d. other _________ 21. What is the best way to go through the suffering? b. helps to become closer c. no effects d. I dont know

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a. Just persevere b. fight against it c. seek help from others d. I dont know e. other ________________

22. What is your response to suffering? a. Depression b. passivity c. prayer d. other _________________ 23. What do you think about purpose of the suffering? a. There is purpose b. there is no purpose c. I dont know d. other __________ 24. What is you relation to the giver of this questionnaire? a. Best friend b. good friend c. acquaintance d. no relation e. other _________

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Appendix 2
The questionnaire consists of 24 questions concerning life experience, suffering, relationships, and some personal information. Analyzing this questionnaire I have taken to attention only some questions that I considered to be vital for the results of research. Non-Christian Respondents The analysis revealed that 33 non-Christians replayed to question number three a, defining suffering as Evil. Additionally, 37respondents answered c on question number four; depicting strong view that suffering happens by accident. Another 29 respondents replayed either a or b on the question eight, that is showed their perception of the suffering. The thirty seven non-Christians concluded question number nine as b resulting in strong conviction that they do not want to suffer. On the question eleven, 15 respondentsindicated a thus showing close relationships with their family. Also 10respondents answered a on the question number twelve depicting closeness with others. Twenty two respondentsindicated disagreement with question eighteen; therefore, they answered b. The thirty one respondents showed negative effects on the relationships by choosing the answer a. Another 26 respondents indicated negative effects of suffering and have chosen answer a. Thirty six non-Christians answered a and b on the question twenty two; which clearly showed frustration and apathy in the time of suffering. And finally,

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26 respondents answered a on the question twenty three; which clearly pictures that there is no purpose in the suffering. Christian Respondents On the other hand, 30Christians respondents considered suffering as good and answered b on the question number three. Twenty four respondents indicated that suffering is the Will of God thus responded a on the question four. Another 22 respondents concluded suffering as a chance and responded c on the question eight. Surprisingly even for me, 9 Christian respondents indicated desire to suffer therefore, they answered a on the question nine. The questions regarding relationships, 20 Christian respondents consistently indicated strong relationships with family members and other people responding a to the questions eleven and twelve. Thirty four respondents stated Agree on the question eighteen and indicated positive influence of the suffering onto relationships responded b on the question nineteen, and another 28 respondents answered b on the question number twenty.Indicating a distinct difference thirty Christian respondents indicated prayer as a response to suffering, thus answered c on the question twenty two. And finally, thirty four respondents stated a; there is a purpose in suffering on the question twenty three.

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