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Scripture and Theology about God and the Limits of Human Reason
Like many topics, Scripture does not address the use of logic directly. Nevertheless,
there is much we find there that is indirectly quite relevant. Most of Job consists of a debate
between two logically coherent perspectives. Job and his friends all seem to believe that Job's
suffering requires a rational explanation. Job's friends conclude that since God is all-good and
all human suffering is punishment from God for wrong-doing, Job must have done wrong. Job,
on the other hand, started out with those premises, but had another: that he is innocent of wrong-
doing. This led him to draw the inference that God may have slipped up. Each side was
logically consistent, given its premises. God finally called into question both formal models and
concludes the book by arguing the humans are unable to fully understand the ways of God.
That theme is found throughout Scripture. The author of Psalm 139 marvels at the
infinite greatness of God. He is omnipresent and omniscient, his thoughts beyond number.
Speaking through Isaiah, after calling sinners to repent and be restored, God declared: "For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."(55.8,9)
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Back in Job, one of his detractors criticized Job's take on his suffering: "Can you fathom the
mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens-
-what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave--what can you know? (11:7)
And later the wise, but young, Elihu said, "God thunders with His voice wondrously, doing great
things which we cannot comprehend." (37:5). The earliest wisdom book in the Bible makes
clear our understanding of God has limits.
Much later, in the book of Romans, after discussing God's mysterious dealings with the