The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
Week 3: Chapter 2 — Divine Omnipotence
Read Chapter 2 of The Problem of Pain. Key biblical background: Matthew 19:26; Hebrews 6:18.
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If God is all-powerful, why doesn't He simply remove all pain? Lewis's answer begins with a careful look at what omnipotence actually means — and doesn't mean.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Lewis famously argues that omnipotence does not mean the ability to do the 'intrinsically impossible' — God cannot make a square circle, not because His power is limited, but because a square circle is not a thing at all. Do you find this distinction convincing? Does it feel like it lets God off the hook too easily?
2.He argues that a world of free creatures with solid, predictable matter — the very conditions needed for genuine human action and relationship — necessarily creates the possibility of suffering. A world without the potential for pain would be a world without the possibility of meaningful existence. Walk through his argument. Do you agree with each step?
a.Why does Lewis say 'fixed nature' (a world with consistent physical laws) is necessary for genuine free action?
b.If matter must behave consistently, what does that imply about the inevitability of some suffering?
3.Lewis uses the illustration that even God cannot give a creature the pleasure of victory without also giving it the possibility of defeat. How does this apply to broader goods — love, courage, patience — that require risk or resistance to exist at all?
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