Father Mike Schmitz

Is God evil?

Is God cruel?

And because there's not really an answer to that question,

In the book of Job.

But there is an answer to that question in the rest of the Bible where God is like, absolutely not.

I am not cruel.

I am not vindictive.

I do not visit punishment needlessly upon anybody.

He is a God of justice and goodness and love and life.

the multitude from every nation.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man can number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb.

And that's all he gives or the things that lead to justice and goodness and love and life.

We only know that if we look at the scripture as a whole.

Again, even though there are 73 different books by many, many different authors, we read every text in context and in light of the rest of the Bible.

And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, Amen.

Number three, so number one, sacred author's intention.

uh especially attentive to the content unity of scripture number three we read scripture within the living tradition of the whole church which means to say that we um pay attention to what the uh the church has said about certain topics certain scriptures um we are attentive to the fact that not only is there sacred scripture there's also sacred tradition

Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever.

Amen.

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, Who are these clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?