Divine Paradoxes: Resolving Seeming Contradictions in Christian Theology
Category 1: God’s Nature vs. Christ’s Earthly Life
1. Introduction
Scripture affirms that God is the God of peace, unshaken by turmoil or confusion. He is the source and sustainer of harmony, order, and inner stillness (1 Corinthians 14:33; Philippians 4:9). Yet, in one of the most jarring moments in redemptive history, Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). This paradox confronts us with the tension between divine tranquillity and Christ’s agony, and reveals the mystery of how peace was purchased through pain.
2. God Is Peace
2.1 Scriptural Foundations
- “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” – 1 Corinthians 14:33
- “The God of peace shall be with you.” – Philippians 4:9
- “Now the God of peace… make you perfect in every good work.” – Hebrews 13:20–21
2.2 Theological Implications
- God is eternally composed, unaffected by fear, anxiety, or disarray.
- Peace is not just what God gives, but what He is (Romans 15:33).
- His being is marked by complete self-consistency and perfect rest in Himself.
3. Yet the Son Cried Out
3.1 Scriptural Witness
- “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” – Matthew 27:46
- “He was in anguish, and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground.” – Luke 22:44
- “In the days of his flesh… he offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears.” – Hebrews 5:7
3.2 Nature of the Cry
- Christ’s cry was not loss of faith, but raw, faithful lament—the fulfilment of Psalm 22, spoken from a human soul under divine judgment.
- It reflects emotional realism: Christ’s true experience of God-forsakenness on our behalf, without inner rebellion or sin.
4. Theological Resolution: Divine Peace Through Substitutionary Anguish
| Divine Identity | Earthly Experience of Christ |
|---|---|
| God is peace | Christ cried in anguish |
| God is untroubled | Christ was “troubled in spirit” (John 13:21) |
| God never forsakes | Christ experienced forsakenness |
This paradox is resolved when we understand that Christ, though divine, assumed true humanity to bear the full psychological, emotional, and spiritual weight of sin. His cry was the echo of judgment falling not on Himself for His own sake, but for us. God’s peace was purchased through Christ’s turmoil (Isaiah 53:5).
5. Historical Theological Perspectives
5.1 Early Church
- Athanasius: Christ “took our cries so that we might receive His peace.”
- Gregory Nazianzen: In suffering and lament, the Son “did not un-God Himself, but humanised us unto God.”
5.2 Reformation Thought
- Luther: “God forsaking God—that is the mystery of the cross.”
- Calvin: The cry of dereliction shows the hell that Christ endured to secure our peace with God.
5.3 Modern Theology
- T.F. Torrance: Christ absorbed the disorder of sin to reconcile all things into the peace of God.
6. Doctrinal and Devotional Implications
6.1 Assurance in Christ’s Suffering
- Because Christ cried out, we never need to doubt that He understands our deepest despair (Hebrews 4:15).
6.2 Access to Divine Peace
- Christ’s anguish opened the path to a peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7).
- His cry removed the barrier of wrath and made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20).
6.3 Faith Amid Silence
- When God seems silent, the believer can recall that Christ entered that silence for us, and redeemed it.
7. Conclusion
The paradox that God is peace, yet Christ cried out, invites awe and worship. The Prince of Peace became the Man of Sorrows, not because peace failed, but because peace was being secured. In His cry, we hear both judgment and redemption, despair and hope, the breaking of peace to make peace eternal.
References
- The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)
- Athanasius. On the Incarnation
- Gregory of Nazianzus. Theological Orations
- Calvin, J. Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels
- Luther, M. Lectures on Galatians
- Torrance, T.F. Atonement: The Person and Work of Christ