Evidence · Case 06 · Problem of Evil
The letter of James on trials
One exhibit from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
James tells readers to treat trials as occasions for growth, because the testing of faith produces steadfastness. This is not a call to enjoy pain or to go looking for it. It is a claim that suffering is not always wasted, which is the same redemptive logic Paul uses.
Sources
James 1:2-4, NASB
Objections & responses
- “Suffering builds character” fails for suffering that destroys rather than builds: infants who die, dementia, torture that breaks the mind. James is talking about persecution endured by adults, not those cases.
Correct on both counts. James addresses trials that can be endured and grown through, not every kind of suffering. The soul-making response, associated with John Hick, is one Christian approach and has exactly the limit named here, which is why this case also offers presence, the resurrection, and free will rather than resting on character formation alone. No single response covers every case, and James should not be asked to carry more than he claims.