Paul's Suffering God: Frustration in Divine Compassion

The apostle Paul has attracted abundant attention from his teaching in his undisputed letters that Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, suffered and died for his people. Interpreters have been hesitant, however, to find God's suffering in Paul's teaching. It is one thing for Jesus Christ as God's Son to suffer; it is another for God, as the divine Father of Jesus Christ, to suffer in response to people. This article documents Paul's commitment to the suffering of God, including in divine groaning, and it explains the theological importance of this commitment neglected by most interpreters of Paul. The article contends that this commitment gives resilience to Paul's theology, including its approach to evidence of God's reality and goodness.