Why God Allows Evil Upon Christian Evangelists?

34 year old Nabeel Qureshi was a devout Ahmadiyya Muslim. He converted to Christianity almost 12 years ago. He served as an itinerant speaker with RZIM, and is a best-selling author (Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, No God But One—Allah or Jesus?).

Last year, the news that Nabeel had been diagnosed with cancer distressed the Christian world. His prognosis remains grim. A few days ago, the RZIM team bid their preliminary goodbye to Nabeel.1

God's blessing upon a very young Nabeel is evident. His ministry has blessed many. Had God blessed Nabeel with a longer lifespan, multitudes might have been drawn to Christ.

However, God's plan seems to be different. Ravi Zacharias recalled Nabeel's goodbye to his colleagues at RZIM, "Our itinerants all gathered, about seventy of us from every continent. Nabeel spoke to us on the opening morning. He told us that the doctors have given up hope and that there will be no surgical intervention (which was to have happened only if the chemo and radiation had worked). Medicine feels it has done all it can...To his fellow itinerants Nabeel came to say, "Thank you. I love you all and if I have hurt anyone, I ask for forgiveness. Most important, my faith is stronger than ever in my Savior and whatever lies ahead, I will take it as God's will." Then he said, "You will probably not see me speaking in public anymore and I bid you all goodbye." He then looked in my direction to share his final words of affection to me and bid us goodbye. I was too overcome to say anything." (Emphasis Mine).2

Nabeel's situation motivates a consideration of these legitimately perplexing questions that confound a thinking mind:

(1) Why does God allow evil upon Christian evangelists? (Approximately two-thirds of this world does not believe in Christ. Aren't Christian evangelists the need of the hour?)

(2) Why does God terminate the life of HIS evangelists while they're young? (If God extended the ministry of HIS most effective evangelists, many more would have been blessed.)

(3) Is God not interested in the conversion of non-Christians?

These questions, if not provided with valid answers, could prompt a misunderstanding about God. Alternatively, a correct understanding could benefit the thinking Christian to appropriately comprehend God and this situation.

Why Does God Allow Evil Upon Christian Evangelists? In a world that is largely non-Christian, the need of the hour is Christian evangelists. The Bible mandates preaching of the gospel. If God allows evil upon evangelists (not all, but some), is HE not detrimentally interfering with the spread of gospel? God's inaction from the perspective of lack of protection seems to contradict HIS Word.

How do we reconcile this existential and spiritual dilemma?

This dilemma could be resolved from another vantage point. If we can biblically assert that God is not constrained to protect HIS evangelists, a plausible inference is that God could allow evil upon HIS evangelists in the same manner in which HE allows evil upon anyone.

Therefore, let us wrestle with the question "Why Does God Allow Evil Upon Christian Evangelists?" from the vantage point of "Is God constrained to protect HIS evangelists?"

This question is predicated upon these premises: P1. Evangelism is the need of the hour. P2. Evangelism is the greatest Christian ministry. P3. Christian evangelists are more precious (in God's sight / plan) than other Christians. P4. Hence, it follows that God should protect HIS evangelists (over other Christians).

If we can invalidate one or more of these premises, the conclusion (P4) could be disputed. Then we could confidently assert that God is not constrained to protect HIS evangelists. Therefore, the situation of evangelists being affected by evil need not be an aberration in God's plan.