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"Leadus not into temptation''?
by
Clayton Steep
Does God lead humans intq temptation?
If
not, why pray that
God won't? This question has perplexed many, including theologians.
I
N J AMES
1:13 we read:
"Let no man say when he
is tempted,
r
am tempted
of God: for God cannot be
tempted with evil, neither
tempteth he any man."
But in Genesis 22:1 we also
read, "And it carne to pass
... that God did tempt Abra–
ham.... " Here is certainly an
apparent contrad iction! Does
God ever tempt one to do evil?
If
not, why pray, "Lead us not
into temptation"?
And what about the verse that
says, " ... count it all joy when ye
fall into divers temptations"? (Jas.
1:2).
How are these apparently con–
tradictory scriptures to be under–
stood?
Sore Trial
The word
temptation
is a very
unfortunate translation that occu rs
in older English versions of the
Bible. In modero usage, temptation
has the meaning of enticement to
do evil. But that is not the primary
intent of either the Hebrew or
Greek words. In most instances a
better translation into English is
"hard test" or "sore t r ia!."
We see this, for example, in Rev–
elation 3:10, where the word in
question appears. Speaking of the
coming period of worldwide dis-
34
tress, Jesus makes a promise to
those who obey him: " I also will
keep tbee from the hour of
tempta–
tion,
which shal l come upon all the
world, to try them that dwell upon
the earth." Here the word
tempta–
tion
is better translated "sore tria!"
or "tribulation."
Likewise, the request "Lead us
not into temptation" should be ren–
dered " Lead [or bring] us not into
sore trial."
But what did Christ mean by
that?
Jesus himself, the night before
his crucifixion, gave us an example
of what be meant by "lead us not
into sore tria!." He was aware of
the intense suffering he was abou t
to undergo. H e could see it coming.
He realized that if he fajled during
the trials of the next twelve hours
or so, God's whole plan for the
redemption of mankind would fail
also.
J esus was decply troubled. He
prayed: "O my Father, if it be pos–
sible, let this cup [of suffering)
pass from me (in other words ,
"Lead me not into sore tria!!"]:
nevertheless," he added, "not as 1
will, but as thou wilt" (Matt.
26:39). Yes, as J esus prayed in
Matthew 6:1
O,
"Thy wi ll be done
in earth, as it is in heaven."
· Maybe there was sorne other way
o f working out God's plan of
redemption. J esus asked, if so, to
be spared being brought into the
grievously sore test just ahead–
but only
if
it was God's will.
It was not.
It is not always God's will to
keep us out of sore tria! either.
Sometimes we become lax in doing
our part to develop rigbteous char–
acter, and we need a hard test to
bring us to our senses. God may
allow us to experience trials to get
us back "on the track."
Our Part
A Christian is one who asks to be
led by God each day, for the Eter–
na! says, " 1 am the Lord thy God
which ... leadeth thee by the way
that thou shouldest go" (lsa.
48:1
7).
When we see a trial loom–
ing on the horizon, rather than
being overcome with anxiety about
it, we can ask God,
if it
is his
wi/1,
to lead us past it, around it, over it,
any other direction but
into
it! lf
we are alert and clase to God, we
may be delivered f rom the tria!
befare we become completely
involved in it. "Watch [be alert!]
and pray," Jesus urged his disci–
ples, "that ye
enter not
into temp–
tation [sore tria!]" (Matt. 26:4 1) .
Jesus ' entire prayer outline as
given in Matthew 6:9- 13 is based
on the premise that those praying
are doing their part to fulfill God's
plan. The request, "Give us trus
day our daily bread" (verse 11 ),
assumes the requester is doing
what he can to produce and earn
ThB
PLAIN TRUTH