Does God Ever Bring Temptation?

Biblegems #275

Question: Why are we are instructed to pray: “lead us not into temptation”? Does God ever lead people into temptation so that we need to ask Him not to?

“Lead us not into temptation” is part of the Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:4 (a shorter version). The answer to the question is found both in the word translated “temptation” and in the remainder of the sentence in Matthew 6:13—“but deliver us from evil.”

The word peirasmos in the Greek New Testament translated into English as “temptation” actually means “testing,” or “trial”—in the sense of difficult circumstances.[i] This unfortunate error in translation shows up in the earliest English translations of the Bible, and seems to be perpetuated now mostly because of its familiarity. This is a classic example of the truth that God’s Word is inerrant; translators and translations are not.

Nevertheless, the practice of sound biblical interpretation makes Jesus’ meaning clear even where the translation muddies the waters a bit. We know from the clear teaching of Scripture as a whole that God never tempts anyone to sin:

         James 1:13-14 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

James uses the same word translated “tempted” as Jesus does in the Lord’s Prayer. James, however, qualifies the word to indicate trials arising from one’s own “evil desires.”

From beginning to end, the Lord’s Prayer is a brief and practical guideline on how to pray effectively. “Lead us not into testing” recognizes on the one hand that life is full of difficult circumstances that God will use to test our spiritual development:

         1Cor. 10:13 No temptation [trial / testing] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted [tried / tested] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted [tried / tested], he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

On the other hand, while such trials in life are to be accepted when they come with a joy in knowing that God will strengthen us through them (James 1:2), we do not need to seek them out. Asking God, “lead me not into temptation [testing]” is tantamount to praying, “Lord, please teach me what You want me to learn through some other means, if possible.”

The remainder of the sentence in Matthew 6:13—“but deliver us from evil”—likewise recognizes that evil surrounds us and is often thrust upon us. Praying for God’s deliverance at such times is not only acceptable; it is God’s will!

         Eph. 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

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[i] “The word peirasmos (“temptation”) and its cognate noun rarely if ever before the NT mean “temptation” in the sense of “enticement to sin” (whether from inward lust or outward circumstances) but rather “testing” (cf. also on 4:1-12).” —Comment on Matthew 6:13: EBC, In Loc.

Did God Create Evil?

Biblegems #161

Question: If God created all things, doesn’t it follow that He also created evil?

It is true that the Bible states that God created “all things:”

         Col. 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth…all things were created by him and for him.

The phrase “all things” is to be understood in the context of the creation account in Genesis:

         Gen. 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

If all creation at its inception was “very good,” and all creation at its inception was made not only by God but for God, where did evil come from, if not from God?        

In the biblical record of the first humans God provides a pristine environment where they can thrive and multiply. They are also provided something unique throughout the created order—with the exception of the angels—the freedom and ability to love God and obey Him as a matter of choice. The animal kingdom was given no such choice. Birds, reptiles, insects and fish were given no such choice. In creating mankind, however, God brought into existence a being much like Himself, a being designed to interact with God in a deeply personal relationship.

         Gen. 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  

Sometimes people complain that God was being unfair to Adam and Eve by placing temptation in front of them, knowing they would not be able resist. That would be like saying that it is unfair for a married man to be able to see because he might be tempted to be unfaithful to his wife by the sight of a beautiful woman. Should all married men be made blind? Of course not! A man and a woman choose to remain faithful to each other and to love each other for life because that choice demonstrates their love.

The truth is, God tempts no one:

         James 1:13-14  When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.   

Sin, evil and all the tragedy they bring into the universe has its source in the choice not to love God and to live in opposition to His design for life as free beings within His created order. And, as with all things that are treated contrary to their design, mankind and the universe are breaking down at an accelerating pace. Humanity not only duplicates the sin of Adam and Eve but multiplies it.

         Rom. 1:32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

And that is why all creation is in such dire need of the salvation that God Himself has provided through Jesus Christ!

Saved Through Childbearing

Biblegems #20

The next Biblegems question come from 1 Timothy chapter 2. The question comes from Paul’s teaching in verse 15 that women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety (NIV). What does the Bible mean when it says that women will be saved through childbearing? Saved from what? —you might ask.

As is usually the case, the answer is found primarily in the context. In this case, the previous verses reveal that the apostle Paul is concerned about the impact cultural norms of the day are having upon the spiritual health of women in the Church at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:1). These Christian women are predominantly Gentile (non-Jewish), and therefore much less modest in their dress, and much more inclined to “dress-up” (v.9) than their Jewish counterparts. In a public worship setting (2:11-12), this could cause temptation for the men and disdain from the Jewish women who had been trained from childhood to identify godliness with extreme modesty and simple, unadorned attire (Gen. 24:65).

Another important connection in the context comes from Paul’s allusion to the account of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden. Paul stresses the point here that it was Eve, not Adam, who had been deceived. While Adam had his own role to play in outright disobedience, Paul’s purpose in this text seems to be to highlight the fact that Eve was enticed by an outside influence that offered her more than what God had ordained for her. She was tempted to experience right from wrong, to “know” more than God had permitted her to know, to “be” more than God had designed for her to be. By yielding to that temptation, Eve brought upon herself, and upon her female descendants, a level of pain in childbearing that was never part of God’s original design.

Giving birth is at the very epicenter of what it means to be female. To have that joyful experience shrouded in pain created a generational reminder of what happens when human beings step outside of God’s plan for their lives.

So Paul is using the phrase “saved through childbearing” as a euphemism, a figure of speech, meaning ‘saved through being content in her ordained role’ as a woman. The Greek culture of the first century church encouraged women to flaunt their bodies and their femininity—in other words, to be less than content with their God-given role as a wife and mother, set apart solely for her family. What does “childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety,” save her from?

“... she would be saved from becoming a prey to the

social evils of the time and would take her part in the

maintenance of the testimony of the local church.”¹

¹ Vines, as quoted in the Expositors Bible Commentary, Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor

J.D. Douglas, Associate Editor, Accordance Bible Software, in loc.