First Q: In Matthew 6:13, Jesus instructs us to pray, Lead us not into temptation. But James 1:13 says that God does not tempt anyone. Isnt this a contradiction? Why should we ask God to not do something which He says He never does?
A: These two texts are consistent both technically and conceptually. Lets look at the technical side of things here first: if James 1:13 says, God does not tempt people, and Jesus instructs us to pray to God not to lead us into temptation, then the only problem here would be one of a superfluous request (like, "Do not go whaling in Wyoming"), not a contradiction.
But a consideration of the concepts involved shows that not only is there no contradiction; there is no superfluity either. Lets take a closer look at James 1:13 ~
Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
What sort of temptation is James talking about here? He leaves no doubt as he proceeds to write in the next few verses: temptations which are induced by lust and which produce sin. In other words, temptations in which the goal of the tempter is to get the tempted individual to commit evil. God never does that.
But God does allow us to enter situations in which we face temptations. His goal for doing so is to "test" us, like gold in a crucible, so that our love of goodness will be increased, our spiritual character will be refined, and our level of surrender to His will will be deepened. Its like the difference between a good doctor who advises a patient to exercise in order for the patient to become stronger, and an insidious doctor who advises a patient to exercise in the hope that he will overstrain himself and die. God knows how much strain we can take, and He does not allow us to be tempted beyond that level.
This idiomatic phrase from Matthew 6:13 ~ Lead us not into temptation ~ is not a request that God never test us. It means something like, Do not bring us to the breaking-point, or, As you refine us, do not boil us away. The devil and his minions, who often take part in temptations, want to harm us, however. Thus this phrase is properly paired with but deliver us from the evil (the wicked might suggest just the right nuance -- the evil is not only evil in general, but evildoers, and the devil, the wicked one); the resultant meaning is, hyper-paraphrased, Do not bring us to the breaking-point, and save us from the one who wants us to break. [I know, the KJV doesn't have the "the," but its equivalent (tou) is there in Greek.] Every situation, including situations in which our souls are tested, is an opportunity for some good to be accomplished, even if it is only the good of holding ones ground.
Second Q: Doesnt God tempt some people in the Bible? Genesis 22:1 says, God did tempt Abraham, and in Second Samuel 24:1, The anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah.
A: The KJV is a bit overliteral in Genesis 22:1; the context calls for tested, as in the New American Standard Bible and some other translations. As for II Sam. 24:1, there are (at least) two ways of resolving this. The first way is to take the phrase the anger of the LORD as a title for Lucifer, so that the text would say, And, again, Anger-of-YHWH was ablaze against Israel -- and in this way, the initiator is not God. Although this way of referring to the devil would be unique, the parallel in Second Chronicles 21:1 is in sync with this approach; there the text says, And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel .
The second way is to consider the act -- the act of putting it in Davids mind to conduct a census -- as a test, a trial of Davids character. Would he consult the Law, and His Levitical advisors, to see how a census should be undertaken, or would he simply give orders about it? God knew, but He also wanted David to know. Unfortunately, David simply gave orders about it, ignoring the Law's requirement of the bekah-tax. There was nothing inherently evil, though, about the idea of conducting a census, and thus, the suggestion was not a temptation; it only led into a temptation -- one to which David proved to be all too vulnerable. Thats the sort of thing that he who prays Lead us not into temptation is praying not to happen to him.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
A: These two texts are consistent both technically and conceptually. Lets look at the technical side of things here first: if James 1:13 says, God does not tempt people, and Jesus instructs us to pray to God not to lead us into temptation, then the only problem here would be one of a superfluous request (like, "Do not go whaling in Wyoming"), not a contradiction.
But a consideration of the concepts involved shows that not only is there no contradiction; there is no superfluity either. Lets take a closer look at James 1:13 ~
Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
What sort of temptation is James talking about here? He leaves no doubt as he proceeds to write in the next few verses: temptations which are induced by lust and which produce sin. In other words, temptations in which the goal of the tempter is to get the tempted individual to commit evil. God never does that.
But God does allow us to enter situations in which we face temptations. His goal for doing so is to "test" us, like gold in a crucible, so that our love of goodness will be increased, our spiritual character will be refined, and our level of surrender to His will will be deepened. Its like the difference between a good doctor who advises a patient to exercise in order for the patient to become stronger, and an insidious doctor who advises a patient to exercise in the hope that he will overstrain himself and die. God knows how much strain we can take, and He does not allow us to be tempted beyond that level.
This idiomatic phrase from Matthew 6:13 ~ Lead us not into temptation ~ is not a request that God never test us. It means something like, Do not bring us to the breaking-point, or, As you refine us, do not boil us away. The devil and his minions, who often take part in temptations, want to harm us, however. Thus this phrase is properly paired with but deliver us from the evil (the wicked might suggest just the right nuance -- the evil is not only evil in general, but evildoers, and the devil, the wicked one); the resultant meaning is, hyper-paraphrased, Do not bring us to the breaking-point, and save us from the one who wants us to break. [I know, the KJV doesn't have the "the," but its equivalent (tou) is there in Greek.] Every situation, including situations in which our souls are tested, is an opportunity for some good to be accomplished, even if it is only the good of holding ones ground.
Second Q: Doesnt God tempt some people in the Bible? Genesis 22:1 says, God did tempt Abraham, and in Second Samuel 24:1, The anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah.
A: The KJV is a bit overliteral in Genesis 22:1; the context calls for tested, as in the New American Standard Bible and some other translations. As for II Sam. 24:1, there are (at least) two ways of resolving this. The first way is to take the phrase the anger of the LORD as a title for Lucifer, so that the text would say, And, again, Anger-of-YHWH was ablaze against Israel -- and in this way, the initiator is not God. Although this way of referring to the devil would be unique, the parallel in Second Chronicles 21:1 is in sync with this approach; there the text says, And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel .
The second way is to consider the act -- the act of putting it in Davids mind to conduct a census -- as a test, a trial of Davids character. Would he consult the Law, and His Levitical advisors, to see how a census should be undertaken, or would he simply give orders about it? God knew, but He also wanted David to know. Unfortunately, David simply gave orders about it, ignoring the Law's requirement of the bekah-tax. There was nothing inherently evil, though, about the idea of conducting a census, and thus, the suggestion was not a temptation; it only led into a temptation -- one to which David proved to be all too vulnerable. Thats the sort of thing that he who prays Lead us not into temptation is praying not to happen to him.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
