Week 11 Tempting Hardships

Burdens, temptations, and hardships, oh my.

“Themed ice cream party cakes“ by Cold Rock Aspley 0417115707 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Oh, I want to be right on this one. Here’s a news flash, those of you in our small group already know…I want to be right on everything. Here’s another news flash…I’m not always right. I might not be right on this one either, but I don’t know yet. I thought this admission, before I started digging into this Monday Morning With Jesus, would be a good opening.

What am I talking about?

In class yesterday, we were using the following scripture as our passage for the lesson. It got re-quoted several times in the lesson. One verse got posted from two versions. It’s that verse that prompts this morning’s writing. Here is the passage.

¹Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
²Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
³For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
⁴But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
⁵For each one will bear his own load.
Galatians 6:1–5 (NASB95)

The first verse is the one that got quoted multiple times. It even ended up in a second translation to help make the point in the lesson. The point in the lesson was that our “burdens” are more than just physical things we carry. Our burdens are also more than the difficulties we go through. Our burdens can be our falling away from God’s Word into sin. Here is the second translation that appeared in the lesson, and you guessed it, it’s from the King James Version.

¹Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Galatians 6:1 (KJV 1900)

The discussion wandered into the realm of being tempted by more than we can bear, and I said I didn’t think that was quite scriptural. A member of the class began looking things up in his Bible on his phone. For the record, I’m not just okay with that; I’m very pleased to see people in class using the Bible. Question me all day long if you want, but do it from scripture. Then we can have the discussion about what it says. If I’m wrong, I’ll change. If I don’t think I’m wrong, I’ll say so and why.

That’s nearly five hundred words to set up digging into the scripture underlying the question about God tempting us beyond our ability to resist. The scripture that was brought up was 1 Corinthians 10:13. Let’s look at that now.

¹³No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB95)

Because I do my studies in the King James, and I might be eating some crow, I’m going to force you all to read some in the KJV, too.

¹³There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV 1900)

Well, that’s interesting.

In both translations, we see the same English word used in the first “temptation” and then with “tempted.” However, those are different Greek words behind the English ones with subtle, but important differences.

In the beginning of the verse, the word “temptation” is used, and again toward the end of the verse. The same Greek word is used there, but it has a meaning of adversity to it, rather than what we would think of as the common idea of being tempted to do something wrong. Let’s look at a couple of English definitions. First for temptation.

Temptation

[temp-tey-shuhn] / tɛmpˈteɪ ʃən /
noun

1. The act of tempting; enticement or allurement.

Synonyms:
inducement, seduction, pull, attraction, lure

2. Something that tempts, entices, or allures.

3. The fact or state of being tempted, especially to evil.

4. An instance of this.

5. (Initial capital letter) the temptation of Christ by Satan. Matthew 4.

Tempted doesn’t have a definition other than to say the past tense of the word to tempt. So, let’s look at the definition of tempt.

Tempt

[tempt] / tɛmpt /
verb (used with object)
To entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.

1. To attract, appeal strongly to, or invite.

   The offer tempts me.

Synonyms:
persuade, incite, lure, induce, inveigle

3. To render strongly disposed to do something.

   The book tempted me to read more on the subject.

4. To put (someone) to the test in a venturesome way; provoke.

   to tempt one’s fate.

5. Obsolete. to try or test.

That’s what we think of when we hear the word tempt, tempted, temptation, etc. To lure someone into something unwise, wrong, or immoral. Thus, when I see the word “temptation,” I think it is referring to something wrong, unwise, or immoral. Maybe there is a different meaning to that word in this verse of scripture. Let’s take a look at the Greek words used behind temptation and tempted from 1 Corinthians 10:13. First, we’ll look at temptation.

Greek Strong’s Number: 3986

Greek Word: πειρασμός
Transliteration: peirasmos
Phonetic Pronunciation: pi-ras-mos’
Root: from <G3985>
Cross Reference: TDNT - 6:23,822
Part of Speech: n m
Vine’s Words: Prove, Temptation, Trial
Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV:
temptation 19
temptations 1
try 1
[Total Count: 21]
From <G3985> (peirazo); a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication adversity:- temptation, × try.

James Strong, “Πειρασμός,” in Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (WORDsearch, 2020).

“by implication adversity”. Burden, difficulty, hardship…adversity. Now, to be up front, the root word is 100% tempt/tempted as you and I think of it, and the English definition lays out. That aspect is absolutely there, but so is the idea of a burden of adversity or hardship.

Now, let’s look at the Greek behind the word tempted.

Greek Strong’s Number: 3985

Greek Word: πειράζω
Transliteration: peirazō
Phonetic Pronunciation: pi-rad’-zo
Root: from <G3984>
Cross Reference: TDNT - 6:23,822
Part of Speech: v
Vine’s Words: Examination, Examine, Prove, Tempt, Try, Tried
Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV:
tempt 29
try 4
tempter 2
prove 1
assay 1
examine 1
go about 1
[Total Count: 39]
From <G3984> (peira); to test (object), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline:- assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt (-er), try.

James Strong, “Πειράζω,” in Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (WORDsearch, 2020).

The root word connects these two Greek words in a very interesting way. The root word, peira, means a trial, an experiment, or something experienced. I want you to go re-read the Greek word Strong’s 3986 pierasmos and watch for the words experiment and experience. See if that doesn’t put the 1 Corinthians 10:13 verse in a different light.

If we paraphrase this verse based on these definitions, it might look like this…

“There are no adversities or hardships you will experience that haven’t happened to other people. But God is faithful and will not let you be put into a test other people haven’t been tested with, but will, with that hardship, provide a path to survive it.”

Does that mean I was wrong, that is exactly what the scripture means? Yeah, it sort of is. I’m a big enough boy to admit I was wrong. God will always give us a route out of things we find tempting us to sin, do things we shouldn’t, or act in a way that is displeasing to Him. Sometimes, that route out of the temptation/sin/adversity is learning to rely upon Him. That’s that experience/experiment part. We learn His ways are good and that when sinful things descend upon us, He is trustworthy and reliable for us to depend upon so that we survive the thing we are in the midst of.

It isn’t that we won’t be tempted as Christians. We absolutely will. The point of this scripture is that through God’s Word, God’s Holy Spirit, and God the Father, we can rely upon Him to shine His light through Jesus’ example on how to navigate any situation in life. We might fail to learn the lesson being taught and think that means God failed, but that only means we didn’t pick up the lesson He was teaching in any particular “temptation” we think He didn’t take us out of or help us overcome. I contend it is a lack of perception and learning on our part when that happens and not a failing of God’s. The keys are prayer and opening the heart to change and learning when we are in something we don’t want to be going through. He is the only source of true safety. Everything else is a sham and deceptive. We find our safety and security in Him alone. God bless and Godspeed.

¹Hear my cry, O God; Attend unto my prayer.
²From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
³For thou hast been a shelter for me, And a strong tower from the enemy.
⁴I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
Psalm 61:1–4 (KJV 1900)

---