Tested v. Tempted

[ps139]

I read somewhere that Jesus was not really tempted in the desert, but that He was tested. That "tempted" is not the best translation. Is this true? Here is what I'm dealing with somewhere else:

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

Jesus was tempted because he was a man not god. If jesus were god he would not have been tempted.

If I can explain that Jesus was tested, and not tempted, then I can reslove this. I've heard it but I need the facts, the exegesis etc.

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

I think alot has two do with who the subject is.

To say the Devil tempted Jesus is diffrent then saying Jesus was tempted.
Clearly the Deviles temptations had no effect on Jesus.

So the word tested would seem to make this more clearer

 

[ps139]

bumping my own thread

 

[Michelina]

I think I'll send you a pm. This is a very complex area.

 

[Michelina]

The premise of your interlocutor's challenge does not hold water but I'll answer the question, anyway. Because it is good to understand as much as we can about Jesus.

Preliminary: Some folks think that since Jesus was God, He couldn't really be tempted because He COULD NOT SIN. And yet the SS clearly say He was tempted. St. Paul, that big troublemaker, makes it very plain that this 'temptation' made Him just like us.

Now, ps139, you have entered into a difficult realm. One more mysterious than Tolkien's wildest dreams. You have entered into the realm of the hypostatic union and the mystery of the Christological perichoresis. You think the Trinitarian perichoresis was hard? This is even tougher.

"Dancing Around" is what perichoresis means. The human and Divine Natures of Jesus were always present and in constant interaction, i.e. perichoresis. This is why Jesus could be "tempted" in a way in His human consciousness. Jesus was God and He could not sin, but notice that in the Garden of Gethsemane He indicated that He really wasn’t eager to drink the cup. He ended His prayer, not my will but thine be done. So something was going on there. His human consciousness was aware of what was coming and didn’t relish the thought. But His WILL never wavered.

When the Devil tempted Jesus, he was presenting to His human consciousness all the possibilities that were not within the Divine Will. It was the Ultimate Stare Down . Satan was really thumbing his nose at God, perhaps thinking that if he could get the human consciousness off God for an instant (even though he knew Jesus couldn’t sin) he would achieve the only level of victory that he could get.

But Jesus never blinked.

Perhaps Satan didn't know that from the first moment of His existence, Jesus beheld the Beatific Vision.

 

[Michelina]

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

Jesus was tempted because He was a man not God. If Jesus were God, He would not have been tempted.

I know that's not your thinking. It's the challenge you're answering. It's flawed thinking. It simply assumes that Jesus is either God or Man. People who think this way see divinity and humanity as intrinsically incompatible, so they reject it a priori and refuse to resolve the questions the Gospels present us.

Such people have been around from the very beginning. Satan always attacks the Divinity of Christ because it is the basis of our Faith and the key to understanding the nature and purpose of the Incarnation and everything that comes from that.

Where is that citation in Paul that I can't remember, anybody? The one about Jesus being tempted.

 

[Toney]

Hebrews 2:18- Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

I think that might be the one. But I also think Barnabus wrote the Letter to the Hebrews. Interestingly, some Biblical translators of this verse employ the word "tested" in the first instance; "tempted" in the second.

 

[Michelina]

Hebrews 2:18- Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

That's the one. Thanks, Toney.

 

[TRIBULATOR]

Michelina, I think you are right on when you say that the Diety of Christ plays an important factor here.

the question of God being able to be tempted would then be silly wouldnt it? How can God be tempted about anything?

But when you consider that the persons of the trinity are exactkjy what the church teaches: Three Separate persons,,,than we can eaisly see how CVhrist could be tempted.

i think tested and tempted are both appropriate.

Jesus was being tested by satan so the devil could see if there might be some weakness he could use in his battle with christ? the dveil was in a sense testing the Messiah to see if there was a crack in the armour.

But Jesus was also being tempted. Can God be tempted? Maybe not as the father, but as the Son yes he can.

The Son's faith in the Father was what was actually being tempted. The dveil wanted to see if Jesus would have doubts about the Father's love and committement, and satan also wanted to know exactyly what jesus was feeling, and the best way to do that was to tempt his desires. Remember satan knew Jesus well. They had been in heaven together for a LOOOOOOOONG time. And jesus loved satan dearly at one time. Satan was His favorite angel. so satan likely assumed that Jesus, being God, and coming as the Messiah, would desire power and also desire to show His great abilities.

But satan did not know the true course of actyion that Jesus was about to take.

Yes, Jesus was botyh tempted and tested, but not as God, but as the Son. And the two, though they are both the One God, are also different Persons of the Godhead.

we must remember that to understand the temptation.

 

[Michelina]

Thanks for your response to this thread, Trib. You are obviously a very thoughtful person. One of the great resources for these profound subjects is THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CATHOLIC DOGMA by Ludwig Ott. It is such a thought provoking tool and a treasure chest of profound ideas. I have always found it to be a great aid in discussions. Thanks again for your response.

 

[DatingSmarts]

God can be tempted to judge and condemn humans...look at the flood...read about Abraham negotiating with God for Sodom and Gomorrah...read about Moses negotiating with God in the desert.

God can be tempted to take things away from us

Refer to Job.

We are warned to not test God's power, which is what i think Satan was doing in the desert. Testing the power of Jesus---testing to see if he is really God or just an impersonator. And Jesus wouldn't give Satan that satisfaction of knowing with certainty that He is The One that was prophesied about. I don't blame him for doing that. Haven't you ever encountered someone doubting your goodness and saying if you are good you will do thus and so...as in do it my way...as in fit my criteria of goodness. JEsus wouldn't play along with Satan's rules...he wouldn't play the game...he wouldn't give him any satisfaction...he wouldn't help him...he wouldn't play according to satan's rules which would have been caving in to satan's power on satan's terms. jesus would not give satan the power to make the rules...because jesus had his own rules....jesus had no obligation to tell satan his own rules....jesus is in authority over himself....satan is not the authority on who god is or who jesus is.

 

[DatingSmarts]

I guess what I'm saying is that if you test god's power and authority he might be tempted to use it against the tester...as in kill him, hurt him, or maim him.

so if you keep nagging god and doubting him (testing him)...he's eventually going to be 'tempted' to zap you.

 

[TRIBULATOR]

You are wrong on all counts Dater!

Jesus and satan are well aquainted with each other, and satan does not have to test His power, he is well aware of God's power.

He is NOT the vicious type that you have tried to portray and you are blaming God for your struggle, and forgetting the reasons why you are struggling.

 

[DatingSmarts]

trib ....

 

[ps139]

Tribulator that was over the top and uncalled for. If you think that why not PM DatingSmarts? No reason to call someone names in a post because you do not share theological views.

 

[Michelina]

Amen, ps139 and thanks, KC!

 

[KC Catholic]

Sr. Mod. Hat ON

I see my "plea for peace" has fallen upon deaf ears because my email continues to fill with reported posts. So, if this continues I am going to be handing out warnings, closing threads, and passing out tickets for "7 Day Enforced Vacations."

Tone down the debates, or lose your posting "privledges". Clear?

~KC

Sr. Mod. Hat OFF

 

[Michelina]

I guess what I'm saying is that if you test god's power and authority he might be tempted to use it against the tester...as in kill him, hurt him, or maim him.
so if you keep nagging god and doubting him (testing him)...he's eventually going to be 'tempted' to zap you.

DS, you are making a very simple mistake. You are projecting. God is not like us. He is God, not a human.

Sometimes the SS, esp. the OT, uses anthropomorphisms to portray God.

When you have studied all the SS, and reflected on the nature of God, you can understand these anthropomorphisms properly.

God is not like us. He makes a point of saying so a few times.

God is all-Holy as pointed out by James, in ps139's OP.