The answer to this question is very simple. No. God does not tempt people to sin. Still confused? Disagree? Let me explain.
Let us look first at what the Bible says about God tempting men.
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 by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grow, gives birth to death. James 1:13-15 New International Version
There are some key points here that James makes about tempting:
- God cannot be tempted by evil.
- God does not tempt us.
- We are tempted by our own desires.
Now we know that it is our own sinful desires, not God that tempts us. Let’s move on. Most staunch nonbelievers will quickly reproach what I have just stated by citing the following verse:
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. Genesis 22:1 King James Translation
OH NO! The atheists have finally found a loophole! It seems we were wrong all along. Let us take a moment and look at the truth of the matter. Let us first look at two words.
The first is nacah. Nacah is translated as meaning to “try”, “test”, or “prove”. This word is the Hebrew word which appears in Genesis 22:1. This shows that God was not really tempting Abraham into sin, he was testing him. Yes, there is a difference. Can you think of a time in your own life when you felt like God was testing you for greater things to come? I know that I can. He will test and try our faith; otherwise we would be static Christians with a faith that could not withstand even the slightest obstacle.
The second word is apeirastos. This is the Greek word that we find in James 1:13-15. This word is translated as “cannot be tempted by evil” or “not liable to the temptation of sin”. So, this word fits perfectly in the context of James. It clearly states that God will not tempt us into sin.
What this comes down to is simply a translation error in the King James Translation of the Bible. Man made an error. Surprised? Well, don’t be. It all started with a garden and some fruit. Making errors is in our blood.
If you are still struggling with the concept of temptation let me shoot you a couple scriptures to help you out:
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 New International Version
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Mark 14:38 New International Version
Let me recap.
- Yes. The King James Translation got a word wrong, but now we know the true translation of the Hebrew word “nacah”. All is well once again.
- God does not tempt man to sin; our own sinful desire takes care of that. (James 1:13-15)
- Our bodies are weak to withstand the temptation. (Mark 14:38)
- God will not tempt us beyond what we can bear; he will provide a way out. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
- So I want to hear what you, the readers, think about temptation. Are you ever tempted beyond what you can withstand? Does God ever tempt you, or is it your own fleshly desires? What are your thoughts on the matter? If you still need help on the issue I encourage you to speak up! I will do my best to answer your questions via commenting, or if you would rather do so privately, just contact me.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
If we sin we do it because of our nature. God does not tempt us. That is my understanding.
That is absolutely right. God does not tempt, no matter what some may try and convince you to believe.
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