The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 6:13,
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Here is the last line of the prayer Jesus used to teach his disciples how to pray. His teaching on prayer was part of his sermon on the mount. It is commonly referred to as "the Lord's prayer."
The current pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, decided last May to rework Jesus' prayer a bit by changing the last line of the Lord's prayer to "do not let us fall into temptation" rather than "lead us not into temptation." His reasoning for this is that the latter implies that God causes or induces temptation. He explained, "It's Satan who leads us into temptation, that's his department."
It was explained as a needed change as it is a better "translation" and more carefully expresses what Jesus said.
I for one am appalled at this move. It does violence to the Greek text (which is the language Matthew's gospel was written in). Just as "lead" is not the same as "fall" in English, so too in the Greek. The original Greek word in Matthew 6:13 is found in eight locations in the New Testament according to the Englishman's Greek Concordance and is rendered either "lead" or "to bring in" or "brought" in its differing forms.
"Fall" is something else altogether. What Greek term will the pope use to change Matthew's original text? Possibly, "empiptó", meaning "to fall into"? Who knows, since he is re-writing the Bible according to his own theology. This really is the Apostle Matthew versus Pope Francis. Although Jesus probably spoke in Aramaic and his words translated into Greek by Matthew, it is Matthew's gospel that is inspired, not Pope Francis' theology. In my mind, it is a question of authority: Is it the Scriptures or the Papacy?
Here is a prophecy Pope Francis may want to consider, provided by the prophet Micaiah for Ahab, king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah: "I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, 'I will entice him.' 'By what means?' the Lord asked. 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the Lord. 'Go and do it.'" 1 Kings 22:19-22.
A fool interprets the Scriptures through the lense of his theology as opposed to his theology being informed by the Scriptures. I face that challenge myself all the time!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Here is the last line of the prayer Jesus used to teach his disciples how to pray. His teaching on prayer was part of his sermon on the mount. It is commonly referred to as "the Lord's prayer."
The current pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, decided last May to rework Jesus' prayer a bit by changing the last line of the Lord's prayer to "do not let us fall into temptation" rather than "lead us not into temptation." His reasoning for this is that the latter implies that God causes or induces temptation. He explained, "It's Satan who leads us into temptation, that's his department."
It was explained as a needed change as it is a better "translation" and more carefully expresses what Jesus said.
I for one am appalled at this move. It does violence to the Greek text (which is the language Matthew's gospel was written in). Just as "lead" is not the same as "fall" in English, so too in the Greek. The original Greek word in Matthew 6:13 is found in eight locations in the New Testament according to the Englishman's Greek Concordance and is rendered either "lead" or "to bring in" or "brought" in its differing forms.
"Fall" is something else altogether. What Greek term will the pope use to change Matthew's original text? Possibly, "empiptó", meaning "to fall into"? Who knows, since he is re-writing the Bible according to his own theology. This really is the Apostle Matthew versus Pope Francis. Although Jesus probably spoke in Aramaic and his words translated into Greek by Matthew, it is Matthew's gospel that is inspired, not Pope Francis' theology. In my mind, it is a question of authority: Is it the Scriptures or the Papacy?
Here is a prophecy Pope Francis may want to consider, provided by the prophet Micaiah for Ahab, king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah: "I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, 'I will entice him.' 'By what means?' the Lord asked. 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the Lord. 'Go and do it.'" 1 Kings 22:19-22.
A fool interprets the Scriptures through the lense of his theology as opposed to his theology being informed by the Scriptures. I face that challenge myself all the time!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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