Question
What is temptation?
Answer
There are two words in the Greek which both mean “to test.” 1. dokimazo a) Means to test someone or something for the purpose of approving it. i) Various ways the word is translated: a) “Pass the examination” b) “Approve” c) “Sanction” ii) Contains within the word the idea of proving whether it is worthy to be received or not. a) In classical Greek it is used of putting money to test. iii) Implies the trial itself was made in the expectation and hope the person or thing would “pass” the test. 2. peirazo a) First meant “to pierce, search, attempt” b) Came to mean “to try or test intentionally and with the purpose of discovering what good or evil, what power or weakness, was in a person or thing. i) Since men often broke down under the test, its predominant sense came to mean putting to test with the intention and hope the person would break down. Thus it was used constantly of Satan testing man in hope he would break down. a) Dokimazo is used generally of God and never of Satan. b) Peirazo is occasionally used of God, but only in the sense of testing what good or evil might be in a person. 3. Different uses: a) “Prove” i) Luke 14:19 “And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.” (dokimaxo) a) He went to examine the oxen not to find out the good points or bad points about the oxen, but he bought them expecting to find good, healthy stock as the seller had represented them to be. ii) John 6:5 “When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” John 6:6 “And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.” (peirazo) a) Jesus was testing Philip to discover what faith or lack of faith he had. b) “Try” i) 1 Corinthians 3:13 “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” a) At the judgment our works won’t be tried to determine what good or evil was in them, but to put God’s approval upon them. (Dokimazo) ii) Revelation 2:2 “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:” (peirazo) a) The church at Ephesus was putting to test those claiming to be apostles in order to determine what good or evil there was in them, intending to accept them if found good and reject them if found they were evil. c) “Examine” i) 1 Corinthians 11:28 “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (Dokimazo) a) One is to examine himself with the expectation and hope of being able to place his approval upon himself so he may partake of the Lord’s Supper. ii) 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (peirazo) a) They were to “examine” (peirazo) themselves to see if they were true believers or not, and it that examination showed that they were, then they could “prove” (Dokimazo) themselves (put their approval upon that fact). 4. James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (peirazo);” James 1:3 “Knowing this, that the trying (Dokimazo) of your faith worketh patience.” James 1:4 “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” a) We are to rejoice when receive temptations like those in (2 Cor. 13:5; John 6:6) so we can determine whether or not we are true believers so that being tried (approved) our faith builds patience. 5. James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation (peirazo): for when he is tried (Dokimazo), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted (peirazo), I am tempted (peirazo) of God: for God cannot be tempted (peirazo) with evil, neither tempteth (peirazo) he any man:” James 1:14 “But every man is tempted (peirazo) , when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:16 “Do not err, my beloved brethren.” James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” a) “Blessed is the man” is the one that has God’s approval. (Psalms 32:2 “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”) The man that is blessed of God is the one that will not only take the Word of God and apply it to his life, but will also properly discern events that surround his life and allow God to remold and remake him on the inside. (Heb. 5:12-14). Or as James puts it in verse 12 he will “endure” the temptations like (2 Cor. 13:5; John 6:6) in order that God may place his approval upon him and he thereby can receive the crown of life as Paul did (2 Tim. 4:7-8). b) But there is another kind of temptation that God allows and that kind of temptation has as its purpose “the intention and hope the person would break down” and be lead away from God. That would be contrary to the very character of God. (Matt. 12:25). Actually what we are doing, when we fail, is the same thing Eve and others have done: we are blaming God. God allows these temptations, but has promised us (1 Corinthians 10:13) “There 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.” We are responsible for allowing our lust to lead us astray and not relying upon God “to deliver us from (the) evil (one).” (Matt. 6:13).
By Danny Stanford
