DOES GOD TEMPT PEOPLE? (GENESIS 22:1; JAMES 1:13)

One seemingly glaring contradiction in the Bible pointed out by critics is that God tempted Abraham (Genesis 22:1) although James 1:13 says that God doesn't tempt anyone.

The first question to ask skeptics who bring up this problem is: Why is the King James Version of the Genesis passage quoted instead of any modern translation which uses “test” or “try” in place of “tempt”? The answer, of course, is that those more up-to-date versions would not prove their point. This is typical of many atheists who do not really want to know what the Bible says; they only want ammunition to cast doubts on it. Their minds are already made up, and so they cynically feel that they can use any tricks they can muster to destroy the faith of others.

Well, what is wrong with using the KJV? After all, it is probably the most beautiful translation produced to date, most Christians my age were raised on it, and many modern English versions of the Bible (such as NASV, RSV and NRSV) are still heavily influenced by its basic wording. But for serious Bible study, I am afraid that I would not recommend it. There are a number of reasons for that statement:

1. It was written over 300 years ago, and the English language has changed considerably since that time.

2. Since that time, we have discovered many ancient non-biblical writings that shed new light on the meanings of Hebrew and Greek words in biblical times.

3. The KJV relied on the majority readings of the NT manuscripts available at the time. Modern translations rely more heavily on the earliest manuscripts instead (some of which were not available in 1711) since they are less likely to contain errors accumulated over years of copying and re-copying.

4. The Dead Sea scrolls provide us with OT manuscripts predating those available to the KJV translators by hundreds of years.

5. Archeologists have given us a much better picture of the ancient cultures and history than was available in the 1700's. And this added understanding sometimes impacts how we view certain biblical passages.

Getting back to the subject at hand, much of the answer to this so-called contradiction hinges on the exact meaning of the original words. In a previous post, I pointed out that anyone can carry out a basic word study as long as they have access to an analytical concordance. In this case, I would like to show how much more insight one can get by using in-depth word study books that are available. Let's start with the Hebrew original of Genesis 22:1.

Here are some pertinent statements taken from the entry on “Testing” in The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch:

The Hebrew root nsh means to try our, exercise, train, or put to the test. “There is nothing hostile, emotionally negative or pejorative about the verb as such.”

Outside the Pentateuch “the verb is associated with verbs for scrutinizing or scanning...”

“We could say that any divine command is a test of obedience...”

The Dictionary of OT Theology and Exegesis (vol. 3, p. 112) in its discussion on nsh notes that testings by God of people “are accompanied by particular objectives or goals: to measure obedience, instill [godly] fear, prevent sinning, discern what is in the heart, and to ensure future prosperity.” The author gives biblical examples illustrating each of these motives.

Walter Kaiser, in his book Toward OT Ethics (pp. 262-264) concurs when he quotes Crenshaw as saying that the story of Abraham “bears the character of a qualifying test.” In the OT, God is said to have tested someone eight other times. “In all eight of these cases..., the 'testing' is in relationship to obedience to God's commandments, statutes, laws, or ways.” The emphasis of the whole story is not on God's deception but on his grace and mercy.

Another valuable word study book is the New International Dictionary of NT Theology, which not only discusses the meaning of Greek words in their NT setting, but also traces the words back to their Hebrew counterparts. Here is a sampling of ideas found in this resource:

“..the vb nasah seems to imply primarily a testing of the partner in the covenant to see whether he is keeping his side of the agreement.” “When the term is used of an individual, it is always a pious man, never an ungodly one.

“Testing is one of the means by which God carries out his saving purposes. The person concerned often does not know until afterwards whether or why God has been testing him, when he is enabled to come out of tribulation strong in faith, having been preserved, proved, purified, disciplined and taught.”

In comparison to nsh, Hebrew words for tempt include massa, ta'ah and kasal.

Turning to the NT, the Greek word in question is peirazo which can mean either test or tempt depending on the context. And in the James 1 passage it is used several times with both meanings. NIDNTT says the following concerning this word:

“At the end of the testing God never turns out to be an enemy, but one who rewards (Jas. 1:12).”

“In stark contrast to any attempts to hold God responsible for human failure, Jas. maintains that God, himself apeirastos, incapable of being tempted by the evil one, tempts no one (Jas. 1:13).”

“J. Jeremias argues that we are not to think of God as the source of the temptation and that Jas. 1:13 is a rejection of this misunderstanding.

The popular Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words tackles the proposed contradiction head on:

“James 1:13-15 seems to contradict other statements of Scripture in two respects, saying (a) that 'God cannot be tempted with evil,' and (b) that 'He Himself tempteth no man.' But God tempted, or tried, Abraham, Heb. 11:17, and the Israelites tempted, or tried, God, I Cor. 10:9. Ver. 14, however, makes it plain that, whereas in these cases the temptation or trial, came from without, James refers to temptation, or trial, arising from within...”

Another approach to the problem is given in the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, pp. 814-815: “While in some OT texts God alone does the testing, elsewhere in Scripture Satan is a tool to provoke unfaithfulness while God tests in the hope of finding faithfulness.”

Thus, the motive behind the action distinguishes between testing and tempting. And so, we might say that the person (or persons) who posed this contradiction in the first place was probably doing so in order to tempt believers to abandon their faith in the truth in the Bible. On the other hand, sincere seekers who might come across this “problem” and ask us as Christians for a comment are testing our faith to see whether it will be shaken up by this supposed contradiction or remain strong.