[Verginius Rufus]

It seems rather arrogant for the Vicar of Christ to think he can improve on Christ's words. Of course we don't have Christ's words directly but the renditions of them by Matthew and Luke. If only we had the lost Aramaic of Matthew to see what it said in Aramaic.

The Greek word translated as "temptation," peirasmos, could also mean "trial," as in putting someone to the test. So perhaps it could be read as a request that God not put us to the test (so we don't have a chance of failing the test). If God had not told Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they wouldn't have been kicked out of paradise.

[amorphous]

If only we had the lost Aramaic of Matthew to see what it said in Aramaic.

Available from Amazon:

THE HEBREW GOSPEL OF MATTHEW Paperback – July 1, 2005

First review:

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This is a very interesting in depth research of a very important New Testament topic. I found Dr. Howard's arguments very convincing to prove that some passages of the Shem-Tov manuscript reflect an Hebrew origin. Because I am specialized in New Testament studies, I wanted to make some questions to Dr. Howard, and I tried to contact him through his Faculty, but I learnt that he is a retired person now, and they don't have his references. What a pity!!! If some of you know how to contact him, please let me know.

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I believe other copies derived from the original Hebrew have been located.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Why do you just ignore this part of the article and make it sound like a snap and solo decision by the Pope:

experts have been studying the biblical text for 16 years and recently concluded, “from a theological, pastoral and stylistic viewpoint,” the centuries-old wording used in English translations of the Bible is incorrect.

[GOP Poet]

Great point.

[firebrand]

That’s interesting. It does seem weird that he would keep testing us with trials when we have already decided we belong to him. Many people, Robert Frost included, have thought that he does (”It was the nature of the test that you not understand it at the time”).

It makes much more sense that the world, the diabolic powers, are tempting us. He is not mean. We can foolishly project onto him all the human meanness that we have known, in others and in ourselves. He is perfect. It’s this world that throws us a challenge.

[IrishBrigade]

‘If God had not told Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they wouldn’t have been kicked out of paradise.’

yes, and He told them that knowing full well they would do so...some test...