Rome's Revision of the Lord's Prayer and the Coming Hour of Testing

Unsealed ^ | 12-17-2-18 | Jeff

[amessenger4god]

If you regularly check the headlines, then you may have read about the Vatican's efforts to revise a particular verse in what is commonly called "The Lord's Prayer." Led by Pope Francis, Rome wants to change the wording of a long-standing translation that has brought a mixture of comfort and confusion to many.

The verse in question can be found in Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:4, and in the eyes of the Pope and the leaders of the Roman Catholic institution, they believe that "lead us not into temptation" should be reworded to something like "abandon us not when in temptation." While the Vatican has taken significant time to study ancient versions and do the proper leg work, the faithful student of God's word should wisely question the purpose and validity of this enterprise.

And for those of us who have studied history, how could we forget the unjust power plays from the Popes of Christmas past? When the majority of Christendom doesn't know their right from their left when it comes to the Bible, should we just leave this one up to the self-appointed experts of Rome to solve this translational and interpretative puzzle?

By no means should we follow Rome's lead, or even shrug our shoulders like the rest of the undiscerning world. Instead, let's apply our minds (the mind of Christ; cf. 1 Cor. 2:14-15) and use the tools available to the true body of Christ in order to separate the wheat from the chaff in this translation controversy.

For starters: What does the text actually say in the earliest surviving Greek manuscripts? Next thought: We should understand that even a literal, word-for-word translation requires some interpretation on the part of the translator. There is a wide semantic range for many words and phrases written in the ancient biblical languages and the variety of English versions attests to this fact. Consequently, the answer is not as simple as what does the Greek say. We must also consider the context of the chapter and book in order to gain a biblically-informed understanding of the inspired author's intent.

My aim, however, is not to get into the theory of translation or interpretation right now, so I strongly invite you to read this well-written and thorough blog post authored by Dr. Daniel Wallace, a senior Greek professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, entitled "Pope Francis, The Lord's Prayer, and Bible Translation." He addressed this controversy a year ago when the Vatican first announced their plans to alter the Lord's Prayer.

In this post I want to challenge a particular conclusion reached in one of many news outlets reporting on this issue. Michael Dorstewitz, writing for Newsmax, provides an objective piece for the most part, offering several quotes from both Catholic and Protestant leaders. However, the objectivity abruptly ends with this crude summarization:

...in the meantime, the message for all the detractors should be: No, Pope Francis is not rewriting the word of God" (see, "Pope Francis Calls for Change to 'Lord's Prayer' and Critics Go Mad").

Mr. Dorstewitz's reply is a great example of an all-too-common attitude in our time: What's the big deal, so what? Let the Pope change a word or two in order to smooth out a difficult translation and bring unity among Christians. What's all the fuss about, and why is this news anyway? Nothing to see here, move along.

Well, I beg to differ, because this isn't the first controversial thing the current Pope has said or done—the leader of the Roman Catholic Church has been rocking the boat and helping to pave the way for a one-world religion ever since he was appointed back in 2013 (for specifics, see Gary's post, "The Wolf").

So, on the contrary, Mr. Dorstewitz, Pope Francis is trying to rewrite (re-word, re-interpret) the word of God. Though well-intentioned or not, the Roman Catholic Church is not only twisting the Scripture but also fulfilling end-times prophecy. And there is a tragic irony in the specific verse the Vatican is seeking to emend that relates to Catholics and the coming Tribulation.

...if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit" (Matthew 15:14, ESV).

What Say You, Matthew?

Matthew and Luke are the only biblical authors to record the content of Jesus' model prayer to the disciples known throughout the world as "The Lord's Prayer." Luke appears to have a more condensed version, and so, for the sake of clarity and convenience, we will stick with Matthew's gospel for our purposes here.

When you survey the English versions for Matthew 6:13, you will discover that virtually everyone follows the lead of the KJV and translates the Greek word peraismos as "temptation." However, when you look up the word in most Bible lexicons or dictionaries, you'll find that there is a broad range of meaning available.

For example, I have found three primary definitions in the semantic range for peraismos, Strong's 3986:

(1) Trial
(2) Testing
(3) Temptation

As you can see, these words in isolation evoke different imagery even though they are synonymous. Context, as always, is important in order to narrow down which definition in the semantic range is appropriate for any given verse. Therefore, it is possible that some of the confusion surrounding Matthew 6:13 could be resolved if more Christians understood that the ideas of "testing" and "trial" are legitimate English translations for peraismos.

Nevertheless, some will still confuse this verse in the Lord's Prayer with James 1:13. On this alleged contradiction please refer to Dr. Wallace's article linked above. When peraismos is used with God or Satan as the subject, Dr. Wallace makes an important theological point of distinction, "God tests; Satan tempts."

But the Pope along with many others will object, "God would never lead or bring anyone into temptation, that's the Devil's job." Oh, really? So God would never lead, bring, or send someone to be peraismoed [tested, tried, tempted, etc.]? Well, as it turns out, we don't have to go very far to answer that rebuttal. Just turn back a couple of pages to chapter 4:

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted [Grk. peraismos] by the Devil..." (Matthew 4:1, HCSB). 

And, there you have it: Led up by the Spirit...of God. It was God who led Jesus into the desert to be tempted. Now, if you can accept that God led Jesus into temptation, or to be tempted, then how does this affect our interpretation of the controversial verse in the Lord's Prayer?

To further clarify this crucial literary connection within Matthew's gospel, here is Dr. Wallace's brief comment on Matthew 6:13 found in one of his Greek textbooks:

Although the KJV renders [Matt. 6:13] 'deliver us from evil,' the presence of the article indicates not evil in general, but the evil one himself. In the context of Matthew's Gospel, such deliverance from the devil seems to be linked to Jesus' temptation in 4:1-10: Because the Spirit led him into temptation by the evil one, believers now participate in his victory" (in Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, pg. 233).

And it's little wonder why many Christians, or so-called Christians, misunderstand this verse in the Lord's Prayer. The reason is they are confused about the very gospel itself. To conclude, here are some of Dr. Wallace's most powerful statements in his response to the Pope Francis debacle:

...the temptation that the Lord faced was the ultimate temptation—the offer of the entire world on a platter. Jesus can ask the disciples to pray that the Father would not lead them into temptation and that God would deliver them from the evil one precisely because Jesus himself faced the ultimate temptation by the evil one...[i]t is precisely because of Jesus' substitutionary death and life that this prayer can be recited today by Christians with the full assurance that God will answer us. Pope Francis's translation, however, subverts all this...[t]he original text speaks clearly of God leading, not permitting. To tamper with the wording misses the connection with the Lord's temptation."

Now then. I've shown you how Pope Francis and his cohorts at the Vatican are twisting the Scripture and thereby polluting the waters of the true gospel once again. They are the blind leading the blind. But how is the pontiff also fulfilling end-times prophecy by this latest move?

The Final Exam

The terrible irony in all of this mistranslation mess is the fact that the leader of the largest group of Christians worldwide has no clue that the LORD will not only lead him and the rest of the non-born-again Catholics into temptation, Jesus says most explicitly that He will throw them into the ultimate time of testing—the Tribulation:

Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death..." (Revelation 2:22-23, NKJV).

Do you see the irony in all of this?!

The Pope wants to alter Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:4 and absolve God from leading anyone into testing or temptation. However, truth be told, the Lord Jesus doesn't simply lead the Roman church into the Tribulation like a shepherd gently guiding his sheep to green pasture, He throws them into the Trib like a diseased sack of potatoes going into a burning trash heap.

Yikes.

But please note: For all who are willing to examine the Scriptures for themselves and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, even if you identify as a former or current Roman Catholic, there is still hope for exemption from the Final Exam. There is still time...but it is quickly running out.

Look, the first and last uses of the Greek noun peraismos in the New Testament are book-ended by Matthew 6:13 and a shockingly relevant verse in the book of Revelation:

Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing [Grk. peraismos], that hour which is about to come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:10, NASB).

Therefore, you must hear what the Spirit is saying (Rev. 2:29; 3:13) and believe the one and only true gospel of salvation. It's under heavy attack right now and has been for many centuries. But now that we are nearing the day of the Final Exam, you must examine your beliefs and find out whether or not you are trusting in Christ alone and His finished work alone (Heb. 10:10-13; Rev. 2:26, emphasis "My works").

If you are trusting in the once-and-for-all atoning sacrifice of Jesus, then you are exempt from the Final Exam according to the correct translation and interpretation of Matthew 6:13 and Revelation 3:10. Rest assured, the LORD will not lead the true body of Christ into the testing period of the Tribulation. We will all be led in another direction—up, up, and away!

After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice [Jesus] that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, 'Come up here..." (Revelation 4:1, HCSB).

[Mom MD]

A new covenant where we approach the Throne of Grace through our one and only mediator Jesus Christ. Not priests, nor saints, nor Mary

[Chainmail]

The Marine part of is more likely to launch into my 27 year immersion in artful profanity but the Holy Spirit has helped me reduce the frequency and amplitude of my more off-color speech. Should my rants slip into something more readily applied during Boot Camp, then at that time I will have to ask your (and God’s) forgiveness.

The original post was a disorganized and incoherent and largely anti-Catholic screed. You should expect that any Catholic above room temperature will take issue - you would likely take issue if I started babbling anti- Protestant tripe. (And if I did so, I would be a blowhard, right?)

Whomever wrote this post imagines himself to be an authority on the Bible, faith and Catholicism. He is, by definition, self-appointed and in addition, pompous and annoying.

That you have decided to support his scribblings is disappointing. It is also disappointing that you also get going with the ad hominems right out of the gate. (”Junior” - really?) it’s also disappointing that this author is yet another “christian” that thinks that best way to faith is to attack other Christians. I’ve seen a lot of that on the FreeRepublic and it is surprising and disappointing.

I am very happy and proud of my Catholic faith - and you should never expect a quiescent response when we’re attacked.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

This was posted as an open discussion thread.

Discussion is to be expected.

[Salvation]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3713751/posts

The thread is about prayer.

Read the link from Jim Robinson about TROLLS.

[Salvation]

When they don’t stick to the topic of the thread and post other things, aren’t they being a TROLL?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I don’t believe you made this a Devotional thread, or a Caucus thread, did you?

Maybe you can still change it if you do not want to discuss the topic - or also, you might be able to make it an Ecumenical thread.

Merry Christmas!

[boatbums]

The thread is about prayer. Read the link from Jim Robinson about TROLLS.

Did you just forget to include the other poster who was arguing and being a TROLL???

[metmom]

ealgeone

Not everyone sees it that way.

It's not a prayer thread, per se, as in someone asking prayer as a prayer request.

It's a discussion of what the pope is trying to do in regard to changing the meaning of Scripture. And while the Scripture concerned deal with the Lord's Prayer, it would be no different than if the passage of Scripture were about something else.

Not everyone who has a different opinion than the poster is a troll.

The accusation of *troll* ought not to be used as a weapon with which to silence people.

[metmom]

Ditto that, mom.

[metmom]

AMEN!!!

[Gamecock]

And yet it wasn’t labeled as a caucys/devotional.

[metmom]

Or could it be considered that someone who accuses others of being a troll is also troll like behavior?

I mean really, just how far could this back and forth accusation be taken?

When everyone is a troll, no one is a troll.

[metmom]

AND........ it wasn’t labeled as a prayer thread either, even though part of the discussion is about a prayer.

[ShadowAce]

I think I agree with him. I don’t like the verse in question either.

Right. Because Scripture is *only* useful when we *like* it.

</s>

[kosciusko51]

It looks like the OP put this out for discussion, not as a caucus/devotion/prayer/ecumenical post, contrary to the opinions of others.

Personally, I hope Mr. Robinson’s message was not to be use as a cudgel to bash, silence, or purge those who disagree with Roman Catholism.

[nikos1121]

“And lead us not into temptation.”

Makes no sense to me. I’m pleading with God not to lead me into temptation, or Let’s not lead each other into temptation?

I’m not sure if I agree with the Pope’s either, but let’s go back to the original Greek and see what the verse should be.

[Iscool]

SCRIPTURE DOES NOT CHANGE! However, nobody prior to the 19th Century believed in the "secret rapture," so clearly evangelical Protestantism does, and will, change.

Would you change your mind if you were proven to be wrong??? Of course you wouldn't...You guys have been shown time and time again and yet you still swallow the same swill yur religiun pours out......

Old Ephraim, a Catholic Saint clearly understood and believed in the pre-Tribulation Rapture as did many of your so-called church Fathers and Doctors...

Ephraim The Syrian

Ephraim (306 AD – 373 AD)
“We ought to understand thoroughly therefore, my brothers, what is imminent or overhanging. Already there have been hunger and plagues, violent movements of nations and signs, which have been predicted by the Lord, they have already been fulfilled (consummated), and there is not other which remains, except the advent of the wicked one in the completion of the Roman kingdom. Why therefore are we occupied with worldly business, and why is our mind held fixed on the lusts of the world or on the anxieties of the ages? Why therefore do we not reject every care of worldly business, and why is our mind held fixed on the lusts of the world or on the anxieties of the ages? Why therefore do we not reject every care of earthly actions and prepare ourselves for the meeting of the Lord Christ, so that he may draw us from the confusion, which overwhelms all the world? Believe you me, dearest brother, because the coming (advent) of the Lord is nigh, believe you me, because the end of the world is at hand, believe me, because it is the very last time.

Or do you not believe unless you see with your eyes? See to it that this sentence be not fulfilled among you of the prophet who declares: “Woe to those who desire to see the day of the Lord!”

For all the saints and elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins. And so, brothers most dear to me, it is the eleventh hour, and the end of the world comes to the harvest, and angels, armed and prepared, hold sickles in their hands, awaiting the empire of the Lord. And we think that the earth exists with blind infidelity, arriving at its downfall early. Commotions are brought forth, wars of diverse peoples and battles and incursions of the barbarians threaten, and our regions shall be desolated, and we neither become very much afraid of the report nor of the appearance, in order that we may at least do penance; because they hurl fear at us, and we do not wish to be changed, although we at least stand in need of penance for our actions!”

Taken from Here...

[Iscool]

AND........ it wasn’t labeled as a prayer thread either, even though part of the discussion is about a prayer.

Exactly...The thread isn't a prayer thread or even about prayer...It's about the fake religion changing scripture that has been accepted for a couple thousand years...I think WE have been Trolled...It's like watching CNN...

[Iscool]

I’m not sure if I agree with the Pope’s either, but let’s go back to the original Greek and see what the verse should be.

Over 25 Lexicons and 2 Millennium of the best Greek scholars the World has had to offer and now your pope is going to 'one-up' 'em???

[nikos1121]

I just said, let’s go back to the original Greek text and see what it says... “Lead us not into temptation.” You tell me what it means.