snip
>First of all, thanks so much to the many B-Greekers who have
>publicly or privately written to me about my post.
>Second, in reply to Paul Dixon who, on Mon, 30 Jun 1997, wrote:
>
>> If Jeff Gibson is right that the overwhelming evidence for the
>> meaning of PEIRASMOS is "a trial which puts (someone or
>> something) to the proof ... a test or trial of faithfulness," and if
>> we are told in James that we should count it all joy when we
>> encounter various PEIRASMOIS, "knowing that the testing of
>> your faith produces endurance ... in order that you may be
>> perfect and complete" (1:2-3), then does it not seem
>> strange that we should pray that God would not lead us into
>> such testings? Certainly, they are for our good.
>>
>> Does this, coupled with the fact that the verbal form does
>> consistently mean "tempt" (Mt 4:1, Js 1:13-14, for starters),
>> explain why translations have traditionally rendered it
>> "temptation"?
snip
>the following needs to be said:
>
>1. It is precisely because "it seem[s] strange that we should pray
>that God would not lead us into such testings" that the view of the
>petition as envisaging the testing of believers (either now or in
>some "final/eschatological PEIRASMOS" is so questionable. They
>would then be asking "Deny us the privilege of being found faithful
>in PEIRASMOS; dispenses us from fulfilling God's will in such a
>test". Note, too, that should PEIRASMOS bear the sense that
>"temptation" nowadays connotes, namely, "incitement to do what is
>known to be wrong, an inner inclination to wrongdoing with the
>prospect of pleasure or advantage", then it is even more difficult
>to think that it is believers experiencing PEIRASMOS that is in
>view in the petition. For the petition then has in mind the
>possibility of God intending to lead or even deliberately leading
>his own into situations where they will be enticed to do what they
>know is wrong.
I see. You are concluding since PEIRASMOS means test or trial
for faithfulness, and since such results in good for Christians, then
it makes no sense for Christians to pray this petition. Therefore, it
must be a petition for non-Christians.
Hmm, this does pose some p