James 1:2-11, Trials and Temptations (2)

As you work through these, meditate.  Are temptations sin in & of themselves?  Does our Lord always want us to avoid tempting situations?  Did He?  How do we deal with tempting situations? Are trials good for us?  In what ways?

peirasmos (masculine noun): trial, test; temptation, enticement

·       Mt 6:13: Lord's prayer, "lead us not into temptation" (Lk 11:4)

·       Mt 26:41: watch, pray that you enter not into temptation (Mk 14:38; Lk 22:40,46-pray only)

·       Lk 4:13: devil left Jesus when he had finished every temptation

·       Lk 8:13: seed on rocky soil no root, fall away in time of temptation

·       Lk 22:28: d's who stood by in his trials will be rewarded

·       Ac 20:19: Paul served Lord in Ephesus w/trials

·       1 Co 10:13ab: no temptation comes but what is common to man, etc; w/the temptation God provides way of escape. (What an amazing verse when it comes to understanding temptations and experiencing victory.)

·       Gal 4:14: they didn't despise Paul's trial while he served them

·       1 Tim 6:9: those who want to get rich fall into a temptation

·       Hb 3:8: day of trial in wilderness (when they tried God, v9)

·       Jas 1:2: count it joy when you encounter various trials

·       Jas 1:12: blessed is man who endures trial

·       1 Pt 1:6: rejoice in hope even tho distressed by trials

·       1 Pt 4:12: don't be surprised at fiery ordeal which came for your testing

·       2 Pt 2:9: Lord knows how to rescue godly from temptation

·       Rv 3:10: Philadelphia to be kept from hour of testing

peiraō (verb): to try, attempt

·       Ac 26:21: Jews siezed Paul, tried to put him to death

ekpeirazō (verb): testing, trying

·       Mt 4:7: you shall not tempt Lord thy God (fr Dt: 6:16) (Lk 4:12)

·       Lk 10:25: lawyer tested Jesus w/question

·       1 Co 10:9: don't try Lord as they did in wilderness

apeirostos (adjective): without temptation

Jas 1:13: God cannot be tempted

Here are comments from a couple of word study classics:

·       Vincent: trial of any kind, w/o ref to its moral quality. Includes more than solicitation to evil; embraces all that goes to furnish a test of character.

·       Vine: 1)attempt. 2)test -- in good & bad sense.  Jas 1:13-15 is speaking of tempting that rises from within instead of from outside circumstances.